We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You can change your cookie settings at any time.
Departments, agencies and public bodies
News stories, speeches, letters and notices
Detailed guidance, regulations and rules
Reports, analysis and official statistics
Consultations and strategy
Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports
You might still be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa if your job is eligible but your salary is less than £25,600 or your job’s usual ‘going rate’. You must still be paid at least £10.10 per hour.
You can be paid between 70% and 90% of the usual going rate for your job if your salary is at least £20,480 per year and you meet one of the following criteria:
There are different salary rules if you work in some healthcare or education jobs.
A ‘shortage occupation’ is a skilled job where there is a shortage of workers in the UK.
If your job is on the shortage occupation list, you can:
View the shortage occupations list to see if your job is included and how much you’ll need to be paid.
Make sure you check there’s a shortage in the part of the UK you’ll be working in – England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
You can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if one of the following applies:
If this applies to you, check how much you’ll need to be paid to qualify for this visa.
Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply for one of these reasons. This includes any time you’ve already spent in the UK on a Tier 2 (General) work visa.
If your job is eligible for a PhD salary discount, you can be paid 80% or 90% of the job’s usual going rate, depending on which subject you are qualified in.
If you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) qualification, you can be paid 80% of your job’s usual going rate, as long as you will still be paid at least £20,480 per year.
If you have a non-STEM qualification, you can be paid 90% of your job’s usual going rate, as long as you will still be paid at least £23,040 a year.
In both situations, you must:
View the list of jobs that qualify for a PhD salary discount to see if your job is included and how much you need to be paid.
If you’re a research or academic leader, you may also be eligible to apply for the Global Talent visa. This visa has no language or minimum salary requirements.
You can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if you’ll be working in a postdoctoral position in certain science or higher education roles.
Your job must be in one of the following occupation codes to qualify for this salary discount:
If this applies to you, check how much you’ll need to be paid to qualify for this visa.
Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply to work in a postdoctoral position at 70% of the usual going rate. This includes any time you’ve already spent in the UK on a Tier 2 (General) work visa.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.
