Higher salaries and tougher checks: the new reality for Skilled Worker visas
The standard salary floor now sits at £41,700, the skill bar has risen to graduate level, and employers must meet pay requirements in every pay period — not just on average.
Eleanor Whitfield
Writer ·

- Standard minimum salary now £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher
- Skill threshold raised to graduate level (RQF Level 6)
- New pay-period compliance test from 8 April 2026
- Changes flow from the 2025 immigration white paper
“”
Referenced coverage: Our reporting and analysis draws on coverage first reported by House of Commons Library. The NE Times publishes original reporting and independent analysis written by our editorial team. We credit and link the outlets whose primary reporting informed this article.
The NE Times is an independent news and analysis publisher. Our articles combine factual reporting with clearly-written, impartial analysis. Content is for general information and does not constitute professional advice. Disclaimer.
You may also like to read

Visa 'brake' blocks student and worker applications from four countries
A new mechanism lets ministers freeze visa routes from nationalities deemed high-risk for asylum claims, starting with Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

Net migration falls to 171,000 as work and study arrivals drop
Official estimates show net migration has nearly halved year on year, extending a steep decline from the 2023 peak — with both British and EU flows now negative.

Temporary protection and 20-year settlement: the asylum overhaul taking shape
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's reform package, set out in March, is now being implemented — with refugee protection becoming temporary and support shifting from duty to discretion.

Qatar Airways Delay Leaves New Rugby Nations Championship Without Title Sponsor
Rugby union's Nations Championship is set to launch without its expected Qatar Airways title branding after the proposed sponsorship, worth around £80m, was put on hold amid Middle East uncertainty.