UK Visa Salary Rules Change in Spring 2027: What We Know

Short answer

Budget 2026, published on 28th October 2026, says UK visa salary rules for Skilled Worker jobs will change from spring 2027. Going rates for each job will be based on the 25th percentile of pay instead of the median. These are announced plans, not law yet, and no new figures have been published. For now, the current rules still apply: usually £41,700 a year or the job's going rate, whichever is higher.

The Budget also announced other changes employers should know about. Only one has a firm date: if you pay the Immigration Skills Charge or the certificate of sponsorship fee for a Skilled Worker, it won't count as a taxable benefit for your worker, for payments made on or after 28th October 2026, once the Finance Bill 2026-27 makes it law.

Announced, not law

The changes in this article come from the Budget document. None of them has changed the Immigration Rules yet. The tax change will become law through the Finance Bill 2026-27 and, once it does, will cover payments made on or after 28th October 2026. The visa changes need new rules, and none have been published.

1. Salary thresholds from spring 2027

The government says it will follow the Migration Advisory Committee's advice on visa salary requirements from spring 2027. The Budget lists five changes:

• Going rates for each occupation will move from the median to the 25th percentile of wages.
• The general threshold will be updated using 2026 wage data.
• Salary thresholds will then be updated every year using the latest official wage figures from the Office for National Statistics.
• The new entrant discounts will become one single figure for people who are studying, recently graduated or in professional training.
• The PhD discount will go.

No new thresholds or going rates have been published. Until new rules are laid, the current rules apply: usually £41,700 a year or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher.

2. Longer to find a new job for the highest skilled workers

In 2027, the government plans to give the highest skilled sponsored workers up to six months to find a new job if their sponsored job ends and their visa is shortened. That's longer than they get today. How long someone gets will depend on how long they worked in their previous highly paid job. The Budget doesn't say yet who counts as "highest skilled".

3. High Potential Individual and Graduate visas

The High Potential Individual visa will open to graduates of the top 150 universities and institutions in the world, with a matching rise in the number of places.

The Graduate visa will be set at two years for people who graduate from high-compliance universities with strong job outcomes for their graduates. No list of universities and no start date have been published. Under the current rules, a Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31st December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1st January 2027. PhD graduates still get 3 years.

4. Sponsor fees and tax

Budget 2026 announced that when an employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge or a certificate of sponsorship fee for a Skilled Worker, it won't be treated as a taxable benefit for the worker. The government will make this law through the Finance Bill 2026-27, and it will apply to payments made on or after 28th October 2026.

To see what sponsoring a worker costs in total, try the sponsorship cost calculator.

What this means if you're hiring now

Your sponsor duties and salary rules haven't changed yet. Keep using today's salary rules, usually £41,700 a year or the job's going rate, whichever is higher, for any certificate of sponsorship you assign, and check GOV.UK when new rules are published. You'll find the dates employers need to watch on our key dates page.

If you have a role to fill, post it on Global Sponsor Hub. Your first role is free, live until filled, and you'll reach candidates looking for sponsored jobs.

FAQ

Has the Skilled Worker salary threshold changed? Not yet. Budget 2026 announced changes from spring 2027, but no new figures have been published. For now, you usually need to pay £41,700 a year or the job's going rate, whichever is higher.

What is changing about going rates? The government plans to base going rates on the 25th percentile of pay for each occupation, instead of the median.

Is the Immigration Skills Charge still payable? The Budget doesn't change who pays it. It changes the tax: Budget 2026 announced that when an employer pays it, or the certificate of sponsorship fee, for a Skilled Worker, it won't count as a taxable benefit for the worker. Once the Finance Bill 2026-27 makes it law, it will cover payments made on or after 28th October 2026.

Is the Graduate visa staying at two years? Not under the current rules. It's 2 years if you apply on or before 31st December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1st January 2027. PhD graduates still get 3 years. Budget 2026 announced two years for graduates of high-compliance universities with strong job outcomes, but no list or date has been published.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Budget 2026, paragraphs 7.4 and 7.9
• GOV.UK: Budget 2026 overview of tax legislation and rates (OOTLAR), paragraph 1.10
• GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job
• GOV.UK: Immigration Rules, Appendix Graduate
• GOV.UK: Graduate visa

Last checked: 29 Oct 2026