Switching from a Student Visa to a Skilled Worker Visa in the UK

Last updated: 19 August 2026

For a lot of international students, the plan is fairly simple. Come to the UK. Complete the degree. Find a decent job. Switch onto a Skilled Worker Visa. Stay in the UK and start building a career.

On paper, that sounds straightforward enough.

The difficulty is usually somewhere between stages three and four.

Getting a graduate job does not automatically mean you qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, and being on a Student Visa does not mean you can switch whenever you like.

• The job has to qualify.
• The employer has to be able to sponsor you.
• The salary has to meet the correct threshold.
• The timing of the application matters.

And if you are hoping to use the new entrant Skilled Worker salary rules, those need to be applied properly too. We deal with quite a lot of Student and Graduate Visa holders moving into sponsored work, and one thing I would say from the outset is this:

Do not wait until your Student Visa is about to expire before finding out whether the job you have accepted can actually be sponsored.

That conversation is considerably nicer six months before expiry than six days before it.

Can You Switch from a Student Visa to a Skilled Worker Visa?

Yes.

A person who currently holds a Student Visa can potentially switch to a Skilled Worker Visa from inside the UK. But there are additional rules specifically for Students. You must meet one of the following:

• you have completed the course you were sponsored to study;
• the start date of the sponsored job is after your course has finished;
• you are studying for a PhD full-time and have already been studying for at least 24 months.

So the old advice that you can simply switch because you are “within three months of finishing” is not the current rule. The timing needs to be checked against your course and proposed employment start date. This becomes particularly important where an employer wants somebody to start immediately.

A fantastic job offer is slightly less fantastic if the proposed start date causes an immigration problem.

Do You Have to Take a Graduate Visa First?

No. This is another common misunderstanding. You do not normally have to move from:

Student Visa → Graduate Visa → Skilled Worker Visa.

If you meet the Skilled Worker requirements, you can potentially move directly from a Student Visa to a Skilled Worker Visa. That can sometimes make a lot of sense. The Graduate Visa gives somebody flexibility to work without sponsorship, but it is not a settlement route itself.

A Skilled Worker Visa, on the other hand, can lead towards Indefinite Leave to Remain if the settlement requirements are eventually met. So where a student already has a suitable sponsored job available, it is worth considering whether going straight onto Skilled Worker is the better option.

That does not mean it will always be better. The Graduate route can still be extremely useful for somebody who wants time to find the right employer or build experience before moving into sponsorship. The important thing is to actually compare the options rather than automatically applying for a Graduate Visa because everybody else on the course is doing it.

What Salary Do You Need for a Skilled Worker Visa?

This is probably the question we are asked most often. Unfortunately, there is no single answer that works for everybody. Under the current rules, the standard Skilled Worker salary requirement is usually the higher of:

• £41,700 per year, or
• the going rate for the occupation.

Each eligible occupation code has its own going rate. So earning £41,700 does not automatically mean somebody qualifies. If the going rate for the occupation is £48,000, then £41,700 is not enough under the standard salary option.

Equally, some applicants can qualify using one of the permitted discounted salary options. This is where the new entrant rules become particularly important for Students and recent graduates.

Can Students Qualify as New Entrants?

Quite often, yes. A person can potentially qualify for the Skilled Worker new entrant provisions where, for example, they are:

• under 26;
• studying or a recent graduate;
• working towards a recognised professional qualification;
• in certain postdoctoral positions.

A Student switching directly into Skilled Worker can therefore often qualify for the new entrant salary provisions. Under the current rules, a qualifying new entrant can generally be paid 70% of the standard going rate for the occupation, provided their salary is at least £33,400 per year.

Both requirements matter.

You do not simply calculate 70% of the going rate and stop there. The salary must satisfy the applicable minimum threshold as well.

How Does the New Entrant Salary Discount Actually Work?

Let’s take a simple example. Suppose the standard going rate for a particular occupation is £46,000. Seventy per cent of that would be:

£32,200.

But the current new entrant general salary floor is £33,400. So the worker would need to earn at least £33,400, not £32,200.

Now suppose the going rate is £52,000. Seventy per cent is:

£36,400.

In that case, the worker would normally need at least £36,400, because that is higher than the £33,400 floor. This is why I am wary whenever somebody says:

“I’m a graduate, so I only need £33,400.”

Possibly. But not necessarily. We still need the occupation code and the going rate before we can answer properly.

How Long Can You Use the New Entrant Rules?

The new entrant provisions are not simply limited to two years. A worker can generally benefit from new entrant treatment for a maximum combined period of four years. Importantly, that four-year limit can include time already spent with permission on the:

• Graduate route;
• Skilled Worker route;
• previous Tier 2 route.

So, for example, if somebody spends two years on a Graduate Visa before moving onto Skilled Worker as a new entrant, they may have only around two years of new entrant eligibility left.

That becomes important when the employer is deciding how long to sponsor them for. The new entrant rate is not designed to be a permanent discounted salary. Eventually the worker needs to move onto another appropriate Skilled Worker salary option.

Does Your Job Have to Be Graduate Level?

The Skilled Worker rules changed significantly in July 2025.

The old general description that a job simply needed to be at RQF Level 3 or above is no longer a safe way to explain eligibility.

Occupations are now categorised by the Home Office as:

• Higher Skilled
• Medium Skilled
• Ineligible

Higher-skilled occupations can potentially qualify in the normal way if the other requirements are met.

Some medium-skilled occupations remain available for sponsorship, but access is more restricted and often depends on the occupation appearing on the Temporary Shortage List or another applicable list or transitional provision.

So don’t focus too heavily on whether your university degree sounds relevant to the job.

The important question is:

What occupation code accurately reflects the work you will actually be doing, and is that occupation currently eligible for sponsorship?

Does the Job Title Decide the Occupation Code?

No. This catches employers and workers out quite regularly. The Home Office does not simply look at the title written on the employment contract. “Business Manager” could mean ten completely different jobs.

“Marketing Executive” can mean different things in different companies. “Project Manager” is another favourite. The occupation code should reflect the actual duties and responsibilities of the role.

That means the sponsor needs to consider what the employee will really be doing. Choosing a code simply because it has a convenient salary requirement is a very bad idea. UKVI can look at whether the role is genuine and whether the chosen occupation code accurately reflects the job.

The correct approach is to start with the role and find the code. Not start with the salary table and work backwards until you find a code you like.

Your Employer Needs a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence

Before an employer can sponsor you under the Skilled Worker route, they normally need an appropriate Sponsor Licence.

Some large employers already have one. Plenty of smaller businesses do not.

That does not necessarily mean the job is dead. The employer can potentially apply for a Sponsor Licence.

Most Sponsor Licence applications are currently dealt with in less than eight weeks, although some employers can use the paid pre-licence priority service, which aims for consideration within 10 working days where a slot is available.

The priority service itself is limited. So if your employer needs a Sponsor Licence, start the discussion early.

There is little point discovering this two weeks before your Student Visa expires and asking HR whether they can “quickly get sponsorship sorted.”

Sponsor licensing is many things. A last-minute administrative formality is not one of them.

What Does the Employer Need to Do?

Once licensed, the sponsoring employer needs to assign the worker a Certificate of Sponsorship, usually called a CoS.

Despite the name, it is not actually a paper certificate.

It is an electronic sponsorship record containing information such as:

• the worker’s details;
• job title;
• occupation code;
• salary;
• weekly working hours;
• work location;
• proposed employment dates.

Those details matter.

The Skilled Worker application should correspond with the sponsorship information. If the CoS says one salary and the contract says another, that deserves an explanation. If the occupation code does not match the actual duties, that needs addressing.

If the working hours have been entered incorrectly, the salary calculation may also be affected. This is why I often say the visa application starts with the sponsorship. A badly prepared CoS can create a problem before the worker even opens the application form.

Does the Skilled Worker Job Have to Be Full-Time?

There is no general Skilled Worker rule saying every job must be a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Part-time sponsored roles can potentially qualify. However, the worker still needs to satisfy the applicable salary requirements. Going rates published by the Home Office are generally based on a particular working week, commonly 37.5 hours, and may need to be adjusted for the sponsored working pattern.

So weekly hours matter. But “30 hours minimum” should not be treated as a universal eligibility rule.

Again, this is one of those areas where a simple internet checklist can make things sound much easier than they are.

What Documents Do You Need to Switch?

The exact evidence depends on the circumstances, but a Student switching to Skilled Worker will commonly need information or evidence relating to:

• passport or immigration identity;
• Certificate of Sponsorship reference number;
• current immigration permission;
• English language requirement;
• maintenance funds where required;
• qualification or Student-route circumstances where relevant;
• ATAS documentation in certain cases;
• criminal record certificate where the particular occupation requires one.

Some applicants may already satisfy the English language requirement through their previous UK immigration application. Some may not need to provide maintenance evidence because they have already been living in the UK with permission for the required period.

So, once again, don’t collect documents purely because somebody else’s application included them.

Work out what your application requires.

Do You Need Bank Statements?

Not always. A Skilled Worker applicant may need to demonstrate maintenance funds of £1,270, normally held for the required period. However, a person who has already been in the UK with permission for at least 12 months will normally not need to provide evidence of those funds.

The sponsoring employer can also sometimes certify maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship. That means many Students switching inside the UK may not actually need to upload bank statements for maintenance.

Check first. There is no Home Office bonus point for uploading documents that nobody asked for.

Can Your UK Degree Meet the English Requirement?

Potentially, yes. Students moving from a UK university course into Skilled Worker sponsorship will often already have satisfied an English language requirement through their previous immigration history or qualification.

But the exact position should still be checked. The Skilled Worker route currently requires English at the applicable level, and whether you need to provide fresh evidence depends on how you previously demonstrated your English ability and your circumstances.

Don’t automatically book another English test. You may simply be donating money to a test provider for no reason.

How Much Does It Cost to Switch to a Skilled Worker Visa?

For an application made inside the UK, the current standard Skilled Worker application fees from 8 April 2026 depend on the proposed period of permission. For most standard Skilled Worker applications, the fee is:

• £943 for permission of up to three years;
• £1,865 for permission of more than three years.

Different, lower fees can apply for some eligible occupations, including roles on the Immigration Salary List and Health and Care Worker applications. The worker may also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, normally £1,035 for each year of permission where the surcharge applies.

This means the length of sponsorship can make a substantial difference to the upfront cost. A five-year visa gives longer security, but it also means a much larger IHS payment at the beginning. That is worth discussing before the sponsor casually selects five years on the CoS.

Does the Employer Have to Pay the Immigration Skills Charge?

An employer sponsoring a worker normally needs to consider the Immigration Skills Charge. However, there is an important exemption where somebody switches to Skilled Worker from a visa that allows them to study.

That means an employer sponsoring an eligible Student to switch directly into Skilled Worker may not have to pay the Immigration Skills Charge. That can save the employer a substantial amount of money.

It is another reason why employers should check the worker’s actual immigration status before calculating sponsorship costs.

How Long Does an In-Country Skilled Worker Application Take?

The standard published processing time for an in-country Skilled Worker application is currently around eight weeks after the application has been submitted, identity proved and supporting evidence provided.

Faster decision services may be offered depending on availability and the application. If available, they can significantly reduce the waiting time. But do not build your entire employment plan around the assumption that priority will definitely be available.

It is a service, not a constitutional right.

Can You Start the Skilled Worker Job While the Application Is Pending?

This is an important practical question. The Student work conditions and Skilled Worker switching rules need to be considered alongside the proposed job start date. Students can have restrictions on the work they are permitted to undertake before their course has been completed.

There are also specific rules governing when somebody who has made a valid Skilled Worker application can begin the sponsored employment. This is one of those areas where I would look at the exact Student permission, course completion and CoS dates rather than give somebody a blanket answer.

The employer should not simply assume that assigning the CoS means the worker can start full-time permanent employment the next morning.

Can Your Partner and Children Stay With You?

Potentially.

But the original article contained an important error here too.

There is no general rule saying a new entrant earning below the standard £41,700 threshold cannot bring Skilled Worker dependants. Dependant eligibility is not simply based on whether the worker is using the new entrant salary option.

However, there are now specific dependant restrictions affecting some occupation groups, particularly certain care workers and workers sponsored in specified medium-skilled occupations. So somebody switching from Student to Skilled Worker needs to check the dependant position based on the actual occupation code and relevant transitional rules.

Being a new entrant does not, by itself, remove your right to have dependants.

What If Your Partner Is Already Your Student Dependant?

This can be particularly important.

Where a Student already has a partner or child in the UK as their dependant, the family may want to switch together when the main applicant moves onto Skilled Worker. Whether the dependant can switch depends on the Skilled Worker dependant requirements and the main worker’s occupation.

Some medium-skilled occupations now carry restrictions on bringing or retaining dependants for newer entrants to the route. So if your family circumstances matter to you, check this before accepting the sponsored role.

A job might qualify for Skilled Worker sponsorship but still create an unexpected problem for your family’s immigration position. Salary is not the only thing worth checking.

Can Skilled Worker Lead to ILR?

Yes.

The Skilled Worker route can lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain, normally after five years on qualifying routes, provided the settlement requirements are met. That is one of the biggest differences between the Graduate route and Skilled Worker.

The Graduate Visa itself does not lead directly to settlement. Skilled Worker does.

However, settlement is not automatic after five years.

The worker still needs to meet the relevant residence, salary, sponsorship and other requirements that apply at the time of the ILR application. So think beyond simply getting the first Skilled Worker Visa.

If the intention is to settle in the UK eventually, the job, salary progression and sponsorship arrangement should make sense over the longer term too.

Common Student to Skilled Worker Mistakes

We see the same problems fairly regularly.

Applying at the Wrong Point in the Course

Do not assume that because you have received a job offer you can immediately switch. Check whether you meet the Student switching requirements and whether the proposed job start date is permitted.

Using the Wrong Occupation Code

The code should match the real duties of the role. A convenient job title does not fix an unsuitable occupation code.

Assuming £33,400 Is Enough for Every Graduate

It isn’t.

New entrants need to satisfy both the relevant salary floor and the applicable percentage of the occupation’s going rate.

Forgetting the Four-Year New Entrant Limit

Time on the Graduate route can reduce the period for which you can later rely on the new entrant provisions.

Employer Does Not Yet Have a Sponsor Licence

This does not necessarily prevent sponsorship, but it can create a significant timing issue.

Start early.

Relying on Old Skilled Worker Rules

The Skilled Worker route has changed substantially since April 2024 and again from July 2025.

Old onlien information referring to £26,200, £38,700 or a general RQF 3 skill threshold may no longer describe the rules applying to a new application.

Assuming Dependants Depend on the £41,700 Threshold

They don’t. Dependant eligibility is a separate question and now needs particular attention for certain care and medium-skilled occupations.

Should You Use the Graduate Visa or Switch Straight to Skilled Worker?

There isn’t one correct answer. Switching directly to Skilled Worker can have advantages. You start building time on a settlement route sooner. The employer may avoid the Immigration Skills Charge when sponsoring an eligible Student switcher.

You also avoid paying for a Graduate Visa and then paying again later for a Skilled Worker application. On the other hand, the Graduate Visa gives you much more flexibility in the labour market. You are not tied to a sponsoring employer. You can use the period to gain experience, change jobs and find an employer willing to sponsor you later.

The right choice depends on the job in front of you.

If you already have a strong sponsored role with a suitable salary and employer, direct switching may make sense. If the proposed job isn’t ideal or the sponsorship looks uncertain, using the Graduate route first might give you more room.

This is one of those decisions where saving one visa fee should not be the only consideration.

What Should Employers Check Before Sponsoring a Student?

If you are the employer rather than the worker, there are a few things I would want checked before assigning the CoS. First, make sure the organisation’s Sponsor Licence is active and covers the Skilled Worker route.

Then check:

• the worker’s current immigration status;
• their course completion position;
• proposed employment start date;
• correct occupation code;
• whether the occupation is currently eligible;
• salary;
• going rate;
• weekly working hours;
• whether the worker qualifies as a new entrant;
• how much new entrant time they have already used;
• Immigration Skills Charge position;
• whether any dependant restrictions could affect the worker.

That is considerably safer than HR deciding that somebody “looks eligible” because they have just graduated from a British university. The degree isn’t the visa.

How AHJ Immigration Helps Students and Employers

At AHJ Immigration, we work on both sides of the Skilled Worker process. We advise Students and Graduate Visa holders moving into sponsored employment, but we also work directly with the businesses sponsoring them.

That means we can look beyond the visa application itself.

We can check:

• whether the proposed job is eligible;
• occupation code;
• salary and going rate;
• new entrant eligibility;
• Student switching requirements;
• Certificate of Sponsorship details;
• employer Sponsor Licence issues;
• Immigration Skills Charge position;
• dependant implications;
• the Skilled Worker application itself.

This is particularly useful where a smaller employer is sponsoring somebody for the first time. The worker may understand their visa. The employer may understand the job. Somebody still needs to make sure the two actually fit together.

AHJ Immigration also offers a limited number of free 15-minute initial consultations for suitable enquiries. The service is heavily subscribed, so a free appointment cannot be guaranteed. We review each enquiry first. If there is a quicker or more appropriate way to answer the question, we may use that instead rather than making you wait for a consultation slot.

If the matter needs a proper case assessment, we will tell you that too.

Switching from Student to Skilled Worker: Final Thoughts

Moving from a Student Visa into sponsored employment can be one of the most important immigration steps you make in the UK. Done properly, it can take you from temporary study permission onto a route that may eventually lead to permanent settlement.

But there are several moving parts.

• You need the right employer.
• The right job.
• The right occupation code.
• The right salary.
• The right sponsorship.
• And the right timing.

Students often focus entirely on getting the job offer. That is understandable. But before accepting the role as your route into Skilled Worker sponsorship, make sure it actually works from an immigration perspective.

Because there is nothing particularly enjoyable about celebrating the job offer on Friday and discovering on Monday that the role cannot be sponsored.