Skilled Worker Minimum Salary Must Be Met in Every Pay Period from April 2026
23 Apr 2026
If you are on a Skilled Worker visa, a change that took effect on 8 April 2026 affects how your salary compliance is assessed by the Home Office. Under the previous rules, what mattered was your headline annual salary meeting the required threshold. Under the new rules — introduced by the Statement of Changes HC 1691 — your employer must pay you at least the minimum required salary in every pay period, not just averaged across a year.
This matters because some employment contracts include variable pay structures, performance bonuses, or months where you are paid less due to unpaid leave or deductions. If your gross pay dips below the required threshold in any individual pay period, your employer could be found in breach of sponsorship duties — even if your total annual earnings meet the requirement.
How the new tests work
The rules set out three calculation methods depending on how frequently you are paid:
- Monthly or less frequent pay: salary paid over any three-month period must be at least one quarter of the required annual salary for your job.
- Weekly or fortnightly pay: salary paid over any 12-week period must equal at least 12/52 of the required annual salary.
- Irregular hours or variable patterns: salary over any 17-week period must equal at least 17/52 of the required annual salary.
These new tests only apply where the Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or after 8 April 2026. If your current CoS predates that, your existing rules continue to apply for now.
What you should do
Check your recent payslips and confirm that your gross pay in each month (or pay period) consistently meets the minimum salary for your sponsored role. If your employer uses a bonus-heavy structure, deferred pay, or pays you less during periods of leave, speak to your HR department or payroll team. A sponsorship compliance failure by your employer can put your visa at risk, even if you had no control over the payment decisions. If you are uncertain whether your pay structure is compliant, consider seeking advice from an immigration solicitor.
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