Skilled Worker ILR Salary Requirement: Payslips, Allowances and Going Rates
For Skilled Worker ILR, your sponsored salary normally has to clear two tests at the same time: the general annual threshold in the settlement row that applies to you and the full relevant going rate for your occupation code. The headline threshold alone is not enough when your going rate is higher. Your sponsor must also confirm that it still needs you and will pay the qualifying salary for the foreseeable future, while your recent pay evidence must support that confirmation.
The correct row can depend on when your first relevant Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned, whether Skilled Worker permission has been continuous, whether the job is or was on the Immigration Salary List, and whether a health, education or narrow Tier 2 provision applies. This guide was checked on 29 August 2026. ILR Calculator UK is independent of the Home Office and provides general information, not legal advice or a prediction of an application outcome.
Choose the settlement row before comparing your salary
The current GOV.UK settlement salary page presents £41,700 a year or the standard going rate, whichever is higher, as the usual position. It also identifies lower general thresholds for specified histories and occupations. The detailed legal test sits in SW 24.3 of the Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker: both the general salary and going-rate columns in the relevant row must be met.
| Settlement circumstances | General annual threshold | Going-rate test |
|---|---|---|
| Standard case where rows B to E do not apply | £41,700 | Relevant rate in Table 1 or 1a |
| Most recent permission was for an Immigration Salary List job, and rows C to E do not apply | £33,400 | Relevant rate in Table 1 or 1a |
| First relevant Skilled Worker CoS was assigned before 4 April 2024, the continuity conditions are met and rows D or E do not apply | £31,300 | Relevant rate in Tables 2 to 2a |
| Qualifying Immigration Salary List, health or education circumstances within row D | £25,000 | Relevant rate in Tables 2 to 5 |
| Narrow historic Tier 2 occupations within row E | £25,000 | Applicable historic or current table rate |
Treat this as a branching decision, not a menu. A lower row is available only when every condition for that row is met. For the pre-4 April 2024 branch, current caseworker guidance explains that the relevant date is the assignment of the CoS under which permission was granted, and the applicant must have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since that grant. The transitional application window runs to 4 April 2030, but it does not freeze an old salary figure or going rate.
Settlement also removes two reductions that can apply at an earlier visa stage. The current Skilled Worker caseworker guidance says there is no settlement reduction to the £41,700 or £31,300 thresholds for a PhD or new-entrant claim, and no reduction to the going rate for any reason. Do not copy a 70%, 80% or 90% figure from an entry or extension calculation into an ILR check.
Find the correct occupation table and adjust for hours
Start with the occupation code for the job in your most recent permission, then verify that the code still matches the work you actually do. Job title alone is not conclusive. Compare the duties, code and salary information held by your sponsor before looking up the number in the official going-rates tables.
For most occupations in Tables 1 to 2a, the published annual rate is based on a 37.5-hour week. The Immigration Rules give this calculation:
published going rate × contracted weekly hours ÷ 37.5
The result is the going-rate side of the test. The general annual threshold is separate and is not reduced just because the job is part time. If the contract states more than 48 hours a week, only pay for the first 48 hours normally counts toward the general threshold, subject to the special rule for irregular working patterns. The going-rate calculation, by contrast, uses all weekly hours stated by the sponsor.
Health and education roles in the national-pay-scale tables use the hours or full-time basis stated for that occupation, not a blanket 37.5-hour assumption. Confirm the correct table, nation, pay band and full-time-equivalent position. A salary can clear the annual cash floor but still fail a higher occupation or pay-scale rate.
Separate countable salary from the total on your payslip
The salary rules generally count guaranteed basic gross pay and another guaranteed payment only when it is treated exactly like basic gross pay for tax, pension and National Insurance. The total cash that reaches a monthly payslip is therefore not automatically the salary figure used for settlement.
Do not rely on these items to bridge a gap:
- shift, overtime or bonus pay, even where an overtime pattern is familiar;
- accommodation, cost-of-living or other allowances;
- employer pension or employer National Insurance contributions;
- shares, private medical cover, school fees, a company car or other benefits in kind;
- one-off payments, immigration-cost reimbursements or business expenses.
There is a narrow allowance transition for some people who were granted Tier 2 (General) permission and have held continuous Skilled Worker permission. For an application before 1 December 2026 with the same sponsor, specified allowances can be included only if they are guaranteed for the permission, would be paid to a comparable settled worker, and the other SW 14.5 conditions are met. London weighting is an example, not a general rule that every allowance counts.
Check deductions as well as additions. Money paid to the sponsor or a related organisation can be subtracted from salary where it represents business or immigration costs, a loan repayment or an investment. A genuine optional salary-sacrifice arrangement for additional benefits is treated differently. If deductions could move the figure below the threshold, the contract label alone does not settle the issue.
Reconcile the sponsor letter, payslip, bank credit and PAYE record
The sponsor in your most recent permission must still be approved to sponsor Skilled Workers on the date of decision. It must confirm that it needs you in the role for the foreseeable future and that you are paid, and will continue to be paid, at least the applicable settlement salary. A new CoS is not required for that confirmation; a verifiable email or letter can be sufficient. The site's separate Skilled Worker ILR sponsor-letter guide explains how to make that confirmation specific and checkable.
The current caseworker guidance says that, until automated PAYE checks are available, an applicant should provide a payslip and a matching bank or building-society record covering the most recent month's pay. Those documents should be dated no earlier than 31 days before the application date. Treat the live application checklist as authoritative for your submission, because the form can ask for route-specific evidence.
Run a four-way comparison before applying:
| Record | What should agree |
|---|---|
| Sponsor confirmation | Role, occupation code, weekly hours, countable annual salary and foreseeable need |
| Payslip | Basic gross pay and any payment being counted, with excluded items kept separate |
| Bank or building-society record | The net salary credit corresponding to the recent payslip |
| PAYE history | A pattern consistent with the salary and changes the sponsor describes |
Caseworkers may check PAYE data for the past 12 months. The guidance says broader checking is not normally needed without concerns, but a recent large raise, a lower salary than the last CoS or inconsistent pay can prompt questions. If the current payslip does not yet show the new figure, assemble the dated promotion or pay-rise record, changed responsibilities and an explanation that can be verified with the sponsor. A future promise with no supporting change is weaker than a salary already paid consistently.
Deal with reduced pay and irregular periods explicitly
A recent low or nil payslip does not necessarily mean the settlement salary test is failed. SW 24.4 allows salary on return to work to be considered where the applicant is absent, or has returned within the month before applying, for specified reasons such as statutory maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave, sick leave, jury service, protected industrial action, attending court as a witness, or agreed humanitarian or environmental crisis work.
The sponsor should state the reason, dates and salary on return. Earlier PAYE records may be checked to understand the reduced period. Do not describe ordinary unpaid leave, reduced hours or an unexplained payroll gap as if it automatically receives the same treatment.
Pay periods now matter as well as the annualised total. Current rules require the going rate for every hour worked in each pay period. For monthly or less frequent pay, salary across any three-month period must generally reach one quarter of the required annual salary. More frequent pay is tested across 12 weeks, while irregular patterns can use a confirmed cycle of no more than 17 weeks. Where variable hours or deductions make the pattern hard to follow, ask payroll to produce a clear reconciliation rather than averaging figures informally.
Complete a five-step salary audit before submitting
- Fix the legal branch. Record the first relevant CoS assignment date, continuous permission history, most recent sponsored job, Immigration Salary List history and any health, education or protected Tier 2 circumstances.
- Verify the occupation code. Match the actual duties to the code and choose the table required by the settlement row.
- Calculate both tests. Compare countable annual salary with the general threshold, then pro-rate the full going rate for the stated weekly hours.
- Remove excluded pay. Strip out overtime, bonuses, ordinary allowances, benefits and expenses unless a specific rule clearly permits the payment.
- Reconcile the evidence. Align the sponsor confirmation, recent payslip, corresponding bank credit and PAYE history. Resolve any recent raise, deduction, leave period or code change before filing.
Keep a dated calculation note with the exact table and rule version used. Going rates and Immigration Rules can change between planning and application, so repeat the check immediately before submission. If changing the occupation code, weekly hours or pay package is necessary, your sponsor should confirm whether a new immigration application or sponsor-reporting action is required rather than treating the ILR application as the place to correct the record.
The risk boundary is a disputed input, not a difficult calculation
The arithmetic is usually straightforward once the correct inputs are fixed. The harder cases are those in which the inputs themselves are disputed: duties do not fit the recorded occupation code, the qualifying CoS date is unclear, Skilled Worker permission may not have been continuous, pay depends on excluded additions, or a sharp increase appears only in a future-facing letter.
These issues can change the settlement row or the salary figure rather than merely the presentation of evidence. Resolve them with the sponsor and payroll while there is time to produce a consistent record. If the disagreement affects eligibility or past compliance, obtain advice from a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor before applying. A calculation can expose the uncertainty; it cannot turn an unsupported salary or occupation code into a compliant one.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need for Skilled Worker ILR in 2026?
The usual test is at least £41,700 a year and the full standard going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher. A different SW 24.3 row may apply if the most recent job was on the Immigration Salary List, the pre-4 April 2024 continuity conditions are met, or a health, education or narrow Tier 2 provision applies. Check both columns in the correct row; meeting only the cash threshold is not sufficient.
Can I use the lower going rate if my first Skilled Worker CoS was before 4 April 2024?
Possibly, if the CoS under which the relevant permission was granted was assigned before 4 April 2024, you have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since that grant, the application is made before 4 April 2030 and no more specific row applies. The current settlement table then uses at least £31,300 and the relevant full rate in Tables 2 to 2a. Confirm the dates and continuity rather than relying only on the visa's issue date.
Do overtime, bonuses or allowances count toward the ILR salary threshold?
Overtime, shift pay, bonuses, ordinary allowances, benefits in kind and one-off payments are generally excluded, even if they appear on a payslip. The normal rule counts guaranteed basic gross pay and guaranteed payments treated exactly like basic gross pay for tax, pension and National Insurance. A narrow Tier 2 allowance transition can apply before 1 December 2026 with the same sponsor when every condition is met. Do not assume London weighting always qualifies.
How recent must my payslip and bank statement be?
Current Home Office caseworker guidance says that, until automated PAYE checks are available, applicants should provide the most recent month's payslip and a corresponding bank or building-society record, dated no earlier than 31 days before the application date. The bank record should show the salary credit matching that payslip. Follow the live document checklist generated for your application, and keep sponsor confirmation and payroll records consistent with the same salary and hours.
Is the going rate reduced for part-time work?
The going rate is normally pro-rated for contracted weekly hours using the basis stated in the relevant table, commonly 37.5 hours for Tables 1 to 2a. The general annual threshold is not pro-rated for part-time work, so both tests must still be met. Health and education roles can use a different full-time or national-pay-scale basis. For more than 48 hours, the general-threshold and going-rate calculations also treat hours differently.
What if I received a pay rise just before applying for ILR?
A genuine pay rise can count, but the evidence must make the future salary credible. Current guidance tells caseworkers to consider the size of the increase, whether it has already been paid and for how long, evidence of promotion or increased responsibilities, and whether the sponsor can sustain it. Align the revised contract or letter, payslip, bank credit and PAYE record. A large future-only figure unsupported by payroll can lead to further questions.
