Skilled Worker ILR Salary Rules Depend on When Your CoS Was Issued
11 May 2026
If you are on a Skilled Worker visa and approaching your five-year ILR date, you need to check which salary threshold applies to you. The Home Office updated its Skilled Worker caseworker guidance today to correct and clarify this point.
The key question is when your most recent Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was issued.
If your CoS was issued before 4 April 2024
You may be able to use lower transitional salary thresholds when you apply for ILR. The rate depends on your job:
- Standard roles: you need to be earning at least £31,300 per year, or the going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher
- Jobs on the Immigration Salary List: the threshold is £25,000 per year, or the going rate, whichever is higher
To benefit from these transitional rates, you must apply for ILR before 4 April 2030.
If your CoS was issued on or after 4 April 2024
You must meet the current salary threshold at the time of your ILR application. For most roles, this means earning at least £41,700 per year, or 100% of the standard going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher.
The five-year qualifying period has not changed
You still need five years of continuous residence under the Skilled Worker route to be eligible for ILR. The salary rules above apply once you meet that residency requirement.
Why this matters
The April 2024 rules change significantly raised salary thresholds for most Skilled Worker roles. Workers who held a CoS before that date were given transitional protection, meaning a lower salary bar applies when they come to apply for ILR. If your CoS was issued before that date and you are approaching your five-year anniversary, you may be in a stronger position than you think.
If you are unsure which rules apply to your situation, speak to an immigration lawyer before you apply.
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