How to Check Your UK Skilled Worker Visa Salary Threshold Without a Solicitor

You can verify your Skilled Worker visa salary threshold yourself — no solicitor required — by running three checks in sequence: the dual threshold test, the pro-rata adjustment, and the new entrant or transitional discount (if applicable). Getting this right before you apply prevents the most common refusal reason in 2025-2026 and saves you from forfeiting £1,618+ in non-refundable application fees.

The Home Office calculates salary thresholds algorithmically. There is no discretion, no "close enough," no rounding. Your salary either passes the automated check or it triggers automatic refusal. The good news is that because it's algorithmic, you can run the exact same calculation before you submit.

The Three Checks You Must Run

Check 1: The Dual Threshold Test

Your salary must meet the higher of two numbers:

1. The general salary threshold: £41,700 per year
2. The going rate for your SOC code: varies by occupation

This is where most applicants get caught. They check the £41,700 figure, see that their salary is above it, and assume they're safe. But if the going rate for their SOC code exceeds £41,700, the going rate is the binding minimum.

Examples of going rates that exceed the general threshold (2026):

How to find your going rate: Search for your SOC 2020 code in Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK. The going rate is listed against each occupation. If you're not sure which SOC code applies, check the Standard Occupational Classification 2020 manual from the Office for National Statistics.

Check 2: The Pro-Rata Adjustment

The published going rates and the £41,700 general threshold are based on a 37.5-hour working week. If your contract specifies different hours, the minimum salary must be adjusted upward.

The formula:

Adjusted minimum = Published threshold ÷ 37.5 × Your contracted hours

This matters more than most applicants realise. Here's how it plays out:

The real-world trap: An applicant with a £42,500 salary and a 39-hour contract for SOC 2136 (going rate £41,200) would clear the general threshold of £41,700. But after pro-rating (£41,200 ÷ 37.5 × 39 = £42,848), the actual minimum is £42,848. The applicant falls short by £348. This is the single most documented refusal pattern across r/ukvisa and immigration advisory forums.

Check 3: Discounts (If Applicable)

Several categories of applicants qualify for reduced thresholds:

New Entrant (under 26, or switching from Student/Graduate visa):

• General threshold drops to £33,400
• Going rate discounted to 70% of the standard rate
• Still subject to pro-rata adjustment if contracted hours differ from 37.5
• Valid for a maximum of 4 years on this discount

Transitional Protection (first CoS assigned before 4 April 2024):

• General threshold is the legacy £31,300
• Going rates calculated at lower historical benchmarks
• Valid through April 2030 for extensions, employer changes, and ILR applications
• Your employer must correctly code the transitional exemption on the CoS

Immigration Salary List:

• General threshold drops to £33,400
• Going rate is NOT discounted (must still meet 100% of the going rate)
• Check whether your SOC code appears on the current Immigration Salary List

PhD in a relevant field:

• Relevant PhD: threshold drops to £37,500 or 90% of going rate
• STEM PhD: threshold drops to £33,400 or 80% of going rate

Running the Complete Check: A Worked Example

Scenario: You're a 28-year-old mechanical engineer (SOC 2122) with a job offer of £44,000 for a 39-hour week. First CoS was assigned in June 2024.

1. Dual threshold: General threshold is £41,700. Going rate for SOC 2122 is £42,600. The binding minimum is £42,600 (the higher of the two).
2. Pro-rata adjustment: £42,600 ÷ 37.5 × 39 = £44,304.
3. Discounts: You're 28 (not under 26), and your first CoS was June 2024 (after the April 2024 cutoff), so no transitional protection and no new entrant discount.
4. Result: Your £44,000 salary falls short of the £44,304 pro-rata adjusted minimum by £304. This application would be refused.

Without running this calculation, you'd assume £44,000 comfortably clears the £41,700 threshold. After pro-rating, it doesn't.

Why This Matters Before You Pay

The financial stakes are not abstract. When a Skilled Worker visa is refused:

• The £1,618 application fee is forfeited (no refund on refusal)
• The £5,175 IHS is eventually refunded, but this takes months
• Your employer's patience is tested — they've waited months and now face reapplication
• For families, the forfeited fees and disruption multiply across every dependant

Running the three checks above takes less than 30 minutes and costs nothing. Getting it wrong costs thousands.

When the DIY Check Isn't Enough

The three checks above cover straightforward applications. You need additional help — either a structured guide or a solicitor — when:

• You're unsure which SOC code applies (the wrong code can change the going rate by thousands)
• Your employer doesn't understand the pro-rata adjustment and won't increase the salary
• You need to negotiate the New Entrant discount with an employer who hasn't heard of it
• You're calculating transitional protections across a chain of extensions and employer changes
• You're planning the settlement timeline under the 2026 Earned Settlement framework

The UK Skilled Worker Visa Guide provides the pro-rata salary defuser with pre-calculated thresholds for every common working pattern, the dual threshold test matrix for every major occupation, employer negotiation scripts with Home Office policy citations, and the Earned Settlement roadmap — everything you need to run these checks with confidence and plan the five-to-ten-year journey ahead.

Who This Is For

• Anyone with a UK job offer who wants to verify their salary meets the threshold before committing
• Applicants whose contracted hours are anything other than exactly 37.5 per week
• Graduate visa holders who need to verify the New Entrant discount applies to their situation
• Anyone who received a verbal offer and wants to know the exact minimum before accepting
• Pre-April 2024 visa holders checking whether transitional protections reduce their required salary

Who This Is NOT For

• Applicants in health and care roles on national pay scales (different calculation framework)
• Anyone with complex circumstances requiring case-specific legal advice
• Applicants who already have a solicitor running these checks for them

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my bonus count toward the salary threshold?

No. The Home Office only considers guaranteed basic gross pay. Performance bonuses, overtime, tips, commission, stock options, and benefits-in-kind are all excluded from the calculation. If your base salary alone doesn't clear the threshold, your application will be refused regardless of total compensation.

My contract says 37.5 hours but I actually work 40. Which figure matters?

The contracted hours on your employment contract and on the Certificate of Sponsorship. The Home Office uses the figure stated in your contract and on the CoS, not your actual working hours. This is why it's critical to verify what your employer enters on the CoS before they assign it.

I'm switching employers on a pre-April 2024 visa. Do I keep transitional protection?

Yes, provided you remain in the same or similar occupation. Transitional protections apply to extensions and employer changes for CoS holders whose first assignment was before 4 April 2024. You maintain the legacy £31,300 baseline through April 2030. But your new employer must correctly code the transitional exemption on the new CoS — if they don't, the application will be assessed against the current £41,700 threshold.

Can I ask my employer to reduce my contracted hours to lower the pro-rata threshold?

In theory, yes — a lower contracted-hours figure reduces the pro-rata minimum. But the Home Office also enforces a minimum hourly rate of £17.13, and the absolute floor of £33,400 applies regardless. Additionally, if the reduced hours don't reflect the genuine working arrangement, this could trigger a compliance audit. The safer approach is to negotiate a higher salary that clears the pro-rata minimum at your actual contracted hours.

How often do salary thresholds change?

The general threshold and going rates are reviewed at least annually, typically following publication of new Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data. The threshold jumped from £26,200 to £38,700 in April 2024 and to £41,700 in July 2025. Going rates for individual SOC codes can change independently based on sector wage movements. Always verify against the current Appendix Skilled Occupations before applying.