Reduced Hours, Furlough, or a Temporary Pay Cut on a Work Visa
What you need to know
- •Your salary is assessed on a full-time equivalent basis, not just your current take-home pay.
- •Reduced pay during certain statutory leave, such as maternity or sick leave, is usually allowed.
- •A general pay cut or cut in hours can take you below the rules and put your visa at risk.
- •Your sponsor must report changes to your pay and hours to the Home Office.
- •Speak to your employer early and check whether the change fits an allowed reason.
On a Skilled Worker visa, your salary is assessed on a full-time equivalent basis. Some temporary reductions are allowed, such as lower pay during certain statutory leave. Other reductions can put your visa at risk. Your sponsor must report changes to your pay and hours. This guide explains where the line sits.
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The Key Idea: Full-Time Equivalent
On a Skilled Worker visa, the Home Office does not simply look at the money that lands in your bank account each month. It works out your salary on a full-time equivalent basis. This means it checks what you would earn if you worked full-time hours.
This is why reduced hours can be a problem. If your hours go down, your full-time equivalent pay may also drop below the rules, even if your hourly rate stays the same. Our guide on how Skilled Worker salary is calculated explains the full-time equivalent method in more detail.
The Two Figures You Must Still Meet
Whatever happens to your hours or pay, you must still meet two figures. Your pay must meet the general Skilled Worker salary threshold and the going rate for your job. You need to meet the higher of the two.
In 2026 the general threshold is £38,700, but your job may need more if its going rate is higher. Figures change over time, so always check the current ones on GOV.UK.
When a Reduction Is Usually Allowed
Not every reduction in pay breaks the rules. Some temporary reductions are allowed. The clearest examples are linked to statutory leave.
- Maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave. If your pay drops during this leave, that is usually allowed. The current GOV.UK Skilled Worker guidance sets out how statutory leave is treated.
- Sick leave. Reduced pay while you are off sick is usually allowed and does not by itself break the salary rules.
- Certain other temporary reductions. In some limited cases, the rules allow a temporary reduction, for example a short, business-wide reduction. The detail matters, so check the current GOV.UK guidance.
Even when a reduction is allowed, your sponsor should still record it and report it where needed.
When a Reduction Puts Your Visa at Risk
Other reductions can put your visa at risk. The main concern is a general, ongoing cut that takes your full-time equivalent pay below the threshold or going rate.
- A permanent cut to your salary that leaves you below the rules.
- A long-term cut in your hours, where your full-time equivalent pay no longer meets the figures.
- A reduction that does not fit one of the allowed reasons.
If any of these apply, your job may no longer match the Skilled Worker rules. Our guide on what happens if your salary falls below the threshold explains the knock-on effects for your visa, your extension, and your ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).
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What Furlough Means for You
Furlough is a word many people remember from past schemes where staff were kept on the payroll but did not work, often on reduced pay. There is no permanent furlough scheme that you can assume will protect your visa.
If your employer ever places you on a furlough-style arrangement with reduced pay, do not assume it is automatically fine. Check whether the reduction fits an allowed reason under the current rules, and take advice if you are not sure. The key test is still whether your pay meets the rules.
Your Sponsor Must Report Changes
Your sponsor has a legal duty to report changes to your pay and hours to the Home Office. They do this through the Sponsor Management System. This duty applies whether the change is permanent or temporary.
You should not assume a change will go unnoticed. It is better to know in advance whether a change is allowed than to find out at your next application. Our guide on employment rights for visa holders sets out your wider position at work.
How This Affects Your Future Applications
A reduction that breaks the rules does not only affect you now. It can also affect your future plans. When you apply for a visa extension, the Home Office checks your pay again.
The same is true for ILR, which is the right to live in the UK without a time limit. Your pay must meet the ILR salary threshold on the day you apply. A low salary at that point can lead to a refusal, even after years of work.
What You Can Do
- Ask your employer to explain the change and whether it is temporary.
- Check whether the reduction fits an allowed reason, such as statutory leave.
- Work out your full-time equivalent pay and compare it with the threshold and going rate.
- Ask your sponsor to confirm they will report the change correctly.
- If the change could put your visa at risk, take advice before you agree to it.
Next Steps
Related guides:
This guide is general immigration information, not immigration advice under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Immigration rules change frequently. For advice on your specific situation, consult an IAA-authorised adviser or an SRA-regulated immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.
Related guides
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