Overtime and Bonuses: Do They Count Towards Visa Salary Thresholds?
Understanding which elements of your pay package count towards Skilled Worker visa and spouse visa salary thresholds.
- Section
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Last checked
- 28 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Overtime does NOT count towards the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, whether or not it is guaranteed.
- Shift pay and bonuses do NOT count for Skilled Worker visa purposes, whether or not they are guaranteed.
- Allowances, such as accommodation or cost of living allowances, do NOT count either.
- On the family route, overtime and bonuses actually received in the relevant period can be counted.
- Evidence must be clear: payslips, contract, and employer letter are essential.
Not all income counts equally for UK immigration purposes. The Skilled Worker visa salary threshold must generally be met through guaranteed base salary, while the spouse visa financial requirement has slightly different rules. This guide explains what counts, what does not, and how to structure your evidence.
Skilled Worker Visa: What Counts
The Skilled Worker visa salary threshold of £41,700 (or the going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher) must be met through:
- Guaranteed basic gross pay. Your guaranteed annual salary before income tax, as stated in your contract of employment. Employee pension contributions and employee national insurance are counted as part of it. You will need a biometrics appointment for your visa application.
- Other guaranteed payments that are treated exactly the same as basic gross pay for tax, pension and national insurance purposes.
Paragraph SW 14.2 of the Immigration Rules lists what does not count:
- Pay that cannot be guaranteed because the hours of the job fluctuate
- Shift, overtime and bonus pay — whether or not it is guaranteed
- Commission, tips and gratuities
- Allowances, such as accommodation or cost of living allowances
- One-off payments, such as a signing bonus
- Benefits in kind (company car, health insurance, equity, food, and similar)
- Employer pension contributions and employer national insurance
- Immigration costs and reimbursed business expenses. See our Skilled Worker visa guide for the full requirements
The wording matters. A payment described on your payslip as an allowance or a supplement is excluded unless it is treated exactly like basic pay for tax, pension and national insurance. Ask your employer how a payment is treated before you rely on it.
Spouse Visa: What Counts
The spouse visa financial requirement of £29,000 is assessed differently depending on the category:
- Category A (salaried, held 6 months or more). The starting figure is your current gross annual salary. Paragraph 18 of Appendix FM-SE then allows overtime, bonuses and commission to be added, at the annual equivalent of your average gross monthly variable income over the 6 months before the application.
- Category B (variable income, or employment held for less than 6 months). The Home Office looks at your current gross annual salary and, in addition, your actual gross earnings over the previous 12 months. Overtime, bonuses and commission you actually received count towards that 12-month figure.
So the family route treats variable pay quite differently from the Skilled Worker route, which excludes it entirely. Our non-standard employment guide sets out how each category is evidenced.
Practical Points for Skilled Worker Visa Holders
- Only guaranteed basic gross pay is measured against the threshold. Overtime and bonuses are not.
- An allowance is excluded even when it is contractual and guaranteed, unless it is treated exactly the same as basic pay for tax, pension and national insurance.
- Get your contract to state your basic gross pay clearly and separately from anything variable.
- Ask your employer for a letter confirming your salary breakdown for your visa application. You will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and visa fees.
Evidence Required
- Employment contract. Clearly showing base salary and any guaranteed allowances.
- Payslips. At least 6 months (Category A) or 12 months (Category B).
- Bank statements. Showing salary deposits matching payslips.
- Employer letter. Confirming your role, salary, and any guaranteed allowances.
Settlement Considerations
When applying for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) after 5 years on a Skilled Worker visa, your salary must still meet the threshold, or the going rate for your job if that is higher. Overtime and bonuses still do not count. The threshold has risen more than once — it was £38,700 before 22 July 2025 and is £41,700 now — so a salary that met the rules when the visa was granted may not meet them at settlement.
Next Steps
Review your employment contract and identify which elements of your pay are guaranteed. If your base salary does not meet the threshold, discuss options with your employer. You must also meet the English language requirement and pass the Life in the UK test for settlement. For detailed guidance, see the GOV.UK going rates table and the GOV.UK proof of income guidance.
Questions and answers
Does overtime count towards the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold?
No. The Immigration Rules for the Skilled Worker route (paragraph SW 14.2) exclude shift, overtime and bonus pay, whether or not it is guaranteed. The threshold must be met by guaranteed basic gross pay, plus any other guaranteed payment treated exactly the same as basic pay for tax, pension and national insurance purposes.
Do bonuses count towards the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold?
No. Paragraph SW 14.2 of the Immigration Rules excludes bonus pay of any kind, whether or not it is guaranteed, along with commission, one-off payments such as a signing bonus, and benefits in kind. Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts, plus other guaranteed payments treated exactly the same as basic pay for tax, pension and national insurance.
Do overtime and bonuses count for the spouse visa financial requirement?
The family route is different. Paragraph 18 of Appendix FM-SE counts overtime, bonuses and commission where they were actually received in the period of employment relied on. For someone in current salaried employment, the published method adds the annual equivalent of their average gross monthly variable income over the 6 months before the application. Under Category B, which covers variable income and employment held for less than 6 months, actual gross earnings over the previous 12 months are also assessed.
Do allowances count towards the Skilled Worker salary?
Paragraph SW 14.2 of the Immigration Rules excludes allowances, giving accommodation and cost of living allowances as examples. A payment counts only where it is guaranteed and is treated exactly the same as basic gross pay for tax, pension and national insurance purposes. Ask your employer how a payment is treated on your payslip before you rely on it.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.