PhD Points for Skilled Worker Visa: Tradeable Points Guide
If you hold a PhD relevant to your job, the Skilled Worker salary requirement can be met at a lower figure. This guide explains the published percentages and floors, and the conditions attached to them.
- Section
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 9 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
- A relevant PhD outside science and technology means 90% of the going rate and at least £37,500.
- A relevant PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics means 80% and at least £33,400.
- Your PhD can be from any country but may need UK ENIC recognition.
- PhD points are tradeable, meaning they offset salary shortfalls rather than being mandatory.
- You must provide documentary evidence of your qualification with your application.
The UK Skilled Worker visa uses a points-based system in which a relevant PhD lets you score the 20 salary points at a lower figure: 90% of the going rate with a floor of £37,500, or 80% with a floor of £33,400 where the PhD is in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. This guide covers how the reduction works, who can use it, and what evidence you need.
How the Skilled Worker Points System Works
The Skilled Worker visa operates on a points-based system. You need 70 points to qualify. Some points are mandatory (a valid job offer from a licensed sponsor, a job at the appropriate skill level, and English language ability) and some are tradeable.
Tradeable points come from your salary, your qualifications, or whether your job is on the Immigration Salary List. If your salary falls below the standard threshold, tradeable points from a PhD can make up the difference.
What Tradeable Points Does a PhD Give?
A PhD does not add points of its own. It opens a different option for scoring the same 20 salary points, at a lower figure. The Immigration Rules set these out as lettered options:
- Option A — no qualification claimed: at least £41,700 a year and 100% of the going rate for the occupation code.
- Option B — a PhD relevant to the job: at least £37,500 a year and 90% of the going rate.
- Option C — a PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics relevant to the job: at least £33,400 a year and 80% of the going rate.
Health and care jobs have their own version of the same structure, at lower floors: £31,300 with no qualification claimed (option F), £28,200 with a relevant PhD (option G), and £25,000 with a relevant PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (option H). The health and education occupation codes paid from a national pay scale sit outside this: they use option K, which is £25,000 and 100% of the going rate, with no PhD variant.
Only one option can be used. Where a PhD is in one of those subjects and is relevant to the sponsored role, option C sets the lowest figure of the three.
How PhD Points Reduce the Salary Threshold
The Skilled Worker salary threshold has been £41,700 since 22 July 2025, or the going rate for your occupation code if that is higher. A relevant PhD lowers both halves of that test at once.
Take an occupation with a published going rate of £50,000. Without a PhD, the requirement is the higher of £41,700 and £50,000 — so £50,000. With a relevant PhD in another subject it becomes the higher of £37,500 and 90% of £50,000, which is £45,000. With a relevant PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics it becomes the higher of £33,400 and 80% of £50,000, which is £40,000.
The floors are absolute. Where 80% of the going rate comes out below £33,400, the £33,400 figure governs; the same applies to £37,500 for a PhD in another subject. No qualification takes you below them.
Who Can Claim PhD Tradeable Points?
To claim PhD tradeable points, you must:
- Hold a completed PhD (or equivalent doctoral qualification).
- Demonstrate that the PhD is relevant to the job you have been offered.
- Be sponsored in an occupation code that Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations lists as eligible for PhD points. This is a separate condition from relevance, and many medium-skilled codes are not on that list.
- Provide evidence of the qualification, either a certificate or a UK ENIC statement of comparability if the PhD is from outside the UK.
Your employer needs to confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they are relying on PhD tradeable points and that the qualification is relevant to the role.
Evidence You Need to Provide
When applying for your Skilled Worker visa with PhD points, you should submit:
- Your PhD certificate or a letter from your university confirming the award.
- A UK ENIC statement of comparability if your PhD was awarded outside the UK. This confirms the qualification is equivalent to a UK doctoral degree.
- Evidence that the PhD subject is relevant to your sponsored role (this is usually covered by the sponsor's declaration on the CoS).
If you are claiming STEM PhD points, the subject of your doctoral qualification must fall within a recognised STEM discipline. The Home Office may check this against the information on your certificate.
PhD Points and Salary Calculation
Understanding how PhD points interact with your salary calculation is important. Your sponsor must pay you at least the reduced going rate that applies when PhD points are claimed, and your salary must still meet the absolute minimum floor.
If you change jobs or your sponsor assigns a new Certificate of Sponsorship, the PhD points calculation applies afresh to the new role. You will need to demonstrate relevance to the new position.
Common Situations
PhD in Progress
You cannot claim PhD tradeable points if your doctoral qualification has not been formally awarded. A letter confirming submission of your thesis is not sufficient. You must have received the degree.
Professional Doctorates
Professional doctorates (such as an EdD, DBA, or DClinPsy) may qualify if they are equivalent to a PhD and are recognised by UK ENIC. The key requirement is that the qualification is at doctoral level.
Switching from the Graduate Route
If you completed your PhD in the UK and are on the Graduate route, you can switch to a Skilled Worker visa and claim PhD tradeable points, provided the new role is relevant to your qualification.
Practical Tips
- Apply for your UK ENIC statement early. Processing can take several weeks and you will need it before your visa application.
- Discuss PhD points with your employer before they assign the Certificate of Sponsorship, as they need to select the correct salary option. The published figures are on the GOV.UK page on when you can be paid less.
- Keep your original PhD certificate safe. The Home Office may request the original document.
- If your salary already meets £41,700 and the full going rate, the PhD option is not needed — the ordinary option already scores the 20 salary points.
- A separate reduction exists for postdoctoral positions in science and higher education, at 70% of the going rate, covering occupation codes 2111 to 2115, 2119, 2162 and 2311. Total stay on that basis is capped at 4 years.
Next Steps
If you hold a PhD and are considering a Skilled Worker visa application, confirm with your employer that they will note the PhD tradeable points on your Certificate of Sponsorship. Gather your qualification evidence and, if needed, apply for UK ENIC recognition.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
How many tradeable points does a PhD give on the Skilled Worker visa?
A PhD does not add points of its own. It opens a different way of scoring the 20 salary points, at a lower figure. With a relevant PhD outside science, technology, engineering and mathematics the published figures are 90% of the going rate and at least £37,500 a year. With a relevant PhD in one of those subjects they are 80% of the going rate and at least £33,400 a year. Without a PhD the figures are 100% of the going rate and at least £41,700.
Does my PhD need to be from a UK university?
No. Your PhD can be from any recognised institution worldwide. However, if it was awarded outside the UK, you may need to obtain a statement of comparability from UK ENIC to confirm it is equivalent to a UK PhD.
Can I use PhD points if my job is not related to my PhD subject?
No. The rules require the PhD to be in a subject relevant to the job. There is a second condition that is easy to miss: the occupation code itself must be listed as eligible for PhD points in Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations. Many medium-skilled codes are not.
What salary discount does a PhD give on the Skilled Worker visa?
A relevant PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics takes the requirement to 80% of the going rate for your occupation code, with a floor of £33,400 a year. A relevant PhD in another subject takes it to 90% of the going rate, with a floor of £37,500. Health and care jobs have their own lower floors: £28,200 with a relevant PhD and £25,000 with a relevant PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
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.