Promotion or role change, same sponsor
A promotion or new role with your current sponsor sometimes needs a new Certificate of Sponsorship. This guide explains when, and what your salary must meet.
- Section
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Reading time
- 8 min
- Last checked
- 2 September 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
- If your SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code changes, you usually need a new CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship).
- A simple pay rise or new job title with the same duties often does not need a new CoS.
- Your pay must still meet the general threshold and the going rate for your new role.
- A role change with the same sponsor is different from changing employer.
- If you are unsure, ask your sponsor to check and take advice early.
If your duties change enough that the SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code changes, your sponsor usually must assign a new CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship). Your pay must still meet the general threshold and your new role's going rate. This is different from changing employer. This guide explains when a new CoS is needed.
The Short Answer
A promotion or role change with your current sponsor does not always need a new CoS. CoS stands for Certificate of Sponsorship. It is the digital record your sponsor creates to confirm your job. Our guide on the Certificate of Sponsorship explains what it is.
Whether you need a new one comes down to one main question. Does your new role fall under a different occupation code? If it does, your sponsor usually must assign a new CoS. If it does not, you often do not need one.
What Is a SOC Code?
SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification. A SOC code is the number the Home Office uses to identify your job. Every Skilled Worker job has a SOC code, and each code comes with its own going rate.
Your CoS lists the SOC code for your role. The going rate, which you can read about in our guide on the going rate, is tied to that code. This is why the SOC code matters so much when your job changes.
When You Need a New CoS
You usually need a new CoS when your duties change enough that your job falls under a different SOC code. A few examples make this clearer.
- You move from a hands-on technical role into a management role, and the new role sits under a different occupation code.
- You switch from one type of professional work to another, for example from one engineering field to a different one with its own code.
- Your job is reshaped so that most of your duties are now different from those on your current CoS.
In these cases, GOV.UK says you must apply to update your visa: your sponsor assigns a new CoS and you make a new application before you start the new role. The exception is a change of occupation code as part of a graduate training programme. Ask your sponsor to confirm what is required for your exact change.
When You Probably Do Not Need a New CoS
Not every change triggers a new CoS. You often do not need one in these cases.
- A pay rise on its own. If your duties stay the same and only your salary goes up, the SOC code does not change.
- A new job title with the same duties. A title change does not matter if your actual work stays the same.
- More senior duties under the same code. If you take on more responsibility but the role still sits under the same SOC code, a new CoS may not be needed.
Even so, your sponsor must report a change of job title, core duties or a promotion within the same occupation code to the Home Office within 10 working days. If you are not sure whether the code has changed, treat it as something to check rather than to assume.
Your Salary Must Still Meet the Rules
A promotion is good news, but it does not remove the salary rules. After any change, your pay must still meet two figures. It must meet the general Skilled Worker salary threshold and the going rate for your new role.
This can catch people out. If your new role has a higher going rate, your current pay might no longer be enough, even after a promotion. If your pay does not keep up, your visa can be at risk. Our guide on what happens if your salary falls below the threshold covers this risk in detail.
How the Salary Is Worked Out
The Home Office works out your salary in a set way. Our guide on how Skilled Worker salary is calculated explains the detail.
In short, your pay is checked on a full-time equivalent basis, and normally only your basic guaranteed pay counts. In 2026 the general threshold is £41,700, but your new role may need more if its going rate is higher. Lower figures can apply if you got the Certificate of Sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker or Tier 2 visa before 4 April 2024 and have held Skilled Worker permission continuously since. Always check the current figures on GOV.UK.
This Is Not the Same as Changing Employer
It is important to keep two situations apart. A role change with your current sponsor is one thing. Moving to a brand new employer is another.
If you move to a different employer, you almost always need a new CoS from that employer and a new visa application. Our guides on changing jobs on a Skilled Worker visa and switching sponsors explain that process. A promotion with the same sponsor is usually simpler, but only if the SOC code stays the same.
Practical Steps
- Compare your new duties with your current CoS. Ask whether the SOC code changes.
- Ask your sponsor to confirm whether a new CoS is needed for your role change.
- Check that your new pay meets both the general threshold and the new role's going rate.
- If a new CoS or new application is needed, sort it out before you take on the new duties.
- Keep this in mind for your future plans, including any visa extension and ILR application.
Next Steps
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Do I need a new CoS for a promotion with the same employer?
It depends on whether your job changes enough to fall under a different occupation code. If your duties change so much that the SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code changes, GOV.UK says you must apply to update your visa, which means your sponsor assigns a new CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) and you make a new application. The one exception is a change of code within a graduate training programme. A pay rise or a new job title with the same duties does not need a new CoS.
What is a SOC code and why does it matter?
A SOC code, or Standard Occupational Classification code, is the number the Home Office uses to identify your job. Each code has its own going rate. If your new role falls under a different SOC code, your salary must meet that code's going rate, and your sponsor usually needs to assign a new CoS.
Is a promotion the same as changing employer?
No. A promotion or role change with the same sponsor is different from moving to a new employer. Changing employer almost always needs a new CoS and a new visa application. A role change with your current sponsor needs a new CoS and an application to update your visa only if the SOC code changes.
Does my salary still need to meet the threshold after a promotion?
Yes. After any role change, your pay must still meet the general Skilled Worker salary threshold and the going rate for your new role. A promotion to a job with a higher going rate could mean you need a pay rise to stay compliant.
What happens if my sponsor does not assign a new CoS when needed?
If your role changes enough to need a new CoS and your sponsor does not assign one, your job may no longer match your visa. This puts your visa at risk and breaches your sponsor's duties. If you are unsure, ask your sponsor to check, and take advice if needed.
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.