Skilled Worker Visa Extension Guide

When your Skilled Worker visa is approaching its expiry date, you need to apply for an extension or risk losing your right to work in the UK. This guide explains the extension process, requirements, costs, and what to expect in 2026.

Checked 14 March 202611 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team

Section: Skilled Worker Visa
Reading time: 11 min
Last checked: 14 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

Your employer must assign a new Certificate of Sponsorship for the extension.
You must meet the current salary threshold (£41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher).
Apply before your current visa expires to maintain legal status via Section 3C leave.
A change of employer is a separate application — you must not start the new job until the new permission is confirmed.
After 5 years on the Skilled Worker route, you can apply for settlement.

Extending your Skilled Worker visa requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer, an online application, and payment of fees. An extension proper is for the same job, the same occupation code, and the same employer; a change of employer is a different application. You must meet the salary threshold in place at the time of extension, which may be higher than when you were first sponsored. This guide covers the full process from preparation to settlement.

When to Extend

You should start the extension process at least 3 months before your current Skilled Worker visa expires. Your employer needs time to prepare and assign a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), and you need time to complete the online application.

GOV.UK states the deadline rather than a window: you must apply online before your current visa expires. You must also not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or the application is withdrawn. Applying before your visa expires triggers Section 3C leave, which protects your status while the application is pending.

If your visa expires before you apply, you become an overstayer. This can result in a ban from future UK visas and potential removal from the UK.

Requirements

Certificate of Sponsorship

Your employer must have a valid sponsor licence and must assign you a new CoS for the extension. The CoS confirms your job title, SOC code, salary, and other details. Your employer does this through the Sponsor Management System (SMS).

Salary Threshold

You must meet the salary threshold in place at the time of your extension. As of 2026, you must earn either:

The general salary threshold of £41,700 per year, or
The going rate for your specific occupation (SOC code), whichever is higher.

If your role is on the Immigration Salary List, the threshold is £33,400 instead — but the job must still be paid the full going rate. The 80% going-rate discount that the old shortage occupation list carried was abolished when the Immigration Salary List replaced it in April 2024.

Important: the general threshold has moved twice in recent years. It was £26,200 until 3 April 2024, £38,700 from 4 April 2024, and £41,700 since 22 July 2025. If you were first sponsored under an earlier figure, your pay may need to rise before your extension. Raise it with your employer well in advance.

English Language

You must still meet the English language requirement at CEFR B1 level. B1 remains the level for an extension on the same route, even though a new Skilled Worker application made on or after 8 January 2026 needs B2 (upper intermediate). If you met the requirement in your initial application, you do not need to retake the test — your previous evidence carries forward.

Genuine Vacancy

The Home Office must be satisfied that the job is a genuine vacancy. The role must be a real job at the appropriate skill level and the salary must be genuine. Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's role must be at RQF level 6, which is degree level. Roles below that are sponsorable only if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, and a worker sponsored through the Temporary Shortage List cannot bring a partner or children. Someone who already held Skilled Worker permission before 22 July 2025 and has kept it since can still extend in a medium-skilled code.

Costs

The costs for a Skilled Worker visa extension in 2026:

Application fee: An extension is made inside the UK, so it is £943 for permission of 3 years or less and £1,865 for more than 3 years. For a job on the Immigration Salary List it is £628 and £1,235.
Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year for the duration of the extension.
Biometric enrolment: Free if using the IDV app.

Your employer may choose to pay some or all of these costs. Some costs, though, are not yours to bear at all: since 31 December 2024 a sponsor may not pass the sponsor licence fee, its administrative costs, or the £525 certificate of sponsorship fee on to a Skilled Worker. The immigration skills charge has always been the sponsor's to pay: £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each further 6 months for a small or charitable sponsor, £1,320 and £660 for a medium or large one.

For a full breakdown, see our Skilled Worker visa costs guide.

Changing Employers

You can switch to a new employer as part of the extension process. The key points:

Your new employer must hold a valid sponsor licence.
They must assign you a new CoS before you apply.
You submit an application to update your visa, not an extension — an extension proper requires the same job, the same occupation code, and the same employer.
You should not start working for the new employer until you have confirmation of your new permission. Submitting the application is not enough. You must also not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you get a decision.
You can apply to update your visa up to 3 months before the start date of the new job.
The new role must meet all Skilled Worker requirements (salary, skill level, etc.).

If you leave your current employer before your new application is submitted, there are time limits. When your sponsorship ends, GOV.UK says your visa is limited to 60 days, or however long you have left on it if that is less than 60 days.

How to Apply

Get your CoS. Confirm with your employer that they have assigned a new Certificate of Sponsorship.
Complete the online application. Go to GOV.UK and fill in the form.
Pay the fees. The application fee and the immigration health surcharge are paid online.
Complete biometrics. Use the IDV app or attend a UKVCAS appointment.
Upload documents. Submit your supporting evidence through the online portal.
Wait for a decision. Continue working for your employer while the application is processed.

Processing Times

GOV.UK gives the service standard as a decision usually within 8 weeks of your application date. Priority and super priority services are available for an additional fee:

Priority: Decision usually within 5 working days. The fee is £500.
Super priority: Decision by the end of the next working day, or 2 working days if you apply at a weekend or on a bank holiday. The fee is £1,000.

Path to Settlement

The published qualifying period for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) on the Skilled Worker route is 5 continuous years, counting time on your initial visa and any extensions. A move to a 10-year qualifying period has been proposed but is not law.

For settlement on the Skilled Worker route, you need:

5 continuous years on the Skilled Worker visa (or its predecessor, the Tier 2 General visa)
A current salary that meets the settlement threshold (£41,700, or the going rate for your occupation code if that is higher)
Pass the Life in the UK test
Meet the English language requirement at B1 level, rising to B2 for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027
No more than 180 days absence from the UK in any 12-month period

Next Steps

Talk to your employer at least 3 months before your visa expires. Confirm they will sponsor your extension and check that your salary meets the current threshold. Begin gathering your documents and book your English test if needed.

Related guides:

Questions and answers

How do I extend my Skilled Worker visa?

To extend your Skilled Worker visa, your employer must assign you a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). You then submit an online application on GOV.UK, pay the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, and complete biometrics. You must still meet the salary threshold and other requirements at the time of extension.

Can I change employer when extending my Skilled Worker visa?

An extension proper is only for the same job, the same occupation code, and the same employer. To move employer you apply to update your visa instead: the new employer must hold a sponsor licence and assign you a new Certificate of Sponsorship. GOV.UK says you should not start your new job until you have confirmation of your new permission — not merely when the application is submitted.

What salary do I need for a Skilled Worker extension?

You must meet the salary threshold in place at the time of your extension application. Since 22 July 2025 the general threshold has been £41,700, or the going rate for your occupation code if that is higher. A job on the Immigration Salary List takes a lower threshold of £33,400, but must still be paid the full going rate — the old 80% going-rate discount ended when that list replaced the shortage occupation list in April 2024.

How much does a Skilled Worker visa extension cost?

An extension is made from inside the UK, so the fee is £943 for permission of 3 years or less and £1,865 for more than 3 years. For a job on the Immigration Salary List it is £628 and £1,235. You also pay the immigration health surcharge at £1,035 a year. Your employer may pay these costs on your behalf, and since 31 December 2024 a sponsor may not pass the sponsor licence fee, its administrative costs, or the certificate of sponsorship fee to a Skilled Worker.

How long can I extend my Skilled Worker visa for?

There is no maximum time limit on the Skilled Worker visa. You can extend it as many times as you like, as long as you continue to meet the requirements. Each extension can be for up to 5 years, depending on what your employer requests on the Certificate of Sponsorship.

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.

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