Switching to a Skilled Worker Visa from Inside the UK
If you are already in the UK on another visa and have found a job with a sponsoring employer, you may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa without leaving the country. This guide explains which visas allow switching, the application process, and what to watch out for.
- Section
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 23 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
- Most visa categories allow switching to Skilled Worker from inside the UK.
- Visitor visas and short-term study visas do not allow switching.
- You need a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer.
- Section 3C leave protects your status while the application is pending.
- A switch starts a fresh 5-year qualifying period for settlement on the Skilled Worker route.
Many visa holders in the UK can switch to a Skilled Worker visa without leaving the country. You need a job offer from a licensed sponsor, a valid certificate of sponsorship, and to meet the salary and skill requirements. This guide covers eligibility by current visa type, the application process, costs, and timing.
Who Can Switch
You can switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK if you hold one of these visa types:
- Student visa (after completing your course or at certain stages)
- Graduate route visa
- Spouse/partner visa
- Another Skilled Worker visa (changing sponsors)
- Global Talent visa
- Ancestry visa
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa
- Most other work visa categories
Cannot Switch From
GOV.UK lists these:
- A visit visa
- A short-term student visa
- A Parent of a Child Student visa
- A seasonal worker visa
- A domestic worker in a private household visa
- Immigration bail
- Permission to stay granted outside the Immigration Rules, as a private arrangement with the Home Office
Check the GOV.UK switching to Skilled Worker page for the full list.
Requirements
To switch to a Skilled Worker visa, you must meet all the standard Skilled Worker visa requirements:
- A job offer from an employer with a valid sponsor licence
- A certificate of sponsorship assigned by the employer
- The job must be at the required skill level. Since 22 July 2025 that is RQF level 6, which is degree level, unless the occupation code is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. A worker sponsored through the Temporary Shortage List cannot bring a partner or children
- You must meet the salary threshold — £41,700 since 22 July 2025, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher
- English at CEFR level B2 for a new Skilled Worker application made on or after 8 January 2026. B1 is still accepted where you are extending an existing Skilled Worker permission, but a switch from another route is a new application
- £1,270 held for 28 days to show you can support yourself, unless your sponsor certifies your maintenance or you have been in the UK for 12 months
The Application Process
- Secure a job with an employer holding a sponsor licence
- Employer assigns a CoS through the sponsorship management system
- Apply online for the Skilled Worker visa, selecting "switch" as your application type
- Pay fees including the visa application fee and immigration health surcharge
- Attend biometrics at a UKVCAS centre
- Wait for a decision — you have section 3C leave while waiting, GOV.UK gives the service standard as 8 weeks, and you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you get it
Special Considerations by Current Visa
From Student Visa
Switching from a Student visa is one of the most common routes. GOV.UK sets three ways to satisfy the extra condition: you have completed your course; your job starts after your course ends; or you have been studying full-time for a PhD in the UK for at least 24 months. See our student to Skilled Worker guide for specific details.
From Graduate Route
The Graduate route to Skilled Worker switch carries no additional conditions beyond the standard Skilled Worker requirements. Two points are easy to miss. Time on the Graduate route does not count towards the 5-year qualifying period for settlement on the Skilled Worker route. And time on the Graduate route does count against the 4-year cap on new entrant salary grants, because paragraph SW 12.3 measures combined Skilled Worker, Graduate and Tier 2 permission together.
From Spouse Visa
Spouse visa holders can switch to the Skilled Worker route. Settlement is 5 years on either route, and time on one does not count towards the other, so a switch part-way through restarts the qualifying period.
Costs
The costs include:
- Visa application fee. A switch is made inside the UK, so it is £943 for permission of 3 years or less and £1,865 for more than 3 years, or £628 and £1,235 for a job on the Immigration Salary List
- Immigration health surcharge, at £1,035 a year
- Certificate of sponsorship fee: £525, paid by the employer. Since 31 December 2024 a sponsor may not pass it, the licence fee, or its administrative costs on to a Skilled Worker
- Immigration skills charge, paid by the employer: £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
- Priority processing, optional: £500 for the priority service or £1,000 for the super priority service
For current fee amounts, see our Skilled Worker cost guide or check GOV.UK.
Next Steps
Confirm your current permission allows switching, secure your job offer and certificate of sponsorship, and apply before your current leave expires. Both the Skilled Worker route and the family route take 5 years to settlement, and time on one does not count towards the other.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Which visas can I switch from to a Skilled Worker visa?
Most visa categories allow switching to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, including Student, Graduate, spouse, and other work visas. GOV.UK lists those you cannot switch from: a visit visa, a short-term student visa, a Parent of a Child Student visa, a seasonal worker visa, a domestic worker in a private household visa, immigration bail, and permission to stay granted outside the Immigration Rules.
Do I need to leave the UK to switch to a Skilled Worker visa?
In most cases, no. If your current visa category allows switching, you can apply from inside the UK without leaving. This is known as a change of conditions application. Your current leave continues under section 3C while the application is being processed.
Can I switch from a Visitor visa to a Skilled Worker visa?
No. GOV.UK lists a visit visa among the permissions you cannot switch from. An application must instead be made from outside the UK.
How long does it take to switch to a Skilled Worker visa?
GOV.UK gives the service standard as a decision usually within 8 weeks of the application date. The priority service costs £500 and gives a decision usually within 5 working days; the super priority service costs £1,000 and gives one by the end of the next working day, or 2 working days if you apply at a weekend or on a bank holiday. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or the application is withdrawn.
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.