UK Skilled Worker salary thresholds 2026: what Nigerian graduates must know

If your long-term goal is to work in the UK after studying, the Skilled Worker visa is the bridge — and its salary rules should shape your course choice from day one. Here are the figures that matter in 2026.

The general threshold: £41,700

Following the July 2025 rules update, the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route is £41,700 per year. For any specific job you must be paid the higher of this figure or the published “going rate” for that occupation. In practice, that means a graduate-level job in a well-paid field clears the bar more easily than a lower-paid role.

The healthcare exception

Eligible health and care occupations have lower thresholds — some roles qualify from around £25,000. This is exactly why our nursing and allied-health pathways are so powerful: they lead toward roles with a realistic, rule-compliant route to sponsorship. We never use the word “guaranteed,” because sponsorship depends on a real job offer — but the structural route is real.

New entrants

Recent graduates and those early in their careers can often use the new-entrant rate of £33,400 for a limited period, giving you a lower bar while you establish yourself.

How this changes your course choice

A degree that leads to a profession with strong demand and going rates above the threshold is worth far more, visa-wise, than a generic qualification. Before you pick a programme, we map it against the occupations it qualifies you for and the salary rules that apply — so your study route and your work route are one plan, not two.

One timing note

The Graduate Route (your post-study work window) currently gives two years for Bachelor’s and Master’s graduates and three for PhDs. From 1 January 2027 it is set to fall to 18 months for new applicants. If post-study work matters to you, your intake choice this cycle is strategic.

Frequently asked