Document Checklist
UK Skilled Worker Visa Document Checklist (2026)
The UK Skilled Worker visa is sponsor-led: your case stands or falls on your Certificate of Sponsorship and the evidence that backs up the salary, English and maintenance requirements. Gather these before you start the online application on GOV.UK, and confirm every figure against the official guidance, because thresholds and rules change.
Sponsorship and your job
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference numberAn electronic record assigned by your Home Office–approved employer. It lists your job title, occupation code, salary and the sponsor licence number — you enter the reference number on your visa form.
- Sponsor licence numberShown on your CoS. Your employer must hold a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence.
- Job title and four-digit occupation codeYour role must appear on the list of eligible occupations.
- Salary that meets the thresholdUsually at least £41,700 a year or the 'going rate' for your occupation, whichever is higher. A lower £33,400 threshold can apply to some applicants outside healthcare and education.
Identity and English
- Valid passport or travel documentMust show your identity and nationality.
- Proof of English to CEFR level B2A pass in an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT); a degree taught in English (with an Ecctis reference if it was awarded outside the UK); or nationality of an exempt majority-English-speaking country.
- BiometricsFingerprints and a photo taken at a visa application centre, or an identity scan via the UK Immigration: ID Check app where you're eligible to use it.
Money and maintenance
- Evidence of at least £1,270 in personal savingsHeld for 28 days in a row, with day 28 no more than 31 days before you apply.
- Bank or building society statementsCovering the full 28-day period and showing the balance never dropped below £1,270.
- Sponsor maintenance certification (alternative)If the 'sponsor certifies maintenance' box is ticked on your CoS, you do not need to show the £1,270 yourself.
Job-specific and conditional documents
- Tuberculosis (TB) test certificateRequired if you've been living in a listed country; test at a clinic approved by the Home Office.
- Criminal record certificateNeeded for certain roles in education, healthcare, therapy and social services — one from each country you've lived in for 12 months or more over the past 10 years.
- ATAS certificateRequired for some researchers working on sensitive subjects at PhD level or above.
- Ecctis reference numberConfirms a non-UK qualification's level, or that it was taught in English, where you rely on a degree for the English requirement.
- Certified translationsFor any supporting document not written in English or Welsh.
If family members apply with you
- Proof of your relationshipA marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence you've lived together in a relationship for at least two years.
- Children's birth certificatesShowing your relationship to each child applying as a dependant.
- Extra maintenance funds for each dependantUsually required on top of your own £1,270, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance.
Tips
- Use your Certificate of Sponsorship within 3 months of it being assigned — apply promptly once you have the reference number.
- Check your pay against both the general threshold and the going rate for your occupation code; you must meet whichever is higher.
- Don't move money in or out during the 28-day maintenance window — a single dip below £1,270 can fail the financial requirement.
- Budget for the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year on top of gathering these documents.
- Switching from another visa inside the UK can change which documents you need, including whether you must show maintenance — confirm the rules for your category.
Requirements change — always confirm the current list with the official source before you submit.
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