New Entrant Salary for the Skilled Worker Visa 2026: 70% of the Going Rate
New entrants on the UK Skilled Worker visa can be paid 70% of the standard going rate for their occupation, subject to a minimum of £33,400 per year, for a total stay of up to 4 years (gov.uk Skilled Worker guidance, checked 7 August 2026).
That one sentence is the whole rule, but every part of it has published small print: five specific ways to qualify, a salary floor that can override the percentage, and a clock that caps the total stay. This guide sets out the 2026 position using the figures published in gov.uk's Skilled Worker guidance on when you can be paid less — nothing modelled, nothing estimated. Because the discount is a percentage of a per-occupation figure, every calculation starts from your occupation's own number: look up your occupation's going rate first if you do not already know it.
TL;DR — new entrant salary for the Skilled Worker visa (2026)
- Rate: new entrants can be paid 70% of their job's standard going rate instead of the full rate.
- Floor: the salary must still be at least £33,400 per year — you must be paid whichever of the two figures is higher.
- Standard comparison: the general salary threshold for the standard Skilled Worker case is £41,700.
- Who qualifies: you are under 26 on the date you apply, you are currently or were recently on a Student visa at bachelor level or above, you are currently or were recently on a Graduate visa, you are working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession, or you are working towards full registration or chartered status.
- Time limit: your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply for one of these reasons.
- Related reductions: STEM PhD 80% of the going rate (floor £33,400), non-STEM PhD 90% (floor £37,500), postdoctoral positions 70% (4-year limit).
Source: gov.uk Skilled Worker guidance: when you can be paid less (checked 7 August 2026).
Every reduced salary category in 2026: the full table
The new entrant discount is one of several published reasons a Skilled Worker applicant can be paid less than the standard requirement. Here is every reduced-salary category from the gov.uk guidance, with the standard case alongside for comparison:
| Category | Going rate you must meet | Minimum salary floor | Stay limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| New entrant | 70% of the standard going rate | £33,400 per year | 4 years total stay |
| PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 80% of the standard going rate | £33,400 a year | — |
| PhD in a non-STEM subject relevant to the job | 90% of the standard going rate | £37,500 a year | — |
| Postdoctoral position | 70% of the standard going rate | — | 4 years |
| Immigration Salary List occupation | At least the full standard going rate for your job | £33,400 per year | — |
| Standard case (for comparison) | The full standard going rate | £41,700 general threshold | — |
One row deserves a flag before we go further: the Immigration Salary List entry reflects the current published rule — at least £33,400 per year and at least the standard going rate for your job — which replaced the earlier discounted-rate mechanic that used to apply to ISL occupations. In other words, the ISL is no longer a percentage discount on the going rate the way the new entrant and PhD categories are. Our Immigration Salary List 2026 guide covers that list in full, and the going rate reductions guide maps how all of these mechanics fit together.
What is the new entrant salary for a Skilled Worker visa?
The new entrant salary is 70% of your job's standard going rate, with an absolute minimum of £33,400 per year — you must be paid whichever of those two figures is higher. It is a reduced version of the standard requirement, under which the general salary threshold is £41,700 alongside the full going rate.
The important structural point is that there are always two numbers in play. The going rate is a per-occupation figure published in the official tables, so 70% of it produces a different answer for every SOC code — which is why there is no single “new entrant salary” that applies to everyone. The £33,400 floor is the fixed part; the percentage part moves with your occupation. For the background on how going rates are set and where the published figures live, see our UK Skilled Worker going rate 2026 guide.
Who qualifies as a new entrant?
You can qualify as a new entrant if at least one of five published conditions applies: you are under 26 on the date you apply, you hold or recently held a Student or Graduate visa, or you are working towards a professional qualification, registration or chartered status. Age is only one of the routes in — not a requirement for all of them.
The five conditions, as published in the gov.uk guidance:
- you are under 26 on the date you apply
- you are currently or were recently on a Student visa at bachelor level or above
- you are currently or were recently on a Graduate visa
- you are working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession
- you are working towards full registration or chartered status
The Graduate visa condition is the one most applicants reach this rule through: switching from the Graduate route into sponsored work is exactly the scenario the new entrant rate was designed around, and the discount is often what makes a first sponsored offer viable. If that is your situation, our Graduate visa to Skilled Worker switch guide walks through the move step by step. The last two conditions matter for trainees in regulated professions — someone working towards a recognised qualification, or towards full registration or chartered status, can qualify regardless of age or visa history.
How long can you stay on new entrant rates?
The gov.uk guidance is explicit: “Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply for one of these reasons.” The cap applies to your total stay, not just to the time spent being paid at the reduced rate — so previous UK time counts against it.
That wording is stricter than many people assume: it is not a fresh 4-year allowance that starts when you first use the discount, but a ceiling on your total stay in the UK — time already spent in the UK on other visas counts within it.
The planning consequence is that the new entrant rate is a runway, not a destination. Once the 4 years are exhausted, the standard requirements become the benchmark: the full going rate for your occupation and the £41,700 general threshold. A sensible sponsorship plan prices in that step up from the start — our UK visa sponsorship salary thresholds 2026 guide sets out the full standard-case picture you will eventually need to meet.
How the 70% rate works against the £33,400 floor
The calculation is a comparison between two figures, and the higher one always wins:
- Take your occupation's standard going rate from the published tables — you can look up your occupation's going rate in seconds.
- Calculate 70% of it.
- Compare the result with £33,400. Your salary must be at least the higher of the two.
The mechanics split into two cases. If 70% of your occupation's going rate comes out below £33,400, the floor binds: the discount cannot take you any lower, and £33,400 per year is the minimum regardless of how modest the going rate is. If 70% of the going rate comes out above £33,400, the percentage binds: for well-paid occupations the new entrant figure remains substantial, and for the highest-paying codes 70% of the going rate can even exceed the £41,700 general threshold that standard applicants face.
Two practical cautions. First, the discount applies to the going rate, not to whatever salary a standard applicant would happen to need — so always start from the published per-occupation figure rather than a remembered threshold. Second, some occupations have their own published lower rates in the official tables, which is a separate mechanic from the new entrant percentage; our going rate reductions guide explains how the published lower rates and the percentage discounts differ.
How does the PhD discount compare?
A relevant PhD earns a smaller discount than new entrant status: 80% of the standard going rate for a STEM PhD, with a floor of £33,400 a year, and 90% for a non-STEM PhD, with a higher floor of £37,500 a year. The new entrant rate, at 70%, is the deepest percentage reduction published.
The gradient runs the opposite way to what many expect: the more senior-sounding credential gets the shallower discount. A non-STEM PhD holder must clear 90% of the going rate and a £37,500 floor — both higher than the new entrant's 70% and £33,400. In each case the PhD must be relevant to the job, and the same higher-of-two-figures logic applies: percentage of the going rate versus the floor, whichever is greater.
Postdoctoral positions sit apart from the PhD rows: they carry the same 70% rate as new entrants and the same 4-year stay limit. Note where the clock does and does not run — the guidance attaches the 4-year total-stay cap to the new entrant and postdoctoral reasons, while no equivalent stay limit is published against the two PhD reductions on that page. For an applicant who could qualify more than one way, that difference in time limits can matter more than the percentage itself.
New entrant salary FAQ
Do new entrants need to meet the £41,700 general threshold?
No. The £41,700 figure is the general salary threshold for the standard Skilled Worker case. A qualifying new entrant is instead measured against 70% of the occupation's standard going rate with a floor of £33,400 per year — whichever of those two is higher.
Can I use the new entrant rate after a Graduate visa?
Yes. Being currently or recently on a Graduate visa is one of the five published qualifying conditions, and it is the most common route into the discount. The practical steps for making that move are covered in our Graduate visa to Skilled Worker switch guide.
I am 26 or older — can I still qualify as a new entrant?
Possibly. Being under 26 on the date you apply is only one of five conditions, and meeting any one of them is enough. The Student visa, Graduate visa, regulated-profession qualification and registration-or-chartered-status routes do not depend on your age.
Can my salary be below £33,400 as a new entrant?
No. £33,400 per year is the floor for the new entrant category: even where 70% of your occupation's going rate would be a lower number, the floor overrides it. The rule is always the higher of the two figures.
What happens when the 4 years run out?
The new entrant reasons cannot support a total UK stay beyond 4 years. Past that point, the standard requirements are the benchmark — the full going rate for your occupation and the £41,700 general threshold. See our salary thresholds guide for the standard-case figures.
Is the new entrant discount the same as the Immigration Salary List?
No. Under the current published rule, an Immigration Salary List occupation must be paid at least £33,400 per year and at least the full standard going rate for the job — this replaced the earlier discounted-rate mechanic. Only the new entrant, PhD and postdoctoral categories reduce the going rate itself. Details in our Immigration Salary List 2026 guide.
Source: gov.uk Skilled Worker guidance: when you can be paid less (checked 7 August 2026). This article reports published salary rules and is not legal or immigration advice. Figures and rules can change — always check gov.uk for the current position before applying, and speak to a regulated immigration adviser about your individual circumstances.
Mahadheer Muhammed
The Tarve team researches UK visa sponsorship directly from official gov.uk and Home Office sources — the register of licensed sponsors, the Immigration Rules, and published salary and going-rate data — to produce clear, regularly updated guides for international professionals. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser.
How we source this guide
Figures and rules on this page are taken from official gov.uk and Home Office publications and were last verified on 14 August 2026. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser — guidance here is for information only, and you should always confirm the current rules on gov.uk.
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