The UK going rate: why the published threshold may not apply to you

Nearly every guide to the UK Skilled Worker visa leads with a single number. That number is only half of the test, and for a large share of applicants it is the half that does not matter.

Two tests, and the higher one wins

The rule is that you must be paid whichever is higher: the general salary threshold of £41,700 a year, or the going rate for your specific occupation code.

An offer of £45,000 clears the published threshold comfortably and can still be refused, because the going rate for that occupation sits above it. Checking the headline figure alone tells you almost nothing about your own case.

Why this catches people out

The going rate is attached to an occupation code, not to a job title. Two people with the same title can fall under different codes depending on the duties the employer describes, and the code is chosen on the employer's side. The first time many applicants encounter the number is when the sponsor fills in the certificate.

The tax year adds a second trap

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April rather than following the calendar. If you move mid-year, part of your income falls under the UK system and part under your new country's, and neither authority looks at the other's period.

One more detail worth knowing before you model your net pay: the £12,570 personal allowance shrinks by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000, so above that point your effective marginal rate is higher than the published band implies.

What to ask before you accept

• Which occupation code will the sponsor use, and what is the going rate for it?
• Does the offer clear that rate, not just the £41,700 threshold?
• When in the tax year will the move happen?

The first question is the one people skip, and it is the one that decides the application.