ILR work visa to permanent residency: what is the current salary threshold?

When reviewing the occupational salary section, the annual salary of £42,000 still falls short of the requirement. The reason provided in the UK government's public example in the settlement guidance is that the going rate for this occupation is £45,000. To provide the preceding context, this example applicant is subject to the general threshold; although their salary exceeds £41,700, there is still a shortfall of £3,000.

My assessment is that prior to negotiating the salary increase required for permanent residency, the occupational code and applicable salary grade should first be verified, after which the base salary in the employment contract should be determined.

ILR First classify the salary into tiers, then look up the occupational code.

As of October 16, 2026, the general annual salary threshold for Skilled Workers transitioning to permanent residence is £41,700, and applicants must also meet the full going rate for the applicable occupation, whichever of the two is higher . The going rate is the amount specified in the rules tables and does not equate to the salary scale determined by the employer. The salary bands listed in the current Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker SW 24.3 are as follows; these are all gross annual salaries and must be applied subject to the relevant conditions.

For existing work visa holders, verification for the £31,300 threshold requires confirming: whether the work visa was granted under the rules in place before 4 April 2024, whether the applicant has continuously held permission under this route since then, and whether the application is submitted before 4 April 2030. The issue date of the initial CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) helps confirm the applicable rules; it cannot be determined solely by the approval date of the most recent extension. This threshold also covers certain healthcare roles specified in the rules, rather than all jobs in the healthcare sector. The £25,000 threshold applies to roles on the salary list that meet additional conditions, designated healthcare education roles, and the specified legacy Tier 2 research and teaching scenarios; Rows D and E of SW 24.3 must be verified item by item, as similar job titles are insufficient and both the occupation code and permission records must match.

The table only provides the categorization; for specific occupational amounts, you must still refer to the "Appendix Skilled Occupations" using the corresponding table and code.

There is a critical threshold that directly impacts salary increase targets: the salary discounts available to PhD holders or new entrants during visa renewal cannot be carried over to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Section 22.4 of the Home Office caseworker guidance explicitly states that there are no such threshold discounts for these two categories for ILR, and the going rate for the occupation must be met in full according to the applicable table. The "legacy lower salary scale" may still be applied based on qualifications, but it can no longer be multiplied by the new entrant rate.

Settle the wages first, then request the employer to issue a certificate.

At this point in the calculation, the total income on the payslip must be further broken down: the eligible portion is based on the fixed pre-tax salary recognized under the rules.

Under the same Appendix SW 14.1 through 14.4 and SW 24.4, overtime pay, bonuses, and stock benefits cannot be used to make up the salary shortfall; relying solely on the total compensation package stated in the contract can easily lead to overestimation. Income from part-time work outside of guaranteed positions also cannot be aggregated. For fixed schedules exceeding 48 hours per week, the general annual salary threshold only accounts for the salary corresponding to the first 48 hours; however, the professional statutory salary must be prorated based on the total agreed working hours, with separate calculation rules applying to uneven schedules. At this stage, it is advisable to have the HR department list the base salary, additional compensation, and weekly working hours in separate columns for individual comparison; one cannot simply substitute the rule-based calculation with the assumption that "the total annual payout is high enough."

The salary confirmation documents also offer a convenient advantage: the permanent residency application itself does not require the employer to reissue CoS.

Section 22.4 of the Adjudication Guidelines accepts letters or emails that can be verified with the employer, confirming that your employment will continue in the foreseeable future and that you will continue to be paid a qualifying salary. In conjunction with SW 24.2, the evidence should cover both current and future salary; salary increase plans that have not yet taken effect should not be directly considered as meeting the requirement. Please request the employer to clearly state the job code, working hours, current annual salary, and the effective arrangement for the salary increase, and to retain the corresponding contract and payroll records.

This article is for informational purposes only. For specific matters, please consult a licensed attorney.

[Data Source] UK Government "Skilled Worker Indefinite Leave to Remain: Salary Requirements"; Home Office current Appendix Skilled Worker SW 14 and SW 24; "Skilled Worker" Caseworker Guidance, Sections 22.4 to 22.5.

1. Identify the early CoS, all previous permits, and the current job code, and specify which line of SW 24.3 applies to you.
2. Please instruct the Human Resources Department to calculate the professional salary based on actual working hours, compare it against the general annual salary threshold, and itemize the payable salary and the difference.
3. Obtain verifiable employer salary confirmation and reconcile the amounts in the contract, payroll records, and supporting documents item by item.

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