Skilled Worker visa

It may be possible to obtain your tradeable points through as a 'new entrant'. The 'new entrant' option is designed for those that are new to the labour market in the UK, and this includes those coming from Student or Graduate permission.

If you are planning to use the 'new entrant' option to obtain your tradeable points and you do not currently hold Skilled Worker permission you should use Option E. The other 'new entrant' option, Option J, is reserved for those already with Skilled Worker permission that are seeking an extension. 

As is the case for all of the tradeable points options, it is your prospective employer that is responsible for evaluating your eligibility. It is important that you understand what you may be eligible for however, and that any concerns are raised with your employer directly.

There are many benefits to obtaining your tradeable points as a 'new entrant' such as a lower minimum salary and an extended eligibility period if you leave the UK. You can obtain points through Option E if you meet any one of the following provisions:

• you are under the age of 26 on the date of application
• your most recent visa was a Student visa, your Student visa is still valid or it expired less than 2 years before the date of application, you were sponsored to study a UK bachelor's/UK master's/UK PhD or other doctoral qualification/PGCE/PGDE
• your most recent visa was a Graduate route visa and it is still valid or it expired less than 2 years before the date of application
• the job is a postdoctoral position under specific occupation codes (see Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 12.2 (b))
• you are working towards a recognised professional qualification in a profession listed on the Centre for Professional Qualifications website
• you are working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job you are being sponsored for

The main benefit of being a "new entrant" is a lower minimum salary requirement. The minimum salary for Option E is as follows:

• Yearly salary of £30,960
• 70% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code

Let’s revisit the example we used earlier where you have been offered a position of Chief Executive Officer at Company X:

You have a job offer as a Chief executive of Company X. You are hoping to obtain your tradeable points under Option E.

According to Table 1 in Appendix Skilled Occupations, the going rate for this role is £84,100. However, 70% of the going rate for this SOC 2020 occupation code is £58,870 per year and £30.19 per hour.

Because this occupation already exceeds the minimum salary of the Skilled Worker route (£38,700), you must demonstrate that you will be paid over and above £58,870 per year and £30.19 per hour in a visa application.

You can see that being a new entrant has a major impact on the salary that is required in any particular role. It is unlikely that you will enter into the labour market at the level of chief executive however, so let's take a look at another example of an occupation that can be sponsored under the Skilled worker route. This time, let’s look at "1135 Charitable organisation managers and directors". Remember, as a new entrant, you are able to take a salary at 70% of the going rate: 

You have a job offer as a Charity Manager at Charity X. You are hoping to obtain your tradeable points under Option E.

According to Table 1 in Appendix Skilled Occupations, the going rate for this role is £40,900. However, 70% of the going rate for this SOC 2020 occupation code is £30,960 per year and £15.88 per hour.

Although this does not exceed the minimum salary threshold of the Skilled Worker route (£38,700), it does meet the minimum threshold as a 'new entrant' (£30,960). Therefore your job offer must have a salary at or above the 70% of the going rate, as listed above.

It may be the case that the 'new entrant' going rate for an occupation does not always equate exactly to 70% of the going rate. This is because the Immigration Rules round up any salary that falls below the 'new entrant' minimum rate of £30,960 (or £15.88 per hour) automatically. 

It is important to note that you have a time limit as a new entrant. You can only have 4 years of total immigration permission for the UK under these routes:

• New entrant under Skilled Worker route
• Graduate route
• Tier 2

Deadlines and timeframes for applying for the Skilled Worker route can be found above under "Deadlines". If you come to the UK as a Visitor after your Student/Graduate leave, it will not affect your eligibility as a "new entrant".