Skilled Worker Visa Extension Guidance 2025

The length of your Skilled Worker visa is determined by your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and the terms agreed with your employer. A Skilled Worker visa extension allows you to continue living and working in the UK before it expires as long as you still meet the UK Skilled Worker visa requirements (see below for more details).

The 6-year maximum stay rule, which applied to the old Tier 2 (General) visa, no longer exists, meaning there is no limit to the number of times you can renew your Skilled Worker visa. If you have already spent 5 continuous years in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, you may have the option to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

With respect to when you can apply for tier 2 visa / skilled worker visa extension, you have the flexibility to submit your extension application at any time before your current visa expires. The 28-day rule no longer applies to tier 2 visa or skilled worker visa extensions under the updated immigration rules, except for ILR applications. However, it’s advisable to consider the time needed to meet the 5-year ILR application requirement before submitting your extension application to avoid unnecessary additional applications.

It is possible to change jobs or employers on a UK Skilled Worker visa. You may need to apply to update your Skilled Worker visa. View more details in our article: Changing Jobs or Employers on a Skilled Worker Visa

Our team of Skilled Worker Visa lawyers can provide guidance based on your current circumstances and assist with your Skilled Worker visa extension. Give us a call on on 0203 608 7658 or fill in our contact us form to request a call back.

Skilled Worker visa extension requirements 2025

You must meet below requirements for Skilled Worker application:

• You are still in the same job and with the same employer as when you were granted your previous work visa.
• The occupation code for your job must not have changed. This is because only certain occupations are eligible¹ under the Skilled Worker visa route.
• You have a new UK CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) covering your extended period of employment.
• Your employer continues to hold a valid UK sponsorship license to employ Skilled Worker visa holders.
• You still receive an annual salary that meets the minimum salary requirements*

*The salary requirements for extending your Skilled Worker visa may vary based on when your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was issued:

• If the Certificate of Sponsorship for your current Skilled Worker visa was issued before 4 April 2024, you need to meet the the minimum salary requirement: £29,000 or the lower going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher.
• If the Certificate of Sponsorship for your current Skilled Worker visa was issued after 4 April 2024, you need to continue meeting the the new minimum salary requirement: £38,700 per year or your job’s going rate, whichever is higher.

How to apply to extend Tier 2 visa and Skilled worker visa

To renew your Skilled Worker visa or Tier 2 general visa, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Request a new CoS from your employer to cover your extended period of sponsorship.
2. Prepare and submit your extension application online².
3. Pay the application fee and immigration healthcare surcharge.
4. Upload any documents required by UKVI to support your application.
5. Provide your updated biometrics either by:
   • Using the UKVI ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app
   • Booking an attending a biometric appointment to provide your fingerprints and a photograph at a UKVCAS service point
6. Depending on your circumstances, you may also be asked to attend an interview with UKVI before a final decision is made.

Once you have fully submitted your application, documents, payments, and provided your biometrics, you can expect to receive a decision within 6 – 8 weeks. It is possible to pay an extra fee of £500 to use the priority processing service for a decision within 5 working days, or £1000 for the super-priority service, for a decision by the end of the next working day.

Skilled Worker Visa extension documents

To support your UK Skilled Worker or UK Tier 2 visa extension, you may need to provide some of the following documents:

• A new Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
• Current passport
• Updated photo and fingerprints (biometrics)
• Evidence of £1,270 or more in support funds (i.e. bank statement) – this is not required if you have been in the UK for 12 months or more
• Evidence of your English language proficiency (e.g. pass certificate for an approved English language test at level B1 on the CEFR scale)
• An updated criminal record certificate, if required for your occupation

What happens after extending your Skilled Worker visa?

After you have extended your Skilled Worker visa, you can either further extend your stay or apply for settlement (ILR) in the UK. Tier 2 and Skilled Worker visa holders can apply for ILR after 5 years of continuous residence in the UK.

With ILR, you will no longer be subject to immigration control. This means that you will no longer need to apply for further visas to enter or remain in the UK. You can also change jobs and employment without seeking permission from UKVI. And crucially, a person with ILR can apply for UK citizenship after 12 months.

FAQ about Skilled Worker Visa extension

Question: My employer has not followed the working hours stated in my initial Skilled Worker visa application and Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). What impact could this have on my Skilled Worker visa extension?

Whilst this impacts the sponsoring company directly, this does have an indirect breach on you as these circumstances, if known, would invalidate your Skilled Worker visa. If left ignored, it could consequently have an impact on a future application for ILR or an extension to your visa. The most appropriate step to take is to seek new sponsorship with a new employer, who is able to give you the hours and salary that you need in order to comply with your visa rather than ignore the fact.

Question: If my name is spelled incorrectly on my COS for my visa extension, do I need a new one?

This depends on which part of your name is misspelled. If your first name is misspelled, this can be addressed by way of a Sponsor Note from your employer. If your last name/surname is misspelled however, then the Home Office deem this as a ‘significant error’ and if there are any other mistakes (no matter how minor they may be), the Home Office policy does advise that you will need to get a new CoS from your employer instead before applying.

Question: I am remaining with my current employer but being promoted to a more senior role. What impact does this have on my current Skilled Worker visa?

This will depend on the nature of your promotion and whether your role remains within the same Occupation Code as specified in your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), or if it falls under a different code.

If, despite the changes, no alternative Occupation Code applies, then updating your existing CoS via a Sponsor Note should be sufficient. However, if the promotion results in a change to a different Occupation Code, your sponsor must issue a new CoS, and you will need to submit a new Skilled Worker visa application. In such cases, the promotion can only take effect once the Home Office has approved your new visa.

Question: I was granted my Skilled Worker visa before 6th April 2024. What is the minimum salary requirement for extension.

If your Skilled Worker visa was granted before 6th April 2024, the minimum salary requirement for your Skilled Worker visa extension is either £29,000, or the lower ‘going rate’ listed in Table 2 or 2a of Appendix Skilled Occupation for your occupation code, whichever of the two is higher.

Question: How much savings do I need to show for my Skilled Worker extension?

If you have been in the UK for more than 12 months by the time of your Skilled Worker visa extension application, you do not need to show any savings in order to qualify for your visa extension.
If you have been in the UK for less than 12 months, you must meet the maintenance requirement in one of the following ways:

• Your sponsor certifies maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), or
• You show personal savings of at least £1,270.

If you are applying with family members, you will also need additional funds for each dependant:

• Partner: £285
• First child (under 18): £315
• Each additional child (under 18): £200

These funds must be held in the migrant’s or migrant’s partner’s dependent’s bank account for at least 28 consecutive days, ending no more than 31 days before their application date.