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What is UK Skilled Worker visa success rate?
According to recent Immigration System Statistics1 published by the Home Office for the year ending December 2025, the Skilled Worker visa success rate for main applicants applying from outside the UK was approximately 80% in 2025, a significant fall from 98% in 2022. This data covers Skilled Worker main applicants outside the UK only and excludes Health and Care Worker visas.
The number of Skilled Worker visa applications and visas issued began to decline in 2024, following the first increase in the salary requirement, and fell more sharply after the second increase in 2025. Applications in 2025 dropped by approximately 41% compared to 2024, while the number of visas issued decreased by around 44% over the same period. These figures reflect the combined effect of higher salary thresholds, increased Certificate of Sponsorship costs, and the broader tightening of the route.
The picture for in-country extensions is more positive, however. Home Office statistics show that in-country Skilled Worker visa extensions for main applicants rose by approximately 15% to around 120,000 in 2025, with an extension approval rate of around 98%. This suggests that applicants already in the UK who meet the updated requirements continue to have a very high chance of success when extending their leave.
Common refusal reasons for the UK Skilled Worker visa
The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of the specific reasons why individual Skilled Worker visa applications are refused. However, based on enquiries received by our immigration lawyers, the most common refusal reasons in recent years include:
- Failure to meet the salary requirements
- Errors in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
- Failure to meet the genuineness requirement
Failure to meet the salary requirements
Failing to meet the salary requirements has become one of the most common refusal reasons for Skilled Worker visas since the salary threshold increases of April 2024 and July 2025. We have seen a growing number of refused applicants approaching us for assistance after their applications failed to meet the new salary requirements. This trend is consistent with Home Office data showing that as salary thresholds increase, the overall success rate is falling.
The current minimum salary threshold (for CoS assigned on or after 22 July 2025) is £41,700 per year. However, applicants cannot simply rely on this general threshold solely when calculating the minimum salary they need to get for their Skilled Worker visa application. Each applicant must firstly identify their job’s applicable ‘going rate’ from Appendix Skilled Occupations2 and compare it with the general threshold, applying whichever is higher. When calculating the going rate, one of the most common mistakes is using the going rate per year directly from the Appendix Skilled Occupations, which is based on a 37.5-hour working week. If your contracted working hours differ from 37.5 hours per week, you must calculate your salary correctly using the following formula: Hourly going rate x your contracted weekly hours x 52 = your annual salary requirement based on the going rate.
Since 2024, the salary requirement has increased twice, making Skilled Worker visa applications more complex. Applicants must now identify the correct SOC code and going rate by selecting the appropriate table from the five tables set out in Appendix Skilled Occupations (excluding Health and Care roles), taking into account when their CoS was assigned. There are also different general salary thresholds to consider (e.g. from Options A to E) when determining whether an applicant is eligible for a reduced salary requirement, for example, if they are a new entrant to the labour market, hold a PhD, or their role appears on the Immigration Salary List. Overall, these changes make Skilled Worker visa applications more prone to mistakes than before.
For more information about how to calculate the correct minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa, see our guide: UK Skilled Worker Visa Minimum Salary 2026 Explained.
Errors in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a unique reference number assigned by a licensed sponsor to a specific worker for a specific role. It is not a physical document but a record on the Home Office sponsorship management system. Errors in the CoS are another common cause of Skilled Worker visa refusals, because the information recorded on the CoS forms the basis of the Home Office’s assessment of the application.
Common errors that can lead to refusal include:
- Job details that are inconsistent or incorrect: for example, job duties that do not match the job title recorded on the CoS, job duties that do not align with the assigned SOC code, or a salary figure on the CoS that does not match the employment contract
- Salary recorded on the CoS that is below the required minimum for the role in Appendix Skilled Occupations, or incorrect working hours that have not been used to calculate the going rate properly
- CoS not assigned correctly: for example, a defined CoS used where an undefined CoS is required, or a CoS assigned more than three months before the Skilled Worker visa application is submitted.
Failure to meet the genuineness requirement
The genuineness requirement was introduced in July 2023, replacing the old Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT). Under the genuineness requirement, the Home Office must be satisfied that the job the applicant is being sponsored for is a genuine vacancy that exists in reality, that the applicant will actually carry out the role, and that the role has not been created primarily to enable someone to obtain a Skilled Worker visa.
When assessing genuineness, the Home Office caseworker considers a range of factors, including:
- Whether the job duties recorded on the CoS are consistent with the SOC code and the job title
- Whether the role is appropriate to the size and nature of the sponsoring organisation
- Whether the applicant’s qualifications and experience are consistent with the role
- Whether the salary offered is consistent with what would be paid to a settled worker in an equivalent role, and
- Whether there are any indicators that the role may have been created for immigration purposes
The Home Office has increased its scrutiny of genuineness in recent years. If a caseworker has reasonable grounds to believe that the job does not genuinely exist, that the applicant will not actually carry out the role, or that the role was created for immigration purposes, the application is likely to be refused. In some cases, a sponsor’s licence may also be suspended or revoked as a result.
Check our article to understand What to do When Your Sponsor Licence is Suspended or Revoked?
What should I do if my Skilled Worker visa is refused?
If your Skilled Worker visa application has been refused, the first step is to carefully review your Home Office refusal letter. The Home Office is required to set out the reasons for the refusal, and this will help identify whether the issue can be addressed in a fresh application or whether an administrative review or appeal is appropriate.
The main options available after a refusal are:
- Administrative review: if we believe the caseworker made an error of law or fact, we may be able to request an administrative review on your behalf. Administrative review is not an appeal and does not allow new evidence to be submitted in most cases. It must normally be requested within 28 days of the refusal.
- Re-application: if the reason for your refusal was a correctable error, for example, an error on the CoS or a failure to meet the salary threshold that can be remedied, it may be possible to reapply with a corrected CoS. There is no restriction on the number of times an applicant can reapply, but each application requires a new CoS and a new visa fee.
Our immigration team at Reiss Edwards has extensive experience with Skilled Worker visa applications. To speak with one of our Skilled Worker visa lawyers, call 020 3744 2797 or complete our enquiry form.
References:
1GOV UK: Immigration system statistics
2GOV UK: Appendix Skilled Occupations
