Skilled Worker Visa Change of Employer: 2026 Guide

Yes, you can change employer on a Skilled Worker visa, but you cannot simply hand in your notice and start somewhere new. Your visa is tied to your sponsor and your job, so a move to a new employer means a new certificate of sponsorship (CoS) and a fresh application to update your visa before you start the new role.

This guide walks through when an update is needed, what it costs, the salary rules that apply on a switch, and the timing mistakes that cause the most stress. Everything below is taken from GOV.UK guidance checked on 28 October 2026.

When do you need to update your Skilled Worker visa?

GOV.UK lists three situations where you must apply to update your Skilled Worker (or older Tier 2 General) visa:

1. You move to a new employer. Any change of job that is with a different employer needs a new application.
2. Your job changes to a different occupation code with the same employer, unless you are in a graduate training programme.
3. You leave a job on the immigration salary list for one that is not on the list.

There are also some situations where you do not need to apply:

• You stay in the same job but it is removed from the immigration salary list.
• You take a different role with your current employer that sits in the same occupation code.
• You do overtime in your sponsored job. GOV.UK says there is no limit on overtime hours.

Promotions and internal moves

This is where many tech workers get caught. A promotion from engineer to senior engineer often keeps the same four-digit occupation code, so no application is needed. A move from, say, a support role to a programming role may be a different code. Ask your employer which code your new role uses before you accept it. Our guide to Skilled Worker salary thresholds for DevOps and cloud roles shows how codes and going rates fit together.

Step by step: how a change of employer works

1. Check the new employer can sponsor you

Only employers approved by the Home Office can sponsor Skilled Workers. You can confirm this on the public register, and our walkthrough on how to check if a UK employer can sponsor you shows how to search it and what the ratings mean.

2. Get a new certificate of sponsorship

Your new job must meet the Skilled Worker eligibility rules, and the new employer proves this by assigning you a new CoS. Your old certificate does not carry across. If you have never dealt with one from the employer side, our certificate of sponsorship explainer covers the fee the employer pays and how the reference number works.

3. Apply online to update your visa

You apply online, and you can save the form and come back to it. You will prove your identity either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by giving fingerprints and a photo at a UKVCAS service point. GOV.UK says you will be told which route applies when you apply. There is no fee for the biometrics themselves.

A useful detail: you only need to provide the other supporting evidence again if you have been in the UK for less than one year.

4. Keep working while you wait, but do not start the new job

GOV.UK allows you to keep working in your current job while the application is considered, including working out your notice period, as long as you applied before your current visa expires. It also says you should not start the new job until you have confirmation of your new permission.

How much does it cost to change employer?

Changing employer is treated as an in-country application, so the in-country fees apply. These are the standard GOV.UK figures for each person:

Situation	Up to 3 years	More than 3 years
Standard fee, applying inside the UK	£943	£1,865
Job on the immigration salary list	£628	£1,235

On top of the application fee, the immigration health surcharge is usually £1,035 per year of permission. GOV.UK also says you usually need £1,270 in savings, but you do not have to prove this if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or if your employer certifies it on the CoS.

Your partner and children do not move across automatically. They must apply separately to update their own visas, either at the same time as you or at any point before their current visas expire, and they pay their own fees. For a fuller cost picture, see our Skilled Worker visa fees 2026 breakdown.

Salary rules when you switch employer

For a new Skilled Worker applicant, GOV.UK sets the general minimum at the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation code. People updating their visa may be able to meet lower salary requirements if both of these apply:

• you got the CoS for your first Tier 2 or Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024, and
• you have continually held one or more Skilled Worker visas since then.

If your new job’s code is listed as medium skilled, you can only update into it if you got your first CoS before 22 July 2025 and have held Skilled Worker visas continuously since. Anyone who first came in after that date generally needs a higher skilled role.

Other discounts, such as the new entrant rate or the relevant PhD rates, are covered on GOV.UK’s “when you can be paid less” page. The rules interact, so the new employer, who checks your eligibility before assigning the CoS, is the first place to confirm which rate applies to you.

Timing: when to apply and how long it takes

• Earliest: up to 3 months before the start date of the new job.
• Latest: before your current visa expires. This matters because the right to keep working during your notice period depends on it.
• Decision: usually within 8 weeks of your application date. It can take longer if documents need verifying, you are asked to attend an interview, or because of your personal circumstances. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

The travel trap

While your application is pending you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. If you do, your application is withdrawn. Plan holidays and family trips around the decision, not around your start date.

Taking a second job instead of changing employer

Not every new job means leaving your sponsor. You can work up to 20 hours a week in another job or your own business while still doing your sponsored job, as long as the extra work is in a higher skilled occupation code, on the immigration salary list, or in the same sector and at the same level as your main job. Business admin, such as preparing invoices, counts towards the 20 hours.

Above 20 paid hours a week you must apply to update your visa, get a new CoS from the second employer, and include a letter giving your name, date of birth, current CoS reference number and the date your current permission ends.

What this means for you

For most skilled tech workers, changing employer on a Skilled Worker visa is a routine paperwork exercise rather than a risk, provided the order of steps is right: confirm the sponsor, get the new CoS, apply before your current visa runs out, stay put until the decision, and only then start the new role. The points that most often go wrong are starting the new job early, travelling abroad mid-application and assuming a family member’s visa updates automatically.

If you are working towards settlement, our guide to ILR for Skilled Workers covers the continuous residence and salary rules that apply when you reach 5 years. Rules change often, so check GOV.UK on the day you apply. This article is general information, not immigration advice, and anyone with a complicated history should speak to a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change jobs on a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes. GOV.UK says you cannot change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa. The new employer must be a licensed sponsor and give you a new certificate of sponsorship for an eligible job.

Do I need a new visa if I change role with the same employer?

Only if the new role is in a different occupation code (and you are not on a graduate training programme), or if you move from a job on the immigration salary list to one that is not on it.

How much does it cost to change employer on a Skilled Worker visa?

Applying from inside the UK, GOV.UK lists a standard fee of £943 per person for up to 3 years or £1,865 for more than 3 years, or £628 and £1,235 if the job is on the immigration salary list. The healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year, is also charged.

Can I start my new job before the Home Office decides?

GOV.UK says you should not start the new job until you have confirmation of your new permission. You can keep working in your current job, including your notice period, as long as you applied before your current visa expires.

How long does a change of employer application take?

GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 8 weeks of your application date. You may be able to pay for a faster decision, and you will be told if that is possible when you apply.

Can I travel abroad while my change of employer application is pending?

Not outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. GOV.UK says your application will be withdrawn if you do.