VisaUK Skilled Worker visa holders must wait for new permission before changing employer
A new sponsor and job offer do not by themselves authorise the start. Check the occupation, application timing and domestic fees.
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Apply for the change before beginning the new job
UK Skilled Worker holders need an update when changing employer, moving to another occupation code outside a graduate training programme, or leaving an immigration-salary-list job for one outside that list. Confirm the relevant trigger before applying.
The update can be submitted up to three months before the new job starts. Apply before the current visa expires to continue the existing job or work out notice while the application is considered; the guide says not to start the new job until new permission is confirmed. Travel outside the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the decision withdraws the application. Dependants need separate applications before their own permission expires, rather than assuming the worker's change automatically updates them.
Ask the new sponsor to check the occupation and salary route
The official job-eligibility page requires an eligible role, a Home Office-approved employer and the applicable salary. Its usual standard is the higher of GBP41,700 and the occupation's going rate, but it identifies lower or transitional routes for some extensions, updates and particular occupations. A new employer should assess the actual duties and four-digit occupation code, rather than simply copy a former sponsor's job title. Similar titles can belong to different codes with different eligibility.
Higher-skilled occupations can qualify; medium-skilled roles need a listed or transitional provision, including the immigration salary or temporary shortage list where applicable. Healthcare and education can use national pay scales. Ask the sponsor to identify the exact occupation entry and pay provision relied on, with the required salary and contracted hours. Illustratively, a salary above GBP41,700 can still be too low where the occupation's going rate is higher; the headline threshold alone does not settle the case.
Gather the new sponsorship details and any required supporting evidence
The document checklist identifies the certificate of sponsorship reference, job title, annual salary, occupation code, employer name and sponsor-licence number, alongside a valid passport or other accepted identity and nationality document. Ask the employer for a copy of the sponsorship information and check it against the proposed contract. The general document checklist also identifies proof of English. Check the evidence requested for the actual update, rather than assume every first-entry document must be reordered. Ask the employer for missing sponsorship details before completing the form.
Depending on circumstances, the general checklist also identifies maintenance funds, family relationship evidence, tuberculosis results, criminal records or an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate for certain sensitive research. These are conditional categories. A domestic employer-change application should not be assembled as though every applicant falls into every category. Documents outside English or Welsh need certified translations where required. Resolve inconsistent names, passport details or sponsorship dates with the provider before submission, and retain the final application confirmation.
Budget for the domestic application and distinguish maintenance from fees
The current fee page lists the standard in-country charge for extending, switching or updating at GBP943 per person for up to three years and GBP1,865 for more than three years. It separately lists reduced immigration-salary-list charges of GBP628 and GBP1,235. The ordinary healthcare surcharge is usually GBP1,035 per year. Check the route and requested duration in the application, including whether a Health and Care Worker exemption or another specific treatment applies, before treating a general Skilled Worker total as the amount due.
For applicants who need financial evidence, the separate Home Office financial-evidence guide explains acceptable records. Electronic bank statements can be used without bank stamping where they show the issue date, account holder, bank and balance. Cash must be immediately accessible in the account and legally acquired; an overdraft, bitcoin holding or shares is not accepted as the required evidence. The guide allows verification with the bank and warns that inability to verify funds can lead to refusal. Use that resource when selecting bank records, and retain the evidence submitted alongside the fee receipt and sponsorship information. A payment receipt alone does not establish that the financial requirement is met.
