What the visa is tied to
A Skilled Worker visa is granted on the basis of a particular Certificate of Sponsorship. That certificate names the sponsor, the job, the occupation code and the salary, and the permission to work that follows is limited to that job with that sponsor. Published guidance treats a move to a different employer, or a substantial change to the job itself, as a change of the basis on which the visa was granted, which is why it requires a fresh application rather than a note on the file.
The process is the same chain as the original visa. The new employer must hold a sponsor licence; it assigns a new Certificate of Sponsorship through the Sponsorship Management System; the worker submits a Skilled Worker application quoting that certificate; and GOV.UK states that the worker must not start the new job until the application has been decided. An application made from inside the UK before the current permission expires keeps the worker’s existing conditions in place while it is considered. The UK sponsor list shows which organisations hold a licence, and the sponsor licence check confirms a single employer against the register.
New application or sponsor report?
GOV.UK distinguishes changes that require a new application from changes the sponsor reports through its own licence. The dividing line is whether the new circumstances would have produced a different Certificate of Sponsorship.
A new application is needed, according to published guidance, when a worker:
- moves to a different employer, including to another organisation within the same group if it holds its own licence;
- changes to a job in a different occupation code, even with the same employer (the occupation directory lists every code);
- moves from a job on the Immigration Salary List to one that is not, or the reverse, where that changes the salary rules applied;
- takes a reduction in salary below the figure the current rules allow for the role, except in the set circumstances GOV.UK lists.
The sponsor reports the change through the Sponsorship Management System, without a new application from the worker, when the job stays within the same occupation code and the salary rules are still met. Published examples include a change of job title or core duties within the same code, a change of work location, a pay rise, or a reduction in pay that remains at or above the applicable threshold. GOV.UK sets out the reporting deadlines a sponsor must meet in each case.
The salary rules apply again
A change of employment application is assessed against the Skilled Worker rules in force on the date it is made, not those that applied to the original visa. The job on the new certificate must be in an eligible occupation code and paid at or above the higher of the general threshold, £41,700 a year at the last check, and the going rate for that code. The published lower figures for new entrants and for some Immigration Salary List roles apply where the conditions for them are met, and GOV.UK sets out transitional provisions for workers who first entered the route before earlier rule changes. The salary threshold guide lists the current going rate for every eligible code. Figures checked against GOV.UK on 5 Sept 2026.
When sponsorship ends: the 60-day period
Sponsorship can end before a visa does. A sponsor may lose its licence, stop trading, make the role redundant or simply withdraw sponsorship, and in each case it is required to report the change to the Home Office. Published guidance states that when this happens, the Home Office normally shortens the worker’s permission to 60 days from the date of the decision letter, or to the existing expiry date if that is sooner. A new application made within that period, with a Certificate of Sponsorship from another licensed employer, is decided in the usual way and the worker’s status continues while it is considered.
Because the clock runs from the Home Office letter rather than from the end of the job, the register matters during this window: only an employer on it can assign a certificate. The jobs board lists current roles at employers matched to the register, and each listing shows the occupation code and how the advertised salary compares with the published threshold. GOV.UK sets out the current rules for the shortened-permission period, including what happens if no application is made.
Supplementary employment
Not every second job needs a change of employment application. GOV.UK describes supplementary employment: additional work a Skilled Worker may take alongside the job named on their Certificate of Sponsorship, without a new application, provided it stays within published limits on hours per week and on the occupations allowed. The work must be outside the hours of the main job, and the main job must continue. Published guidance also covers voluntary work separately. Anything outside those limits, or a second role that replaces the sponsored one, falls back into the change of employment rules above. The current limits, which have changed more than once, are set out on GOV.UK.
What a change of employment application involves
The published list of what an application needs is similar to the first Skilled Worker application: the new Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, proof of identity, evidence of the English language requirement (usually already on file from the earlier grant), and the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge for the period of the new permission. The new certificate carries the job, occupation code and salary the application is assessed against, and the sponsor must not recover the certificate fee from the worker. GOV.UK publishes the current fees, the documents required and the processing times for applications made inside the UK.
This page describes the rules as published. It does not say what any particular worker is able to do: that depends on the individual circumstances and is a question for GOV.UK or for an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority.
Common questions
Can a Skilled Worker change employer without a new visa?
How long does a worker have after their sponsorship ends?
Does a change of job with the same employer need a new application?
Does the salary threshold apply again on a change of employment?
Can a Skilled Worker take a second job?
Where to go next
- Jobs at licensed sponsors — current roles at employers matched to the Home Office register.
- UK sponsor list — browse licensed organisations by town, sector and route.
- Sponsor licence check — confirm a prospective employer holds a licence before it assigns a certificate.
- Occupation directory — every SOC 2020 code with its eligibility and going rate.