Changing employers on a Skilled Worker visa

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Establish whether your permission needs updating

Moving to a different employer under Skilled Worker normally requires a new application and CoS. GOV.UK also identifies ↗ changes of occupation code with an existing employer and moves from an immigration salary list job to a job outside that list. If you remain in the same job, its removal from the list does not by itself require another application.

Do not confuse an employer's sponsorship-system notification with your own application for permission. Ask HR to confirm the necessary process in writing, who will assign the CoS and the basis for the proposed start date.

Check the new job and transitional provisions

The new employer must be a suitable licensed sponsor, and the role must satisfy current requirements. Check the code, duties, salary, hours and CoS duration. Some transitional provisions depend on the first CoS predating 4 April 2024 or 22 July 2025 and continuous Skilled Worker permission.

A colleague who first obtained a visa recently may therefore face a different salary calculation. If the new role is medium-skilled or your history includes gaps and route changes, confirm eligibility for any exception before accepting the offer. Retain previous CoS records and decisions to establish that history.

Coordinate notice, application and starting work

You can apply up to three months before the new job starts. If you apply before your existing permission expires, you can continue in your current job and work your notice while the application is considered. Wait for confirmation of the new permission before starting the new job ↗; receiving a CoS number is not sufficient.

For an application made inside the UK, do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the decision, as the application will be withdrawn. The usual processing guide is eight weeks, and faster processing is not always available. Allow room for checks when agreeing a start date.

Review costs and your family's documents

The budget ↗ should include a new application fee, IHS calculated for the application and any additional services. Read the old employer's repayment terms for costs it covered. Request an itemised breakdown: the CoS fee ↗ and applicable Immigration Skills Charge ↗ cannot simply be recovered as the worker's personal debt.

Partners and children require separate applications, which can be submitted with yours or before their existing visas expire. The main applicant's new permission does not automatically update family eVisas. After approval, check your conditions, dates and personal information, then give the new employer the appropriate right-to-work evidence.