How to Move to the UK from India on a Skilled Worker Visa (2026)

India is by a wide margin the largest source of UK Skilled Worker visas. Indian nationals received more than 66,000 sponsored work visas as main applicants in 2024, and around 90,000 Skilled Worker extensions in the year to December 2025, far ahead of any other country, concentrated in technology and healthcare. But the route tightened sharply in 2025 and 2026, so here is what it actually looks like from India today. This is general information to help you plan, not legal advice.

The UK route is sponsor-led

Unlike Canada's points pool, a UK Skilled Worker visa starts with a job offer. You need a UK employer that holds a sponsor licence and is willing to issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship for your role. No sponsor, no visa, so your first task is finding a licensed sponsor, not filing an application. You can search the public register of licensed sponsors before you apply.

The 2026 salary and skill rules

Since 22 July 2025 the salary must be the higher of £41,700 a year or 100% of the going rate for your occupation, with an hourly floor of £17.13 for most roles, and a relevant PhD can lower the minimum to £37,500. Just as important, the skill threshold rose to RQF Level 6 (graduate level), so many roles that qualified before that date no longer do. Confirm your occupation code is still eligible and that the offer clears both the threshold and the going rate.

English at B2

From 8 January 2026, first-time Skilled Worker applicants must show English at CEFR level B2, up from B1. You can meet it with an approved Secure English Language Test, an eligible degree taught in English, or by being a national of an exempt country. Many Indian degrees are taught in English, but confirm yours meets the Home Office criteria rather than assuming it does.

An India-specific check: ATAS

If your role or research is in a sensitive science or technology field, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you apply. ATAS applies to non-UK and non-EU nationals, including Indians, working or studying in listed sensitive subjects. It is administered by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is free, and can take several weeks, so check early whether your field is on the list.

The Health and Care Worker option (for health professionals)

India is a major source of NHS doctors and nurses. For eligible health professionals, the Health and Care Worker visa is a cheaper version of the Skilled Worker route, with a reduced fee (£300 for up to three years, £590 for longer) and full exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, which on a standard Skilled Worker visa costs £1,035 per person per year. Note that new overseas sponsorship of care workers, as opposed to qualified health professionals, ended on 22 July 2025.

What it costs

• Standard Skilled Worker: the visa fee, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge at £1,035 per person per year (£5,175 over five years), plus your English test and document costs.
• Health and Care Worker: £300 (up to three years) or £590 (over three years), and £0 Immigration Health Surcharge.
• Confirm the current fees on GOV.UK before you budget.

Your next step

Because the UK route depends on a sponsored job offer and a salary that clears both the threshold and the going rate, the smartest first move is to check the real salary you would need for your role, then map your options. Movepath builds you a personalised, step-by-step roadmap for the India to UK move, free to start.