Skilled Worker Visa for Romanians: Requirements & How to Apply (2026)

Romanians can work in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, which requires a job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and a minimum salary of £41,700 per year — the standard general threshold that has applied to new applications since 22 July 2025.

This is the most-used route for Romanians moving to the UK for work. It is also the most detailed one: the salary thresholds, skill level requirements, and sponsorship process all changed significantly in 2025, and it is easy to start an application with the wrong figures. This guide covers the current rules, step by step. Always verify requirements at gov.uk before applying, as immigration rules change.

For the full overview of all available routes, see our complete guide to moving to the UK from Romania.

Eligibility: The Three Requirements

The Skilled Worker visa is points-based. You must score 70 points. Three mandatory criteria contribute the first 50 points — if you cannot meet all three, you cannot get the visa regardless of any other factors:

• Job offer from a licensed sponsor — your UK employer must hold an active Skilled Worker sponsor licence issued by the Home Office. Not every UK employer is licensed. You can check the register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk before accepting a job offer.
• Role at RQF Level 6 or above — for new applications since 22 July 2025, the job must require skills equivalent to a UK degree (RQF Level 6). This replaced the previous RQF Level 3 threshold. Roles below RQF 6 may still be possible via the Temporary Shortage List, but with restrictions on dependants.
• Salary meeting both thresholds — your salary must meet both the general threshold and the going rate for your specific occupation code (SOC code), whichever is higher. Ask your employer for your SOC code, then check the going rate for that code on gov.uk.

The remaining 20 points come from tradeable criteria — English language (10 points) and salary level (20 points at the general threshold). Most applicants with a standard job offer at £41,700 will automatically score the required 70.

Salary Thresholds in 2026

There is no single salary figure — there are several thresholds depending on your circumstances. The correct one for you depends on your occupation code, qualifications, and whether you qualify for a discount.

Sponsorship and the Certificate of Sponsorship

Your employer must act first. They hold the sponsor licence, and the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) comes from their Home Office allocation. You cannot start your visa application without a CoS reference number.

The CoS is a digital document — your employer assigns it through their Sponsor Management System. It contains your job title, SOC code, salary, start date, and sponsor licence number. Once assigned, it is valid for 3 months and you must submit your visa application within that window.

The employer pays a Certificate of Sponsorship fee of £525 per CoS issued (from April 2025). For new sponsors that are not yet licensed, the licence application itself costs £1,579 for large businesses or £574 for small businesses, and typically takes 8 weeks or more to process.

Visa Fees and Costs

The Skilled Worker visa has two main costs paid by the applicant: the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Both are paid upfront for the full visa duration before a decision is made.

Some employers cover all or part of the visa fee. It is always worth asking — especially for skilled roles where the employer is competing for talent. If your employer covers the IHS, they must meet the full amount or the application cannot proceed.

English Language Requirement

You must demonstrate English at CEFR Level B2 (upper intermediate) or above. There are four ways to satisfy this requirement:

• Pass an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) at B2 level, such as IELTS for UKVI
• Hold a degree taught in English from a recognised institution
• Be a national of a majority English-speaking country (includes USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others)
• Hold a previous UK visa that required English at B2 level (if extending or switching)

As of 8 January 2026, the required level was raised from B1 to B2 for first-time Skilled Worker applicants. If you are extending or updating an existing Skilled Worker visa granted before 8 January 2026, B1 applies and you do not need to reprove English.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Secure a job offer from a UK employer on the licensed sponsors register. Confirm your occupation code (SOC code) and check it is eligible for the Skilled Worker route.
2. Employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship — they do this through their Sponsor Management System. You receive a CoS reference number. The CoS is valid for 3 months — submit your application within this window.
3. Gather supporting documents — CoS reference number, current passport, proof of English (IELTS certificate or degree), evidence of savings (£1,270 held for 28 days unless employer certifies maintenance), any relevant qualifications or translations.
4. Apply online at gov.uk — complete the visa application form. You will need your UKVI account. Do not use third-party services for this step.
5. Pay the visa fee and IHS — both paid online during the application. The IHS is calculated automatically based on your visa length.
6. Book and attend a biometrics appointment at a Visa Application Centre in Romania. You will give fingerprints and a photograph, and hand over your passport for the vignette sticker.
7. Await decision — standard processing takes 3 to 8 weeks. Priority service (£500 extra) is typically 5 working days. Super Priority (£1,000 extra) aims for a next-working-day decision.
8. Collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from the Post Office named in your approval letter within 10 days of arriving in the UK. From 2025, many applicants receive an eVisa instead — a digital record linked to their UKVI account.

Bringing Your Family

Your partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants on your Skilled Worker visa. Dependants apply separately — they submit their own applications but are linked to your visa. Your salary must meet the dependant threshold: currently £29,000 per year to bring a partner, with additional thresholds per child. Each dependant pays their own visa fee and IHS.

For detailed guidance on dependant visas, salary thresholds, and what to expect, see our guide to bringing family to the UK as a Romanian.

Path to Settlement

The Skilled Worker visa leads directly to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 continuous years of UK residence, provided you have been employed with a licensed sponsor throughout and meet the salary and absence requirements at the time of application. ILR removes all immigration conditions — you can work for any employer, in any role, without restriction.

After holding ILR for a further year, you can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation. Romania permits dual citizenship, so you would not need to give up your Romanian passport. See our guides on ILR for Romanians and British citizenship for Romanians.

Before You Apply

The Skilled Worker visa is a well-structured route — the requirements are clear and the process is fully online. What trips people up is not the complexity of the system but the specific figures: the wrong salary threshold for their occupation code, an employer who is not yet licensed, or an occupation that no longer qualifies since the July 2025 rule changes. Getting these details right before investing time in a job search saves significant frustration later.

It is also worth knowing that the rules are not fixed. Salary thresholds have been reviewed twice in two years, the skill level requirement changed in July 2025, and fees have increased three times since 2020. Any guide — including this one — may be out of date by the time you read it. The starting point for any application must always be gov.uk, not a third-party summary.

If your situation is straightforward — an RQF Level 6 role at a licensed sponsor paying above £41,700 — you can apply confidently following the steps above. If your situation involves shortage occupations, transitional arrangements, or dependant restrictions, professional immigration advice is worth the cost before you start.

Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. UK immigration rules change frequently. Fees shown reflect rates as of April 2026 — verify current fees and requirements at gov.uk before making any application. Last reviewed April 2026.