UK Scale-Up Visa 2026: Eligibility, Salary & How to Apply
The Scale-up Visa lets skilled workers join fast-growing UK businesses — and switch employers freely after six months. Here is what you need to qualify, how to find an eligible sponsor, and how the application works.
The Scale-up Visa is a points-based work route for skilled professionals with a job offer from a qualifying fast-growing UK business. What makes it different from the Skilled Worker Visa is the six-month threshold: once you have worked for your sponsoring employer for six months, your immigration status is no longer tied to that employer. You can change jobs, change sectors, or become self-employed — without applying for a new visa.
It is designed for high-growth technology, finance, engineering, and life sciences companies that need international talent quickly. The trade-off is that not every employer qualifies — the sponsoring business must meet strict growth criteria set by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for the Scale-up Visa you must score at least 70 points. Points are awarded across three criteria: sponsorship and job offer, English language, and financial maintenance. All three must be met.
| Requirement | Points | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Valid Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved Scale-up sponsor | 20 | Employer must hold an A-rated Scale-up sponsor licence |
| Job at RQF Level 6 or above (graduate level) | 20 | Role must be on the eligible occupations list in Appendix Skilled Occupations |
| Salary of at least £39,100/yr or the going rate, whichever is higher | 10 | Going rate per occupation code is published on GOV.UK |
| English language at CEFR B2 (new applicants from 8 Jan 2026) | 10 | B1 continues to apply for extensions of existing visas granted at B1 |
| Financial maintenance: £1,270 in savings for 28 consecutive days | 10 | Waived if sponsor certifies maintenance for the first month, or if you have been lawfully in the UK for 12+ months |
English language exemptions: You are exempt from the B2 requirement if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland), hold a degree taught in English, or have previously demonstrated this standard in a successful UK visa application.
What qualifies as a Scale-up sponsor?
Not every UK business can sponsor Scale-up workers. A company must meet specific growth criteria and hold an active Scale-up sponsor licence before it can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Under the standard pathway, the Home Office assesses the employer's employment and turnover growth using HMRC records. The business must have had annualised growth of at least 20% per year in either employment or turnover over the three years before applying for the licence, and must have had a minimum of 10 employees at the start of that three-year period.
Companies that have not been operating for three years can use the endorsing body pathway — they must be endorsed by a Home Office-approved endorsing body instead.
Scale-up sponsor licences are valid for four years and cannot be renewed. An employer who held a licence that has since expired can apply for a new one, but must meet the eligibility criteria again. Check the published list of approved Scale-up sponsors on GOV.UK before accepting a job offer.
Once a sponsor licence is active, the employer has ongoing compliance duties: they must report to the Home Office if a sponsored worker does not start as planned, is absent without explanation, or stops working for them. These compliance duties last for the full six months of the sponsored period.
Salary requirements
You must be paid at least £39,100 per year or the going rate for your specific occupation code — whichever is higher. If the going rate for your role is above £39,100, the going rate applies.
The going rate for each occupation code is set out in Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK. Rates are updated periodically to reflect labour market data from the Office for National Statistics. Your employer will know the occupation code for your role and can confirm the applicable going rate before assigning your Certificate of Sponsorship.
The salary requirement applies again when you extend your visa, even after the six-month period when you are no longer sponsored. You must demonstrate you are still earning the required amount.
The six-month flexibility rule
The defining feature of the Scale-up Visa — and the reason it appeals to workers in competitive sectors — is what happens after the initial sponsored period.
For the first six months, you must work in the specific job you were sponsored for, with your sponsoring employer. You cannot change employer in this period without first applying to update your visa.
After six months, your immigration status is no longer tied to your original employer. You can take up a different job, move to a new employer (even one that does not hold a sponsor licence), or become self-employed — without any new visa application. The only condition is that any new role must still be on the list of eligible occupations, and you must continue to meet the salary requirements when you apply to extend.
Important: If you want to change employers during the first six months, you must apply to update your visa with the Home Office before starting the new job. Starting work for a different employer before your visa is updated is a breach of your immigration conditions.
How to apply
Applications are submitted online via the GOV.UK website. You can apply up to three months before your start date as listed on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
- 1 Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer. The CoS contains your reference number and the details of the role. You cannot apply without it.
- 2 Prepare your supporting documents. You will need a valid passport, proof of English language (if applicable), evidence of funds, and the CoS reference number.
- 3 Submit the online application at gov.uk/scale-up-worker-visa and pay the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.
- 4 Prove your identity. Depending on your circumstances you may be able to use the UK Visas and Immigration app, or you may need to attend a visa application centre to provide biometrics.
- 5 Await a decision. Processing typically takes up to 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK. Priority and Super Priority services (£500 and £1,000 respectively) are available at many locations where the service is offered.
Visa fees and costs
The main costs are the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS is £1,035 per year — so for an initial 2-year visa granted outside the UK, the surcharge is £2,070. For a 3-year in-country grant it is £3,105. Dependants pay the same IHS rate per person per year.
Application fees for the Scale-up route are set by the Home Office and may change. Always check the current fee schedule on GOV.UK before applying. Unlike the Skilled Worker route, employers sponsoring Scale-up workers are not required to pay the Immigration Skills Charge — this is one of the cost advantages for businesses using this route.
Bringing your family
Your partner and children under 18 can apply to join you in the UK as dependants. They will be entitled to live, work, and study in the UK for the duration of your visa. Dependant applications can be submitted at the same time as yours, or at a later date.
Financial requirements apply. Unless your sponsor certifies maintenance, you will need to show you can support each dependant. Check the current financial thresholds on GOV.UK, as these are separate from the maintenance requirement for the main applicant.
Extending your visa
When your visa expires you can apply to extend it in 3-year increments. You do not need a sponsor to extend — you are extending on your own record of residence and earnings. You must show that you are working in an eligible occupation and meeting the salary requirements at the time of your extension application.
Extensions can be made from inside the UK. Apply before your current visa expires to maintain your lawful immigration status.
Settlement and ILR
After five continuous years of residence in the UK on a Scale-up Visa, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Continuous residence means you must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during those five years.
ILR applications also require passing the Life in the UK test and demonstrating English at CEFR B1 level (a lower threshold than the entry-level B2 requirement). Once you have ILR you can live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions, and may become eligible to apply for British citizenship after a further year.
Scale-up Visa vs Skilled Worker Visa
The Scale-up Visa and the Skilled Worker Visa cover similar ground — both require a job offer, a sponsor, and a salary above a threshold — but they serve different needs. The Skilled Worker Visa is the more widely available route, with thousands of approved sponsors across virtually every sector. The Scale-up Visa has a narrower pool of eligible employers but offers post-six-month flexibility that the Skilled Worker Visa does not.
For workers in high-growth technology, finance, or engineering who want to join a scaling company without being locked into a sponsorship chain for the duration of their stay, the Scale-up route is worth serious consideration. For workers whose employer is not a qualifying scale-up business, the Skilled Worker Visa will be the appropriate route.
One practical consideration: if you are planning to move employers within the first year of your UK stay, the Scale-up Visa's six-month rule gives you a defined point at which you can move freely. On a Skilled Worker Visa, changing employers requires a new sponsor and a new visa application at any point.
The Scale-up Visa reflects a deliberate design choice by the UK government: attract international talent to companies that demonstrably drive economic growth, and give that talent more freedom of movement than standard sponsorship routes allow. For the right candidate in the right sector, it combines a clear entry pathway with genuine post-arrival flexibility.
The complexity lies in finding an eligible employer. Not every company that describes itself as a scale-up will have the Home Office-approved sponsor licence to match, and the growth criteria are specific. Candidates are well advised to confirm sponsor status directly before accepting an offer, and to check the official GOV.UK list of approved Scale-up sponsors. The Home Office list is authoritative; a company's self-description is not.
If you are weighing this route, the GOV.UK guidance and the list of eligible occupations are the primary sources. Immigration rules on salary thresholds and eligible roles are updated periodically — always verify current requirements at the point of application, not at the point of job search.
Frequently asked questions
The minimum salary for the UK Scale-up Visa in 2026 is £39,100 per year or the going rate for the specific occupation code, whichever is higher. You must meet this threshold when you first apply and again when you apply to extend your visa. The going rate for each eligible occupation is published in Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK.
Yes — after working for your sponsoring employer for a minimum of six months, you can change jobs or employers without needing a new visa or new sponsorship. You can also become self-employed. If you want to change employers before the six-month period is up, you must apply to update your visa with the Home Office. Any new role must still be on the list of eligible occupations and meet the salary threshold.
A scale-up business is a fast-growing UK company that has demonstrated annualised growth of at least 20% per year over the three years before applying for a sponsor licence, and had a minimum of 10 employees at the start of that period. Growth can be measured by employment numbers or turnover. Businesses that have not been running for three years can qualify via an endorsing body pathway. Eligible sponsors must be A-rated on the Home Office list of approved sponsors.
From 8 January 2026, new applicants for the Scale-up Visa must demonstrate English at CEFR Level B2 (upper-intermediate, equivalent to A-level standard). Exemptions apply if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country, hold a degree taught in English, or have previously met this requirement in a successful UK visa application. People extending an existing Scale-up Visa granted at B1 level do not need to retest at B2.
A Scale-up Visa is initially granted for 2 years if you apply from outside the UK, or 3 years if you apply from within the UK. You can extend it as many times as you like by 3 years at a time. After 5 continuous years of residence in the UK on this visa, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), provided you have not spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
Yes. Your partner and children under 18 can apply to join you in the UK as dependants. They will be able to work, study, and live in the UK for the duration of your visa. Dependant applications can be submitted alongside yours or at a later date. Financial requirements apply — check the current maintenance thresholds on GOV.UK.
General information only. This guide reflects GOV.UK guidance current as of April 2026. UK immigration rules, salary thresholds, and eligible occupations are subject to change without notice. This is not legal or immigration advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, consult a regulated UK immigration solicitor or adviser registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC).