The Skilled Worker salary headline was only part of the April 2024 test

The confirmed changes in April

The standard general Skilled Worker salary threshold rose from £26,200 to £38,700. The Immigration Salary List replaced the Shortage Occupation List, and the former 20% going-rate discount for shortage occupations was removed. Health and care arrangements, permitted discounts and transitional provisions required separate consideration.

The practical point is that salary eligibility depended on more than comparing an advert with a single number. Occupation coding, the applicable going rate and the applicant’s circumstances could all matter. This is a historical overview of the rule change, not a current eligibility assessment or an instruction for a visa application.

Give the vacancy review stronger inputs

An imprecise job title can make an initial review unreliable. Employers needed a genuine description of duties, the location, contracted hours and approved remuneration. A recruiter should not select an occupation code simply because it appears to offer a more convenient threshold; the sponsor and its advisers must make the appropriate assessment.

Existing pipelines also needed segmentation. An early enquiry, a signed offer and an application connected with a particular sponsorship date are different records. A useful review pack shows those factual stages without assuming what legal effect they have. The people responsible for immigration advice can then assess the relevant provisions.

A dated decision note should accompany the revised search brief.

Support the review without pre-judging it

Key Med Solutions can help organise employer-provided role information, maintain a dated pipeline register and prepare questions for an authorised adviser. Research support can explore alternative sourcing pools or revised search parameters once the employer has approved them. It should not turn an initial data exercise into a promise that sponsorship is available.

Candidate-engagement staff can use approved messages explaining that the employer is reviewing the position. If a search is paused, interview and offer coordinators should see that status before sending automated updates. If the employer changes the salary or role, the revised brief needs an approval date and clear version history.

The April 2024 lesson is to make the decision inputs reliable. Key Med’s contribution can be recruitment administration, research and coordination; sponsors and authorised immigration advisers retain the decisions. Later changes mean these historical thresholds must not be treated as a complete statement of today’s rules.