Professional support for overseas workers, dependants and fast-growing UK businesses using the Scale-up Worker route. Check eligibility, sponsor approval, Certificate of Sponsorship details, salary, documents, extension and ILR planning before you apply.
Review whether your sponsor, job, salary, CoS and evidence are ready for a Scale-up Worker visa application.
The Scale-up Worker visa is for overseas workers who have been offered an eligible skilled job by a fast-growing UK business approved to sponsor under the Scale-up route. It can be an attractive route because, after the first sponsored period, the worker may have more employment flexibility than under some other sponsored work visa categories.
This route is most relevant where a qualifying UK scale-up business wants to recruit a skilled worker for at least 6 months and the applicant can meet the salary, English language, maintenance and suitability requirements. Because the route has specific sponsor and salary rules, the details should be checked before relying on it as an alternative to the Skilled Worker route.
We can help you assess whether this route is suitable, review the salary and occupation code, check the Certificate of Sponsorship, prepare the application and identify evidence gaps before submission.
These key points summarise the main route features before preparing a Scale-up Worker visa application.
You may be able to apply if you have a genuine job offer from an approved UK scale-up sponsor and your role meets the salary and occupation requirements. A valid Certificate of Sponsorship, eligible occupation code, English language evidence and maintenance position will usually need to be addressed before submission.
Your employer must be authorised by the Home Office to sponsor workers under the Scale-up route. It is not enough for a business to describe itself as a scale-up, start-up or high-growth company. The sponsor route and licence details must support the application.
A scale-up sponsor may qualify through an approved endorsement route or by meeting the Home Office fast-growth criteria. For the applicant, the practical issue is whether the employer can issue a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the correct route, job, salary and start date.
We can assist with sponsor route checks, Certificate of Sponsorship review and identifying whether the Skilled Worker route may be a safer or more suitable option if the Scale-up route is not available.
For a first Scale-up Worker visa application, the salary must normally be at least £39,100 per year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher. This means the salary assessment is not a simple flat minimum check. Some occupation codes have a higher going rate, and the application can be refused if the salary falls below the correct figure.
The salary check should be completed before the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned. A mistake in the occupation code, hours, going rate or salary calculation can create avoidable risk for both the applicant and the sponsor.
Ask us to review your job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship before you apply.
The Scale-up Worker route is different from many other sponsored work visas because the sponsored employment restriction mainly applies during the first 6 months. During that first period, you are expected to work in the sponsored job. If you want to change employer during the first 6 months, you may need to update your visa.
After the first 6 months, the route may give more flexibility. You may be able to continue in the same job, change job, stop working for the sponsor or become self-employed, subject to the conditions of your permission. However, extension and settlement planning still requires careful evidence of qualifying PAYE earnings.
The documents needed for a Scale-up Worker visa depend on your sponsor, job, salary, nationality, immigration history, family members and whether you are applying for a first visa, switching, updating or extending. A general list is useful, but it should not be treated as a complete legal checklist for every case.
You will usually need evidence linked to your identity, Certificate of Sponsorship, job details, salary, English language, maintenance funds and any dependant family members. Some applicants may also need a TB certificate, ATAS certificate, certified translations or additional evidence because of their previous immigration history.
We can provide a focused document check if you have prepared your own application, or full end-to-end support if you want the application prepared for you.
Most applicants need a clear route map rather than a long procedural guide. The practical question is whether you are applying for entry clearance, switching from another UK visa category or extending existing Scale-up Worker permission.
Each applicant normally needs to pay the Home Office application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge and show sufficient maintenance funds unless exempt. The current Scale-up Worker visa application fee is £937 per applicant. The Immigration Health Surcharge is usually charged for each year of permission, and applicants are told the exact amount when applying.
Dependants must also meet separate financial requirements unless an exemption applies. Fees and surcharge rates can change, so the latest GOV.UK position should be checked before submission.
After the online application, identity verification and document submission are completed, the usual decision time is around 3 weeks for applications made from outside the UK and around 8 weeks for applications made from inside the UK. Some applicants may be able to pay for a faster decision where priority services are available.
A case can take longer if UKVI needs to verify documents, request more information, invite the applicant to an interview or review personal circumstances. A well-prepared application can reduce avoidable delays, although it cannot guarantee a faster decision.
A partner and dependent children may be able to apply to join or remain with a Scale-up Worker visa holder if they meet the dependant requirements. Their visa will usually be linked to the main applicant’s permission end date.
Family evidence can be straightforward for some applicants and more complex for others, especially unmarried partners, children over 18 who are already dependants, families applying from different countries or families with previous UK immigration history.
You can usually apply to extend a Scale-up Worker visa if you worked in the sponsored job for at least 6 months and met the relevant earnings requirement during at least half of your most recent Scale-up Worker permission. In many extension cases, you do not need a new Certificate of Sponsorship, but the PAYE earnings evidence becomes very important.
Self-employed earnings cannot be counted towards the minimum earnings requirement because the qualifying earnings must be paid through PAYE. You may need payslips, P45s, P60s, bank statements and employer PAYE reference details to show that the requirement is met.
| Scale-up permission or CoS history | Minimum annualised PAYE threshold for the relevant qualifying period |
|---|---|
| Already extended before, or last CoS issued on or after 22 July 2025 | At least £39,100 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or after 4 April 2024 and before 22 July 2025 | At least £36,300 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or after 12 April 2023 and before 4 April 2024 | At least £34,600 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or before 11 April 2023 | At least £33,000 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
Scale-up extension applications often fail because applicants misunderstand the earnings calculation. We can review payslips, bank statements and PAYE evidence before you apply.
Scale-up Worker settlement: You may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after 5 continuous years on qualifying work routes, subject to the continuous-residence rules (ordinarily no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period). When you apply, you must be employed in the UK and meet the current PAYE salary threshold for your case. You must also have PAYE earnings at the applicable threshold in at least 24 months of the 3 years immediately before applying; self-employed earnings do not count. You must meet the Life in the UK and suitability requirements. Under current GOV.UK guidance, you do not need to prove English again for an ILR application made before 26 March 2027. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the Immigration Rules require B2 speaking and listening unless an exemption applies. Check the Scale-up ILR financial requirements and Appendix Scale-up.
| Scale-up permission or CoS history | Minimum annualised PAYE threshold for current salary and earnings in 2 of the 3 years before ILR |
|---|---|
| Already extended before, or last CoS issued on or after 22 July 2025 | At least £39,100 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or after 4 April 2024 and before 22 July 2025 | At least £36,300 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or after 12 April 2023 and before 4 April 2024 | At least £34,600 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
| Last CoS issued on or before 11 April 2023 | At least £33,000 per year for the relevant qualifying period. |
A strong Scale-up Worker application should not be prepared as a generic work visa file. The application needs to match the sponsor route, CoS, job details, salary, occupation code, evidence and future extension or ILR planning.
Before submitting your application, ask us to review whether your sponsor, Certificate of Sponsorship, salary, occupation code and documents support the route you intend to apply under.
The UK Scale-up Worker visa is a sponsored work route for skilled workers who have a job offer from a qualifying fast-growing UK business approved by the Home Office for the Scale-up route. The worker must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, an eligible occupation code and a salary that meets the required threshold.
No. Both routes involve skilled work and sponsorship, but they are not the same. The Scale-up Worker route is specifically for approved scale-up businesses and usually requires the worker to work in the sponsored job for at least the first 6 months. After that first period, the worker may have more flexibility than under the Skilled Worker route.
For a first Scale-up Worker visa application, the salary must normally be at least £39,100 per year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher. The going rate depends on the specific job code, so both the salary figure and occupation code should be checked before the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned.
Usually, the employer must be approved to sponsor under the Scale-up route. A company is not automatically eligible just because it describes itself as a scale-up, start-up or high-growth business. If the Scale-up route is not available, the Skilled Worker route may need to be considered instead.
A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic record assigned by the approved sponsor. It includes key information about the role, salary, occupation code, employer and start date. Errors in the CoS can lead to delay or refusal, so the details should be checked carefully before the visa application is submitted.
During the first 6 months, you are expected to work in the sponsored job. If you want to change employer during that period, you may need to update your visa. After the first 6 months, the route can provide more flexibility, although extension and settlement planning still requires careful attention to qualifying earnings and evidence.
In many Scale-up Worker extension cases, a new Certificate of Sponsorship is not required. However, you must normally show that you worked in the sponsored job for at least 6 months and met the relevant PAYE earnings requirement during at least half of your most recent Scale-up Worker permission.
Self-employed income cannot be counted towards the minimum earnings requirement for a Scale-up Worker extension because the qualifying earnings must be paid through PAYE. If you became self-employed after the first 6 months, take advice before relying on that income for extension or settlement planning.
The exact documents depend on your case. Common evidence includes identity evidence, Certificate of Sponsorship details, job title, salary, occupation code, sponsor licence information, English language evidence, maintenance evidence and dependant relationship documents. Some applicants may also need a TB test, ATAS certificate or certified translations.
For a Scale-up Worker application where English must be proved, the requirement is normally CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. If you had Scale-up Worker permission before 8 January 2026 and are extending it, the B1 requirement can continue to apply and you do not need to prove English again. If you switch from another visa route, you normally need B2. Nationality and other recognised exemptions may also apply. See the GOV.UK English-language guidance.
The Home Office application fee is currently £937 per applicant. Applicants also usually need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and show enough maintenance funds unless exempt. Professional legal fees, translation fees, TB tests, Ecctis assessments, ATAS certificates and other third-party costs are separate.
The usual decision time is around 3 weeks for applications made from outside the UK and around 8 weeks for applications made from inside the UK after the online application, identity verification and document submission are completed. Faster decision services may be available in some cases for an additional fee.
A partner and dependent children may be able to apply if they meet the dependant requirements. The evidence required depends on the relationship and can be more detailed for unmarried partners, children over 18 who already hold dependant permission, or families applying from different countries.
Scale-up Worker settlement: You may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after 5 continuous years on qualifying work routes, subject to the continuous-residence rules (ordinarily no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period). When you apply, you must be employed in the UK and meet the current PAYE salary threshold for your case. You must also have PAYE earnings at the applicable threshold in at least 24 months of the 3 years immediately before applying; self-employed earnings do not count. You must meet the Life in the UK and suitability requirements. Under current GOV.UK guidance, you do not need to prove English again for an ILR application made before 26 March 2027. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the Immigration Rules require B2 speaking and listening unless an exemption applies. Check the Scale-up ILR financial requirements and Appendix Scale-up.
Yes. We can provide a focused document-checking service where you have prepared your own application but want a regulated immigration adviser to review the evidence before submission. We can also provide full application support if you want end-to-end assistance.
These related pages support employers managing sponsor duties, compliance risk, licence applications, refusal issues and revocation risks.
Compare the main sponsored work route for UK employers and skilled workers.
Review sponsor licence requirements for UK businesses hiring overseas workers.
Understand sponsor duties, compliance systems and Home Office risk areas.
Compare the main sponsored work route for UK employers and skilled workers.
Compare non-sponsored UK work route options for eligible graduates.
Plan long-term settlement, absences, earnings evidence and family timelines.
If you are applying from overseas, switching inside the UK, reviewing a sponsored job offer, checking your salary position, bringing family members, extending your visa or planning toward settlement, our team can review the case before anything is submitted.
