Why is the maximum the same as the pass mark?

Because the Skilled Worker test is not a ranking. It is seventy points exactly: fifty are mandatory and cannot be traded — a sponsored job, at the required skill level, in English — and the remaining twenty come from one of several tradeable combinations of salary, shortage occupation, or a relevant PhD. You either reach seventy or you do not qualify.

Can I score seventy without a job offer?

No. A job offer from a licensed sponsor is one of the three mandatory criteria, so no combination of salary or qualifications reaches the pass mark without it. If you have no sponsor, the Skilled Worker route is not the one to prepare for.

The figures were read off GOV.UK on 15 August 2026 and are marked verified, meaning someone checked this exact table against that page on that date. Salary thresholds change with the Immigration Rules — the link above is the authority, not this page.

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Points test

UK Skilled Worker visa points calculator

Checks the 70-point threshold, testing your salary against every tradeable option — including the percentage-of-going-rate floor most calculators ignore.

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The grid, the source and the method are above — this is the tool that runs them against your own answers.

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The route this scores for

Skilled Worker Visa

A score is only half the answer. The route page has what United Kingdom actually requires, what it costs, where you would file it from, and how long it takes — every figure quoted from the official page it came from.

See the full route

What this grid asks

The criteria below are the ones the published grid scores, grouped the way the authority groups them. They are restated here from the source linked above, so you can see what the calculator will ask before you start.

Your job

Do you have a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor?: Yes or no
Is the job at the required skill level for the route?: Yes or no
Do you have English at B1 in all four components?: Yes or no

Salary

Your gross annual salary (£): Yes or no
Published going rate for the occupation code (£): Yes or no

Tradeable points options

Do you hold a PhD relevant to the job?: Yes or no
Is that PhD in a STEM subject?: Yes or no
Is the job on the Immigration Salary List?: Yes or no
Do you qualify as a new entrant to the labour market?: Yes or no
Is this a postdoctoral position in science or higher education?: Yes or no
Is this a health and care role, or on a national pay scale?: Yes or no

Notes and caveats

The general £41,700 threshold and the £33,400 discounted floor were read from GOV.UK. The option-specific floors between them come from the Immigration Rules — check the current figure for your case.
Without a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor there is no Skilled Worker application to make.
The job must be at the required skill level. A role below it cannot be sponsored on this route at any salary.
English at B1 in reading, writing, speaking and listening is mandatory and cannot be traded for salary.
New-entrant rates apply for a limited period and cannot be used indefinitely. You will need to meet the standard rate when you extend.

Common questions

Why is the maximum the same as the pass mark?: Because the Skilled Worker test is not a ranking. It is seventy points exactly: fifty are mandatory and cannot be traded — a sponsored job, at the required skill level, in English — and the remaining twenty come from one of several tradeable combinations of salary, shortage occupation, or a relevant PhD. You either reach seventy or you do not qualify.
Can I score seventy without a job offer?: No. A job offer from a licensed sponsor is one of the three mandatory criteria, so no combination of salary or qualifications reaches the pass mark without it. If you have no sponsor, the Skilled Worker route is not the one to prepare for.
How current is this?: The figures were read off GOV.UK on 15 August 2026 and are marked verified, meaning someone checked this exact table against that page on that date. Salary thresholds change with the Immigration Rules — the link above is the authority, not this page.

Fursa is an independent information service, not a law firm or a registered immigration adviser. These tools implement published rules; they are not legal advice and they do not decide anything.