UK Scale-up Visa: Eligibility, Salary Threshold and Application
A flexible work visa for highly skilled people joining fast-growing UK businesses. After 6 months of sponsored employment, you are free to change employer or role without a new visa.
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What is the UK Scale-up Visa?
The UK Scale-up Visa is a work visa specifically designed for highly skilled individuals joining fast-growing UK businesses. Launched in August 2022, it was created to give qualifying high-growth companies a more flexible and less burdensome way to attract international talent than the Skilled Worker route. The Scale-up Visa is categorised as a Temporary Worker route, which means it operates differently from Skilled Worker sponsorship in several important respects, most notably the six-month sponsorship model and the absence of an Immigration Skills Charge for the employer.
The route is available to workers in roles at RQF Level 6, graduate level, or above, using occupation codes approved for the Scale-up route, at a salary of at least £39,100 per year, from 22 July 2025, or the going rate for the role, whichever is higher.
The Defining Feature: 6 Months Sponsored, Then Complete Freedom
The Scale-up Visa's most important and distinctive characteristic is its two-phase structure. This is the primary reason many employers and workers prefer it over the Skilled Worker route:
Phase 1: First 6 Months, Sponsored Employment
During the first six months of the visa, the worker must remain employed with the original sponsoring business, in the role specified on the Certificate of Sponsorship, at the salary threshold. The employer must meet their sponsor compliance obligations during this period: keeping records, monitoring the worker's employment status, and reporting changes.
Phase 2: After 6 Months, Unsponsored Freedom
After the first six months, the sponsorship obligation ends. The worker can continue with the same employer, move to a different employer, change their role entirely, or become self-employed, all without applying for a new visa or requiring a new Certificate of Sponsorship. The worker's visa remains valid and they retain their right to work throughout.
This flexibility is unique among UK sponsored work routes. On the Skilled Worker route, every change of employer or material change in role requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship and, in many cases, a new visa application. The Scale-up route removes this constraint entirely after the initial six-month period.
Eligibility Requirements and Supporting Documents
Eligibility Requirements
To apply for the Scale-up Visa, you must score 70 points under the points-based system. Points are awarded as follows:
- Sponsorship (50 points): a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed Scale-up Sponsor, issued within the three months before the application date, for a genuine job role at the required skill level and salary.
- Skill level: the role must be at RQF Level 6, degree level, or above and listed in the Home Office table of eligible occupation codes for the Scale-up route.
- Salary: at least £39,100 per year or the going rate for the specific occupation code, whichever is higher. This threshold applies to Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after 22 July 2025.
- English language (10 points): from 8 January 2026, new Scale-up Visa applicants must demonstrate CEFR Level B2 English. This can be met by passing an approved Secure English Language Test at B2 level, holding a degree taught in English at an equivalent level, or on the basis of nationality for nationals of majority English-speaking countries. Transitional protection applies for those already in the Scale-up route before 8 January 2026 who are extending, they continue to be assessed at B1.
- Financial maintenance (10 points): £1,270 held in a bank account for a continuous 28-day period before the application, unless the sponsor certifies on the CoS that they will cover maintenance, or the applicant has been lawfully resident in the UK for 12 months or more.
Supporting Documents
Applications require the following supporting documents:
- Valid passport or travel document.
- Certificate of Sponsorship reference number.
- English language evidence at CEFR B2 level, an approved SELT certificate, qualifying degree certificate, or nationality exemption evidence.
- Financial maintenance evidence, 28-day bank statements showing the required balance, unless exempt.
- Tuberculosis test certificate, if the applicant is applying from outside the UK and is from a country on the TB testing list.
Extension, Settlement and Dependants
How Long Can You Stay and Can You Extend?
The table below sets out the duration and requirements for the initial visa and the extension:
| Initial visa | Extension | |
| Duration | 2 years (granted on the sponsored route) | 3 years (granted on the unsponsored route) |
| Basis | Sponsored by Scale-up employer for first 6 months, unsponsored thereafter | Unsponsored, no employer involvement required |
| Salary evidence | CoS at £39,100+ for initial 6 months | PAYE earnings at £39,100+ for at least 50% of the initial 2-year permission period |
| Number of extensions | N/A, this is the initial grant | No limit, can extend repeatedly provided earnings test is met |
| Processing time | 3 weeks (outside UK) / 8 weeks (inside UK) | 8 weeks (in-country) |
Settlement: ILR After 5 Years
After five years of continuous lawful residence in the UK, which can combine time on the Scale-up route with time on other qualifying routes, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. To qualify for ILR as a Scale-up worker, you must:
- Be in PAYE employment in the UK on the date of the ILR application, earning at least £39,100, the rate applicable to the most recent CoS assigned on or after 22 July 2025.
- Show monthly UK PAYE earnings at or above the applicable threshold for at least 24 months in the three years immediately before the ILR application date.
- Meet continuous residence requirements and pass the Life in the UK Test.
Dependants
A spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner in a qualifying relationship, and children under 18 can apply to join or accompany a Scale-up worker as dependants and are eligible to apply for ILR in line with the main applicant. Scale-up Visa holders are not subject to the RQF Level 6 dependant restriction that applies to Skilled Workers in medium-skilled roles, dependants are permitted throughout the route.
Scale-up Visa vs Skilled Worker Visa
The table below compares the two routes side by side. The 6-month sponsorship model and the absence of an Immigration Skills Charge are the most significant differences for both employers and workers:
| Scale-up Visa | Skilled Worker Visa | |
| Salary threshold | £39,100 (from July 2025) | £41,700 (from July 2025) |
| Skill level | RQF Level 6+ | RQF Level 6+ (from July 2025) |
| Employer freedom | After 6 months, change employer, role, or become self-employed with no new visa | Every change of employer or material role change requires a new CoS and usually a new visa |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Exempt, employers pay no ISC | Applies, £1,440 (small/charitable) or £3,960 (large) for a 3-year visa from December 2025 |
| CoS fee | £21 per CoS | £525 per CoS |
| English language | B2 from January 2026 | B2 from January 2026 |
| Settlement | ILR after 5 years (PAYE earnings condition) | ILR after 5 years |
| Dependants | Permitted, not subject to RQF Level 6 restriction | RQF Level 6+ only from July 2025 |
| Licence type | Temporary Worker licence | Worker licence |
If your circumstances change and the Skilled Worker route becomes more appropriate, Work Permit Cloud can advise on switching between routes.
How Work Permit Cloud Can Help
Work Permit Cloud advises skilled workers on whether they meet the Scale-up Visa eligibility requirements, confirms whether the sponsoring employer qualifies as a Scale-up Sponsor, and prepares the complete visa application. We also advise workers approaching their six-month mark on how the unsponsored phase operates in practice, and support ILR applications for those who have completed five years of continuous residence.
What Our Client Saying
MD Abdul Khalik Shahib
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FAQ
Common questions
What is the UK Scale-up Visa?
The UK Scale-up Visa is a work visa for highly skilled overseas nationals joining fast-growing UK businesses. Launched in August 2022, it has a hybrid structure: workers are sponsored for the first six months, then become fully unsponsored, free to work for any employer, change their role, or become self-employed without any new visa or sponsorship. No other sponsored UK work route offers this post-entry freedom.
What is the salary threshold for the Scale-up Visa in 2025/2026?
£39,100 per year from 22 July 2025, or the going rate for the specific occupation code, whichever is higher. This is an increase from the previous £34,600. The £39,100 threshold is lower than the £41,700 for the Skilled Worker route. The salary must be paid during the initial sponsored period.
What is the English language requirement?
CEFR Level B2 from 8 January 2026, raised from B1. Evidence: an approved Secure English Language Test at B2, a degree taught in English, or a nationality exemption.
What happens after the initial 6-month sponsored period?
After six months of sponsored employment, the visa holder enters the unsponsored phase automatically. They can change employer in any sector, take a different role, accept a promotion, or become self-employed, all without any new visa application. This flexibility is unique to this route and the key reason many high-skilled workers and fast-growth businesses prefer it over the Skilled Worker route.
Can I extend the Scale-up Visa?
The initial grant is two years. A three-year unsponsored extension is available, provided the applicant demonstrates PAYE earnings of at least £39,100 for at least 50%, 12 months, of the initial two-year period. The employer for the extension does not need to be the original sponsor.
Does the Scale-up Visa lead to ILR?
Yes, after five continuous years. At the ILR stage: the applicant must be in qualifying PAYE employment at £39,100 or more on the application date, and must have been in qualifying PAYE employment for at least 24 months in the three years before applying.
Can a Scale-up Visa holder bring their family to the UK?
Yes. Eligible dependants can accompany or join the main applicant. Importantly, the July 2025 RQF Level 6 restriction that limits Skilled Worker dependants does not apply to the Scale-up route, Scale-up dependants are permitted regardless of the occupation level.
Is the Immigration Skills Charge payable for the Scale-up Visa?
No. The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply to the Scale-up route. For a three-year Skilled Worker visa, the ISC costs £1,440 (small/charitable) or £3,960 (large), on Scale-up this cost is zero. The CoS fee is also significantly lower at £21 versus £525 for Skilled Worker.
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