UK Announces New Salary Requirement To Secure Work Visa

• The United Kingdom has announced an increase in the salary requirements for the skilled worker visa route
• The changes mean that Nigerians looking to relocate to the UK for work will have to secure jobs with high salaries
• It is not all negative, as under the new changes, overseas companies can now sponsor up to 10 workers

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.

The United Kingdom has announced major changes to its Global Business Mobility (GBM) visa route.

These changes impact salary thresholds, job eligibility criteria, and the number of workers eligible for sponsorship by overseas businesses.

Global Business Mobility (GBM) refers to a set of UK immigration routes designed for overseas businesses to temporarily transfer employees to the UK for specific work assignments.

UK implement new visa changes

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The changes, which took effect from July 22, 2025, are part of the UK government’s wider immigration reforms under the Statement of Changes HC 997.

The move is expected to impact Nigerian professionals and businesses seeking UK opportunities under various GBM sub-routes.

Under the new rules, workers applying for visas through the GBM route must now meet higher salary thresholds, with only the first 48 paid hours per week counting toward the total.

Here are the changes

1. Senior or Specialist Worker: £52,500 (up from £48,500)
2. Graduate Trainee: £27,300 (up from £25,410)
3. UK Expansion Worker: £52,500 (up from £48,500)
4. Scale-up Worker (separate route): £39,100 (up from £36,300)

The salary increases reflect the government’s aim to attract higher-skilled professionals and ensure wages align with UK market conditions.

More opportunities for Nigerian professionals

The positive from the changes is that the UK will now allow up to 10 workers (up from 5) to be sponsored under the UK Expansion Worker route.

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This change supports overseas companies looking to establish or grow their presence in the UK.

However, the UK Home Office has revised the Appendix Skilled Occupations, which now limits new GBM and Scale-up visa sponsorships to roles classified at RQF Level 6 or above.

As a result, many roles are no longer eligible they include:

• Teaching assistants
• NHS Band 1–4 roles
• Medical and dental technicians

These roles are no longer eligible for sponsorship under GBM unless transitional protections apply.

To ease the transition, the UK has introduced temporary cover for 17 previously eligible roles now downgraded in the skills classification.

WorkPermitCloud reports that roles such as project support officers, database administrators, artists, and welfare officers are covered, but only for applicants who held valid GBM leave before 4 April 2024, and only until 4 April 2030.

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the United Kingdom is contemplating reducing the number of student immigrants in the nation.

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The UK is particularly concerned with ensuring that Nigerian students and other nationals only apply to top universities.

This is due to an increased number of students admitted and family members accompanying them.

Source: Legit.ng