The United Kingdom still needs engineers and IT professionals — but in 2026 it is a great deal harder, and more expensive, to bring them in. Following the July 2025 immigration reforms, the Skilled Worker route now demands degree-level roles, higher salaries and stronger English. For candidates in engineering and technology, the good news is that these are among the few sectors where the numbers still work comfortably.
This guide breaks down exactly what you need to earn, which occupation codes qualify, what employers pay, and how to find a licensed sponsor.
The Two Numbers That Decide Everything
Every Skilled Worker application in 2026 is tested against two figures, and your salary must clear whichever is higher:
- The general salary threshold — £41,700 per year. This replaced the previous £38,700 level for most new applications made on or after 22 July 2025.
- The going rate for your occupation code. Every job has a four-digit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) code, and each code carries its own published minimum in the Home Office’s Appendix Skilled Occupations.
A third check catches part-time and long-hours contracts: an hourly floor of £17.13 per hour, assessed on no more than 48 paid hours per week. A role advertised at £45,000 for a 60-hour week can still fail.
The other major change is skill level. Since 22 July 2025, most new applications must be for roles at RQF Level 6 (degree level). This is about the job, not the applicant — a self-taught developer without a degree can still be sponsored into a role that sits at RQF 6, provided the duties genuinely match the code.
Engineering Going Rates in 2026
Engineering is one of the cleanest sectors for UK sponsorship, because almost every professional engineering code sits above the £41,700 floor. The going rate, not the general threshold, is your real target:
| SOC Code | Occupation | Going Rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 2121 | Civil engineers (incl. structural, geotechnical, water) | £50,400 |
| 2122 | Mechanical engineers (incl. automotive, marine) | £46,800 |
| 2123 | Electrical engineers (incl. power systems, railway signalling) | £58,700 |
| 2124 | Electronics engineers (incl. telecoms, broadcast) | £52,000 |
| 2125 | Production and process engineers (incl. chemical) | £45,000 |
| 2126 | Aerospace engineers | £52,400 |
| 2127 | Engineering project managers and project engineers | £51,900 |
| 2129 | Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified | £46,100 |
Note how high SOC 2123 sits. Electrical engineering has the toughest bar in the group at £58,700 — a sponsor offering £50,000 for a power systems role cannot legally issue a Certificate of Sponsorship, even though that salary is well above the general threshold.
Be careful with classification. “Engineering technician” roles (SOC 3113) are technician-level and generally no longer eligible under the main route, so the difference between being coded as an engineer and a technician can decide your entire application.
IT and Technology Going Rates in 2026
Technology codes were renumbered when SOC 2020 replaced SOC 2010 for sponsorship purposes. Software developers moved from 2136 to 2134 — if you are working from an old Certificate of Sponsorship or an outdated blog, you may be reading the wrong number entirely.
| SOC Code | Occupation | Going Rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 2132 | IT managers | £55,000 |
| 2133 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | £54,900 |
| 2134 | Programmers and software development professionals | £54,700 |
| 2135 | Cyber security professionals | £48,500 |
| 2136 | IT quality and testing professionals | £41,200 |
| 2137 | IT network professionals | £45,600 |
| 2139 | IT professionals not elsewhere classified | £52,300 |
SOC 2136 is the one exception where the going rate sits below the general threshold — so QA and test engineers must still be paid at least £41,700.
For software engineers, £54,700 is a demanding figure outside London and the major tech hubs. Junior and mid-level roles in Manchester, Leeds, Bristol or Belfast frequently advertise at £40,000–£50,000, which is simply not sponsorable at the standard rate. This is the single most common reason tech applications fail.
Reduced Thresholds That Can Rescue an Application
Several discounts remain available in 2026:
- New entrants: £33,400, or 70% of the going rate. Open to applicants under 26, those switching from a Student or Graduate visa, postdoctoral researchers, or people training toward a recognised professional qualification. It is capped at four years or your 26th birthday, whichever comes first — after that you are assessed against the full rate.
- PhD holders: a reduced minimum of around £37,500 where the PhD is relevant to the role, dropping to roughly £33,400 for STEM PhDs.
- Temporary Shortage List: a time-limited measure covering roles at RQF 3–5 with a £25,000 floor. Workers on this list cannot bring dependants, and the list is currently due to expire on 31 December 2026.
For a graduate engineer or a recent Master’s student already in the UK, the new entrant route is usually the most realistic path in.
What Sponsorship Costs Your Employer
Understanding employer costs helps you negotiate — and explains why some firms refuse to sponsor at all. From April 2026, a Worker sponsor licence costs £611 for small or charitable organisations and £1,682 for medium and large ones. On top of that:
- Certificate of Sponsorship: £525 per worker
- Immigration Skills Charge: £480 per year (small sponsors) or £1,320 per year (medium and large), following a 32% rise in December 2025
- Your visa fee: roughly £819 to £1,865 depending on length and location
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year, per person, including dependants
Crucially, employers cannot legally recover the licence fee, the CoS fee or the Immigration Skills Charge from you. If a recruiter asks you to pay these, walk away — it is a licence revocation offence for the sponsor and a common scam signal.
Other 2026 Requirements
From 8 January 2026, the English language requirement rose from CEFR B1 to B2 for the Skilled Worker route. If you sat IELTS years ago at a B1 level, you will need to retest.
Settlement remains a five-year qualifying period today, but government proposals would tie settlement speed to sustained earnings, with tiers discussed around £50,270 and £125,140. Plan for the rules in force when you apply for indefinite leave, not the ones that applied when you arrived.
How to Find a Sponsor
Search the Home Office register of licensed sponsors before applying anywhere. Prioritise sectors with structural shortages — defence, water infrastructure, rail, renewables, semiconductors and cyber security — and target employers with an established sponsorship track record rather than first-time sponsors, who face longer timelines.
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