UK Points-Based Immigration System: How the 70-Point Threshold Works in 2026 (A Practical Breakdown for HR and Compliance Teams)
If your organisation sponsors overseas workers, you've probably heard the phrase "points-based system" hundreds of times. But the operational details — how the points actually stack up, where applications fail, and how the tradeable elements interact — are worth understanding precisely, because mistakes here are costly and often avoidable.
This post breaks down the Skilled Worker visa points table as it operates in 2026, from an HR and compliance perspective.
The 70-Point Threshold: Structure Overview
Every Skilled Worker application must hit exactly 70 points. The structure is binary — you either qualify or you don't. There's no partial credit across categories.
The table splits into two blocks:
Mandatory (50 points — all three required):
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Job offer from a licensed sponsor | 20 |
| Role at RQF Level 3 or above (SOC code eligible) | 20 |
| English language requirement met | 10 |
Tradeable (20 points — must reach 20 from the options below):
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Salary ≥ going rate for the SOC code AND ≥ £38,700 | 20 |
| Salary 90–100% of going rate + role on Shortage Occupation List | 20 |
| Salary 70–90% of going rate + role on Shortage Occupation List | 10 |
| Salary ≥ going rate + PhD in a subject relevant to the role | 20 |
| Salary 70–90% of going rate + relevant PhD | 10 |
The general salary floor is £38,700 per year for most roles (£30,960 for new entrants and roles on the Immigration Salary List as of 2024). Both the floor and the going rate must be satisfied simultaneously.
The Dual Salary Test: Where Most Failures Happen
The most common compliance gap in sponsor organisations is treating the salary floor as the only salary test. It isn't.
Every SOC code has a going rate — the median salary for that occupation in the UK — and the application salary must meet or beat both the going rate and the general floor, whichever is higher.
Example: A backend developer role (SOC 2136) with a going rate of £45,000. The applicant is offered £39,500. This:
- ✅ Clears the £38,700 general floor
- ❌ Fails the going rate test (£39,500 < £45,000)
- Result: Application refused
No amount of other compliance work saves this. The 20 tradeable points cannot be scored.
When the Tradeable Elements Activate
Shortage occupation status or a relevant PhD can unlock the "lower salary" tradeable points — but only within bounds. Salary cannot fall below 70% of the going rate under any combination.
For HR systems, this creates a three-scenario check for any salary:
- Salary ≥ going rate AND ≥ £38,700 → Full 20 points, straightforward
- Salary between 70–100% of going rate + shortage occupation or PhD → 10 or 20 points depending on percentage
- Salary < 70% of going rate → No tradeable points available, application cannot reach 70 points
The shortage occupation list (now called the Immigration Salary List) changes on periodic review cycles. Hardcoding it into an HR system is a compliance liability — the list a developer pulled six months ago may not reflect current status.
Sponsor Licence: The Silent First Gate
Before any points calculation matters, the employing organisation must be a licensed sponsor. The Home Office maintains a public Register of Licensed Sponsors — searchable by organisation name and type.
A sponsor licence can be suspended or revoked at any time following a compliance inspection or reporting failure. This means a licence that was valid when you started a recruitment process may not be valid when you submit the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
From a systems perspective: licence status should be re-checked at CoS assignment, not just at initial hire decision. ImmigrationGPT provides live sponsor register lookups if you need programmatic verification.
English Language: Practical Notes for Sponsors
English language is 10 mandatory points and is often treated as a formality — but there are edge cases worth building into HR workflows:
- Degree taught in English: Acceptable from UK universities or institutions in listed majority English-speaking countries. The degree must be from the institution directly, not a distance programme.
- Approved test providers: Only UKVI-approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) are accepted. Generic qualifications (IELTS Academic, for example) are not accepted unless the applicant takes the SELT version.
- Nationals of majority English-speaking countries: Automatically satisfy the requirement. The list is fixed in the Immigration Rules and doesn't change frequently, but should be verified rather than assumed.
Compliance Summary for HR Teams
A pre-submission checklist for Skilled Worker applications:
- [ ] Sponsor licence confirmed active on the Register of Licensed Sponsors (check within 5 business days of CoS assignment)
- [ ] SOC code confirmed for the role at RQF Level 3+
- [ ] Going rate for the SOC code retrieved from current guidance (not cached)
- [ ] Offered salary ≥ going rate AND ≥ general salary floor
- [ ] If salary is below going rate: shortage occupation status confirmed active + percentage check passed
- [ ] English language evidence documented and compliant with UKVI requirements
- [ ] Certificate of Sponsorship issued with correct SOC code and salary figure
Errors at any of these steps create a points failure. Unlike some visa routes, there's no caseworker discretion to overlook a points shortfall — the system is mechanical.
For live SOC code going rates, shortage occupation status, and sponsor register lookups, ImmigrationGPT is built specifically for this kind of compliance reference work.
This post is for general information purposes and reflects rules as of May 2026. Immigration rules change. Verify current requirements with the Home Office or a regulated immigration adviser before submitting applications.
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