Why Choose Y-Axis UK Immigration Points Calculator?

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UK eligibility points calculator

The Skilled Worker route is the primary pathway for employers in the UK to recruit international talent. It is governed by the Home Office and operates on a points-based framework introduced in January 2021.

Points are awarded across two types of criteria:

• Mandatory characteristics – these must all be met and together award 50 points
• Tradeable characteristics – these allow flexibility; you can combine them in different ways to reach the remaining 20 points

There is no single 'route' to reach 70 points. A candidate with a lower salary can still qualify if they hold a PhD relevant to the role, or if their occupation appears on the Shortage Occupation List.

 

Characteristics	Mandatory / Tradeable	Points
Offer of job by approved sponsor	Mandatory	20
Job at appropriate skill level (RQF 3 or above)	Mandatory	20
English language at required level	Mandatory	10
Salary of £25,600 or above, or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	20
Salary of £23,040–£25,599, or at least 90% of the going rate (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	10
Salary of £20,480–£23,039, or at least 80% of the going rate (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	0
Job in a Shortage Occupation (as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee)	Tradeable	20
PhD in a subject relevant to the job	Tradeable	10
PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job	Tradeable	20
Total Points Required		70

Important: You need exactly 70 points to qualify. Mandatory criteria (50 points) must all be met. The remaining 20 points can be achieved through any valid combination of tradeable characteristics.

UK Skilled Worker Visa Points Calculator

Answer the questions below and our calculator will total your Skilled Worker Visa points score. At the end, we'll tell you whether you qualify and what you can do to improve your score.

 

What are the categories considered for the points?

Each of the following categories should be presented as an interactive section within the calculator widget:

 

Category 1: Approved Sponsor Job Offer

To apply for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer who holds a valid Home Office sponsor licence. Your employer will issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) – a unique reference number you include in your visa application.

 

Option	Points
Yes – I have a confirmed job offer from a Home Office licensed sponsor with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)	20 (Mandatory)
No	0 – Does not qualify

 

Category 2: Job Skill Level

The job you have been offered must meet a minimum skill threshold of RQF Level 3 (equivalent to A-Levels or Scottish Highers) or above. Every eligible job has a corresponding Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code which determines whether it meets this requirement.

 

Option	Points
Yes – the job offer is at RQF Level 3 or above (as confirmed by its SOC code)	20 (Mandatory)
No – the job is below RQF Level 3	0 – Does not qualify

 

Category 3: English Language Proficiency

You must demonstrate that you speak English to the required standard. There are several accepted ways to prove this, depending on your nationality and educational background.

 

Option	Points
Nationality: citizen of a majority English-speaking country (e.g., USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland)	10 (Mandatory)
Education: degree-level qualification taught in English in a recognised majority English-speaking country (verified by ECCTIS)	10 (Mandatory)
Approved English language test: IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Trinity SELT at B1 level or above	10 (Mandatory)
None of the above	0 – Does not qualify

Category 4: Salary Level (Tradeable)

Salary is the primary tradeable factor in the Skilled Worker points system. The applicable threshold is the higher of:

 

• The general salary threshold of £25,600 per year, OR
• The 'going rate' for the specific SOC code of the job you've been offered

If your offered salary falls below the general threshold, you can still qualify by trading salary against other tradeable characteristics (PhD or Shortage Occupation status).

 

Salary Level	Points
£25,600 or above (or at least the going rate, whichever is higher)	20
£23,040–£25,599 (or at least 90% of the going rate, whichever is higher)	10
£20,480–£23,039 (or at least 80% of the going rate, whichever is higher)	0 (still eligible if trading with other tradeable points)
Below £20,480	Not eligible

Category 5: Shortage Occupation (Tradeable)

Certain occupations in the UK face a critical shortage of domestic candidates. If your job falls within a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), your employer benefits from reduced salary requirements and you earn additional tradeable points. 

Option	Points
Yes – the job is on the Shortage Occupation List as designated by the MAC	20
No	0

 

Category 6: PhD Qualification (Tradeable)

Holding a PhD (doctoral-level qualification) relevant to your job offer earns additional tradeable points. A STEM PhD earns more points, recognising the higher value of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics expertise in the UK labour market.

 

Option	Points
PhD in a STEM subject directly relevant to the job offer	20
PhD in any subject directly relevant to the job offer (non-STEM)	10
No PhD, or PhD not relevant to the job	0

UK Shortage Occupation List – Key Sectors

If your job falls within one of the following shortage categories, you earn 20 tradeable points in the calculator and may benefit from reduced salary requirements. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) designates shortage occupations based on evidence of national skill gaps.

 

Note: The Shortage Occupation List is subject to periodic review. Always verify your occupation's current status before submitting an application.

 

Sector	Key Roles	Notes
Healthcare & Nursing	Nurses, doctors, paramedics, radiographers, occupational therapists, care workers	Consistently on the list due to NHS demand
Engineering	Civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers; CAD technicians	Roles across construction and infrastructure
Information Technology	Cyber security specialists, software engineers, data scientists, IT project managers	Growing shortage across public and private sectors
Education	Secondary school teachers (especially STEM subjects), special educational needs teachers	Teacher shortage particularly acute in sciences and maths
Social Work	Qualified social workers, children's services, adult social care	Local authority roles frequently on the list
Science & Research	Laboratory scientists, research fellows, veterinarians, geoscientists	Often STEM PhD-holders benefit doubly here

 

Not sure if your specific role qualifies?

Our UK immigration experts at Y-Axis can review your SOC code and advise you directly. Book your Free Counseling today!

* Disclaimer:

Quick eligibility check of Y-Axis is only to help the applicants to understand their scores. The points displayed are based on your answers only. Please note the points on each section are evaluated based on various parameters set in the immigration guidelines and a technical evaluation is a must to know your accurate scores and eligibility to find out which immigration program you can apply for. The Quick eligibility check does not guarantee you the below points; you may score high or low points once you are technically evaluated by our expert team. There are many assessing bodies that process skills assessment which will depend on your nominated occupation, and these assessing bodies will have their own criteria for considering an applicant as skilled. State/ territory authorities will also have their own criteria to allow sponsorships which an applicant should satisfy. So, it is very important for an applicant to go apply for a technical evaluation.