This amendment enables the Home Office to review both annual earnings and specific prescribed pay periods when assessing whether the minimum salary threshold has been met.
Important update
The Statement of Changes HC 1691 (March 2026) has introduced significant changes to the Skilled Worker route, effective 8th April 2026.
What sponsors must know
- Salaries must be paid monthly in equal instalments (or per contract terms).
- Hourly rates are no longer permitted on Certificates of Sponsorship.
- Full declared salary must be divided equally across payments.
What has changed?
A key takeaway from this is that a sponsored worker must be paid in pay periods of at least monthly frequency, or as required in their employment contract, for example quarterly or half-yearly.
Therefore, the salaries paid to a migrant must be paid in equal instalments, removing a previous provision which permitted hourly rates to be used on a Certificate of Sponsorship. Moving forward, sponsors must pay an equal sum every month equating to the full salary declared on the certificate.
Salary payment flexibility
There may be some flexibility with the format of salaries, such as a quarterly sum being paid wherein the average paid meets the required salary, however this needs to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Stay compliant with your sponsorship duties
To ensure you remain compliant with the Sponsor Management System and ensure migrant records are accurate and appropriate to their sponsorship, get in touch with a member of the Visalogic team today.