Skilled Worker Salary Threshold 2026 — Translating Proof of Income
The UK Skilled Worker salary threshold rose again in 2024. It is still a main reason for refusal in 2026. Here's how we translate overseas income evidence so your application holds up.
Since the April 2024 changes, the Skilled Worker salary floor has sat well above the old £26,200 level, and caseworkers now look much harder at your pay evidence. If you are moving from a job abroad, the translation of that evidence can make or break the application. One badly translated payslip or employer letter can cost you the visa.
Always check the Certificate of Sponsorship for your exact threshold
Your required salary depends on three things: the going rate for your occupation code, the general threshold, and any discount that applies (new entrant, Health and Care, or Shortage List). Your translated evidence must match the figure UKVI uses on your CoS. We never invent exchange rates. We translate the foreign amounts word for word and let UKVI apply the OANDA closing rate.
Which Documents Evidence Your Salary
If you are moving to the UK from a job abroad, UKVI usually expects all of these in English, whenever the original is in another language:
- Current employment contract — to confirm base salary, working hours and job title.
- Six months of payslips — to show consistent payment of the salary.
- Bank statements — to match each payslip to the money that actually arrived.
- Employer reference letter — setting out your position, how long you have worked there, and your yearly package.
- Tax return or tax authority letter — an independent check on the earnings you declared.
- Professional qualifications — where they unlock the going rate for your occupation code.
The Three Most-Missed Salary Components
Only guaranteed basic pay counts towards the threshold. Many overseas contracts bundle pay in ways UKVI will not accept. Knowing what counts, and what does not, saves you an expensive refusal.
| Pay element | Counts? | Translation treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | Yes | Translated clearly with original currency preserved. |
| Guaranteed allowances | Sometimes | Only if the contract requires it; labelled in the translation. |
| Performance bonus | No | Translated but flagged as discretionary. |
| 13th-month / annual bonus | No | Translated with explicit "discretionary" label. |
| Overtime | No | Kept apart from basic pay; labelled "overtime (variable)". |
| Housing / car allowance | No | Translated as a benefit, not salary. |
| Tips / commissions | No | Translated but labelled variable. |
How Payslips Are Translated for the Skilled Worker Threshold
A payslip translation is more than swapping labels. We sort each line into a category, spell out each abbreviation, and set the figures in UK format:
- We keep the employer's name and registered address in full, and keep the original characters for non-Latin scripts.
- We copy tax IDs, social-security numbers and payroll references exactly.
- We translate each pay and deduction line into UK English, and keep the original term in brackets the first time it appears.
- We switch decimal points and thousands separators to UK style (€1.250,00 → €1,250.00). The number stays the same; only the punctuation changes.
- We describe employer stamps and signatures as labelled blocks. We never leave them out.
Don't convert currencies in the translation
The translator's job is language accuracy, not currency conversion. UKVI applies the OANDA closing rate on your application date. If a translator converts to pounds first, the figure may not match UKVI's own sum. That mismatch is a common cause of refusal.
Employer Letter: The Document UKVI Reads First
A clear employer reference letter saves the caseworker from piecing together six months of payslips. We translate these letters so they follow the same order a caseworker expects in English:
- Confirmation of the applicant's name (exactly as on passport).
- Start date and duration of current employment.
- Position, job code where relevant, and what the role involves.
- Yearly gross salary, split into fixed and variable parts.
- Working hours, probation status and contract type (permanent, fixed-term, etc.).
- Company letterhead, HR signature block and stamp described as labelled blocks.
Turnaround and Cost
- 6 payslips + employer letter + contract: 2 working days, bundled pricing.
- Add 6 bank statements: 3 working days; we price bank statement pages separately.
- Express overnight service: available on request for time-critical CoS cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
My salary is below the general threshold but I'm on the Immigration Salary List. What gets translated?
The same documents as any other Skilled Worker application: contract, payslips, employer letter. Add any professional qualifications that prove you qualify for the Immigration Salary List rate. The translator does not need to know which rate applies; that's UKVI's job. We translate everything exactly as it is.
My employer pays me partly in cash. How do I evidence that?
Cash pay is very hard to prove to UKVI and rarely counts towards the threshold. The translator will label cash payments clearly wherever they appear on a payslip. The real question is whether UKVI will count them at all, so talk to your immigration solicitor.
Do I need the payslip translated if the original is bilingual?
If the original already has an English column, you often do not need a certified translation. We still suggest one if the English column uses non-UK wording. In a real case UKVI flagged, the Spanish word "bruto" had been rendered as "raw" instead of "gross".
My payslips show year-to-date figures. Does UKVI want annual or monthly?
UKVI looks at monthly pay to check it is consistent. The translation keeps the year-to-date figure in its own labelled column, so UKVI can see both. Cutting out the YTD row only makes the document weaker.
What if my payslip is issued electronically and has no stamp?
Electronic payslips are now normal. We translate them as digital documents and keep any QR verification links. UKVI accepts them as long as the employer letter backs them up.
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