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Hi everyone,

I’m seeking advice regarding ILR eligibility via the 5-year Skilled Worker route, particularly around salary thresholds and SOC code changes.

My background:

I have been on a Skilled Worker visa since 1 April 2021, sponsored by Company X.
SOC code: 2135 – Business Analyst (Shortage Occupation at that time)
Salary: £36,500

I switched employers to Company Y on 2 April 2024 (new Skilled Worker visa).

SOC code: 2135 – Business Analyst (Shortage Occupation)
Salary at start: £39,000
Current salary: £40,100

I am planning to apply for ILR in March 2026 under the 5-year Skilled Worker route.

My concern:

According to the current GOV.UK guidance, the minimum salary requirement for ILR appears to be £41,700:
https://www.gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to- ... quirements

Additionally, I’ve noticed that:

SOC code 2135 now seems to map to cyber security–related roles
Business Analyst now appears under SOC code 2133, which has a higher salary threshold
These SOC code definitions and salary thresholds seem to have been updated recently

However:

Both of my Certificates of Sponsorship (2021 and 2024) were issued under SOC 2135 – Business Analyst, which was a Shortage Occupation at the time
The salary threshold for this role back then was around £30k, but I can no longer find the historical details on GOV.UK

Questions:

For ILR, will my application be assessed based on:

The rules/SOC code in place at the time my visas were granted, or
The current SOC codes and salary thresholds at the time of ILR application?

Could my current salary (£40,100) or the SOC code reclassification cause any issues for my ILR application?

Has anyone in a similar situation (older SOC codes / shortage occupation roles) successfully applied for ILR recently?

Any guidance or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes assigned to each role have been updated from the 2010 codes to the 2020 codes, so if you were issued an old SOC 2010, you need to find the the new 2020 SOC. These two should effectively refer to the same role/title.
To do this, use the equivalent 2020 SOC to determine your salary requirement for ILR.

Enter your job title on the CASCOT occupation coding tool to find out the correct SOC 2020.
CASCOT occupation coding tool : https://cascotweb.warwick.ac.uk/#/class ... on/soc2020

Make sure to read --> All you need to know about ILR salary requirements under the Skilled Worker route