New Entrant CoS UK: Salary Thresholds, Criteria & Compliance Guide 2026

Understanding the CoS Refusal Possibility

An incorrect Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) triggers an automatic visa refusal. There is no way to correct it, no fee refund, and your new hire's start date will be severely delayed.

The "New Entrant" Compliance Risk

New entrant status is one of the most common mistakes HR teams make under the Skilled Worker route.

• The Benefit: Applied correctly, it unlocks a lower salary threshold for early-career international talent.
• The Risk: Applied incorrectly, the application fails instantly, forcing you to restart the entire process from scratch.

This guide outlines exactly what you must verify before assigning a CoS to keep your onboarding on track.

What is a New Entrant in CoS?

A new entrant, on a UK Certificate of Sponsorship, is a sponsored worker considered to be at the beginning of their career. When your company declares this status in the Sponsor Management System (SMS) at the point of CoS assignment, the Home Office applies a reduced salary threshold to the visa application.

It is not automatic. You must check eligibility and mark it correctly in the SMS. For a full overview of the CoS process, see our UK Certificate of Sponsorship complete HR guide.

Who Qualifies as a New Entrant?

Your employee qualifies if they meet any one of these at the time the CoS is assigned:

•  Under 26 years old on the CoS assignment date
•  Switching from a UK Student visa (most recent visa, expired less than 2 years ago, studied at degree level or above)
•  Currently on a Graduate visa, or held one as their most recent visa
•  Working towards a UK-regulated professional qualification (e.g. solicitor, accountant, or medical trainee)
•  Working towards full registration or chartered status in the role being sponsored
•  In a postdoctoral research position

Only one criterion is needed. But the worker must remain eligible as a new entrant for the entire duration of the CoS, not just on the day it is assigned.

New Entrant Salary Thresholds in 2026

Following the July 2025 Immigration Rules update, these thresholds now apply. You must pay whichever is higher — the general threshold or the going rate percentage for your SOC code:

2026 Salary Thresholds: New Entrant vs Experienced Worker

The £33,400 figure is the floor, not the number you automatically use. If 70% of the going rate for the SOC code is higher, that figure applies. Use our UK Skilled Worker salary threshold employer guide to check the going rate for your specific role.

How Does a New Entrant Affect a Certificate of Sponsorship?

When you assign the CoS in the SMS, new entrant status affects three things directly:

• Salary recorded on the CoS ,  must reflect the new entrant threshold, not the standard experienced worker rate
• Duration of the CoS ,  must not extend beyond the remaining new entrant eligibility period
• SMS notation ,  new entrant status must be explicitly marked; paying the lower salary without the notation creates a compliance flag

The CoS type, Defined (applying from outside the UK) or Undefined (switching from inside the UK) , still applies as usual. See also, a full walkthrough around CoS allocation and assignment guide.

How Long Can a Worker Be Sponsored as a New Entrant?

The maximum is 4 years total ,  across all relevant routes. This includes time already spent on:

• A Graduate visa
•  A previous Skilled Worker visa where new entrant status applied
•  Any previous Tier 2 route with new entrant status

This is where the most expensive mistakes happen. Say your new hire spent 2 years on a Graduate visa. They have 2 years of new entrant eligibility remaining ,  not 4. If you assign a 3-year CoS under new entrant status, the Home Office will not reduce the visa period to fit. The application is refused.

Before assigning any CoS under new entrant status, ask your employee to confirm their full visa history.

New Entrant vs Experienced Worker: Key Differences

New Entrant vs Experienced Worker: UK Skilled Worker CoS Comparison

‍

Benefits of Sponsoring a New Entrant in UK Immigration

There are real business reasons to use this route:

• Graduate visa holders already in the UK,  a ready talent pool you can onboard faster than overseas hires
• Roles that become sponsorable,  positions at £33,400 to £41,699 are accessible under new entrant status where they would not qualify at the standard rate
• Build long-term talent,  once the new entrant period ends, transition to experienced worker status and retain people you have already trained
• Potentially lower upfront ISC,  a shorter initial CoS can reduce the Immigration Skills Charge paid at assignment, particularly for small sponsors

For a full cost breakdown before you budget, see our UK CoS cost guide.

Common Mistakes Employers Make When Assigning New Entrant Status

These are the errors that lead to refusals and compliance flags:

• Not checking Graduate visa history ,  2 years on a Graduate visa leaves only 2 years of new entrant eligibility. A 3-year CoS assigned under new entrant status will fail. Ask for the full visa history before you assign.
•  Using £33,400 as a flat answer ,  It is the floor, not the figure. If 70% of the going rate for the SOC code is higher, that governs. Check the going rate for every assignment.
•  Omitting new entrant notation in SMS ,  Paying the reduced salary without marking new entrant status in the system creates a recorded salary shortfall. The Home Office will flag it.
•  Assigning a CoS that runs past eligibility ,  The Home Office does not shorten CoS durations retroactively. A CoS that exceeds the 4-year limit means the visa is refused and fees are lost.
•  Ruling out over-26s on age alone ,  Workers over 26 regularly qualify via Graduate visa status or professional training routes. Age is one route in, not the only one.

If any of these checks feel uncertain, get them verified before you assign. Book a demo to see how Jobbatical handles eligibility checks and CoS assignment end to end.

Need Help Assigning a New Entrant CoS? Talk to our Immigration Specialist Today!

New entrant status is narrow, cumulative, and easy to miscalculate. The cost of getting it wrong, a refused CoS, a lost fee, a delayed start date, and a potential sponsor licence flag, is considerably higher than the cost of getting it checked first.

Jobbatical's immigration specialists verify eligibility, calculate the correct going rate, track the 4-year limit across your employee's full visa history, and assign the CoS correctly in the SMS, first time. Behind that is a platform with full visibility across all your sponsored workers, so nothing falls through the gaps.

Talk to an immigration specialist today and get the CoS right before you submit.

Disclaimer: Immigration rules change quite frequently; please verify with official sources or contact us for the latest info before making any decisions.