Do You Have Enough Points? A Breakdown for African Applicants Eyeing a UK Work Visa
Rather than explaining the points system in the abstract, this article walks through a practical, step-by-step way to check your own circumstances — whether you're in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, or anywhere else across the continent — against the 70 points a UK Skilled Worker visa actually requires.
Step one: do you have a genuine, confirmed job offer?
Before anything else, confirm you have an actual, confirmed offer from a UK employer that holds a valid sponsor licence — not a general "we'd consider sponsoring you" conversation, but a specific role with a Certificate of Sponsorship the employer is prepared to issue. This is worth 20 points and is the foundation everything else builds on. If you don't yet have this, the rest of this checklist is premature — focus first on securing a genuine offer from a licensed sponsor.
Step two: check the skill level of the specific role
Confirm the role is assessed at an eligible skill level — since 22 July 2025, generally RQF level 6 or above (broadly, graduate level), unless you already hold Skilled Worker permission in the same SOC code, or the role appears on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List. This is worth 20 points. Ask your prospective employer directly which SOC code and skill level they've assigned to your role — don't assume based on job title alone, since similar-sounding roles can sit at different skill levels depending on the actual duties involved.
Step three: confirm your English language level
This is worth 10 points. From 8 January 2026, first-time applicants generally need to demonstrate English at B2 level (upper intermediate) through an approved test, unless you're exempt — for example, if you're a national of a majority English-speaking country, or hold a qualification recognised as equivalent, or have previously proved English at B1 or higher in a successful UK visa application. If you're not confident your English qualifies, book an approved Secure English Language Test well ahead of your planned application, since test slots and results processing take time.
Step four: check your salary against both relevant thresholds
This is where the remaining 20 tradeable points most commonly come from. Check your job offer against both the general threshold (£41,700) and your specific occupation's going rate — whichever is higher is your actual requirement. If your occupation sits on the Immigration Salary List, a reduced general floor around £33,400 may apply instead, still subject to the going rate for your specific role.
Step five: add it up
If you've cleared all four steps — genuine sponsored job offer, eligible skill level, required English level, and a salary meeting the relevant threshold — you've reached 70 points (20 + 20 + 10 + 20) and are eligible on the core points criteria. From here, the rest of your application involves the practical steps: paying fees, the IHS, gathering documents, and booking biometrics — separate hurdles, but not additional points requirements.
What if you're short on salary specifically
This is the most common gap for African applicants. If your offer falls short of the relevant threshold, check whether your specific occupation qualifies for a reduced threshold via the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, whether a genuinely relevant PhD might reduce your threshold, or whether negotiating a higher salary with your prospective employer is realistic. If none of these apply, the honest position is that the specific offer on the table doesn't currently qualify — it's better to establish this clearly before paying any application fees than to discover it after submission.
What if you're short on skill level specifically
If your role sits below RQF 6 and doesn't qualify under any of the specific exceptions, it currently isn't sponsorable under the general Skilled Worker route, regardless of salary. In this situation, it's worth having an honest conversation with your prospective employer about whether a different, genuinely graduate-level role within the same organisation might be available and appropriate for your qualifications and experience, rather than trying to force through a role that doesn't meet the current skill level rules.
What if you're short on English specifically
This is usually the most fixable gap, given enough lead time — approved English tests are widely available, including test centres in Nigeria and across much of the continent, and B2 level, while more demanding than the previous B1 standard, is achievable with focused preparation. Build test booking and preparation time into your overall application timeline rather than leaving it until the last minute, since results processing and any need for a retake can otherwise significantly delay your application.
A note for applicants from other African countries beyond Nigeria
While the specific examples in this article and elsewhere on this site are often framed around Nigeria, the underlying points system, thresholds and rules apply identically to applicants from Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and across the rest of Africa — the same four-step check applies regardless of your country of origin, with the only country-specific variation typically being around document types and English test centre availability.
Run through your own numbers
Use our Points-Based System Estimator to work through this same four-step check with your own specific job offer details, and our Skilled Worker Salary Threshold Checker to confirm your salary specifically.
Keeping a simple record as you go
As you work through these four steps, it's worth keeping a simple written record of what you've confirmed and how — your employer's confirmed SOC code and skill level assessment, your English test booking or exemption evidence, and the specific salary figure alongside the relevant threshold it's being measured against. This isn't just useful for your own peace of mind; if any part of your eligibility is later queried, having this laid out clearly and organised from the start makes it far easier to respond quickly and confidently, rather than scrambling to reconstruct the reasoning after the fact.
When to bring in professional advice
For most applicants with a straightforward job offer that clearly clears all four steps, working through this checklist independently is usually sufficient. But if your situation involves any genuine complexity — a borderline salary relying on the Immigration Salary List, a PhD-relevant threshold reduction, an unusual employment history, or a previous visa refusal — it's worth the cost of a consultation with a regulated OISC adviser or immigration solicitor before you submit, since a professional eye on a genuinely borderline case can be the difference between success and a costly, disappointing refusal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start the visa application process before confirming all four steps line up?
It's generally safer to confirm eligibility first, since application fees are non-refundable if your application is refused.
Do I need to provide proof for each of the four points categories separately?
Broadly yes — your Certificate of Sponsorship, English test certificate (or evidence of exemption), and salary evidence are typically required as part of a complete application.
Is there a way to check my eligibility informally before submitting a full application?
Working through the eligibility criteria yourself, or with a regulated adviser, is the standard way to check informally — there's no separate official "pre-check" service outside the full application process itself.
How long should I budget between confirming eligibility and actually applying?
This varies by individual circumstances, but building in time for English testing, document gathering, and your employer's sponsor licence processes is generally sensible rather than assuming everything can move immediately.
If I fall short on one of the four steps today, is it worth trying again in a year?
Often yes — salaries, qualifications and even the rules themselves can shift in your favour over time, so a "no" today isn't necessarily a permanent answer, and it's worth revisiting your eligibility periodically rather than abandoning the plan entirely after one setback.