Actuary, economist or statistician in the UK: your Skilled Worker visa, step by step

What you must be paid

The Skilled Worker visa has a two-part salary test. You must clear the salary threshold that applies to you. You must also clear the going rate for your occupation code. The going rate is the minimum annual salary the Home Office sets for that specific job. The higher of the two figures governs.

For code 2433 the standard going rate is £55,100 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025). The general threshold is £41,700. The going rate is higher, so £55,100 binds. A sponsor offering £41,700 for an economist role would not meet the rule.

This occupation is not on the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The ISL is the list of occupations allowed to use the reduced £33,400 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) threshold. Because 2433 is not on it, the reduced threshold does not apply through that route.

The lower going rate of £40,700 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) is only used where a reduced-threshold rule applies to you, such as the new entrant rule. Most applicants use the standard rate.

Registration and licensing

There is no statutory registration or licence to work as an actuary, economist or statistician in the UK. Professional bodies exist and employers may value membership. None is a legal condition of working. None is an immigration requirement.

Which job titles this code covers

Code 2433 covers actuaries and actuarial analysts, economists, mathematicians, statistical data scientists and statisticians. Your sponsor chooses the occupation code on your Certificate of Sponsorship. The code must honestly reflect the work you will do. A job titled "data scientist" that is mainly statistical modelling can sit here. A job that is mainly software engineering belongs under a different code.

Why the going rate, not the threshold, is your number

Many readers search for the £41,700 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) figure and assume it is the salary they need. For this code it is not. The going rate of £55,100 sits well above the general threshold. That means the threshold does no work here. The only question for most applicants is whether the offer reaches £55,100.

The gap matters when you negotiate. An employer who is new to sponsorship may quote you the threshold. Ask them to check the going rate for code 2433 before the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned. A certificate assigned at the wrong salary puts the application at risk.

If this route does not fit: what else is open

New entrant reduced threshold. If you are early in your career, or switching from a Student or Graduate visa, a reduced general threshold can apply. The lower going rate of £40,700 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) is the figure used for this code in that case. Whether you count as a new entrant depends on your career stage and your visa history.

Global Talent visa. This route needs no sponsor and no job offer. It has endorsement routes for academia and research and for digital technology. Economists and statisticians in research posts sometimes fit the academic route.

In-country switching. If you are already in the UK on another visa, a licensed sponsor can often hire you into Skilled Worker without you leaving the country.

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