Sponsored Work and Family visa earnings, employment and Income Tax
Published 12 May 2025
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1. Introduction
This report presents findings on the earnings, employment, and Income Tax liabilities of visa holders on Sponsored Work (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, and Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility)) and Family routes. The analysis is based on data matching between Home Office visa records and HMRC’s Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) data. It includes both entry clearance visas and extensions of stay, and both main applicants and dependants[footnote 1]. For further details, please refer to the ‘About the data’ section.
This report focuses on the most recent financial year where data is available (2023 to 2024). All figures in this report relate to visa holders aged 18 to 65 years at the time their visa was granted who:
- were granted their visa between April 2019 and March 2023
- were eligible to work for at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024
Of the approximately one million Sponsored Work and Family visa records granted between April 2019 and March 2023, extracted for this report from Home Office case working systems, 93% were successfully matched to HMRC’s Migrant Worker Scan (MWS) database, enabling their records to be linked to HMRC PAYE RTI data. Further development work is ongoing to improve the quality of matches across additional visa routes.
2. Data definitions
2.1 Earnings
Earnings are based solely on PAYE-reported gross earnings from both part-time and full-time employment in the UK. Income from any other sources, including self-employment, is not included.
To account for visa holders who did not have PAYE earnings in every month of the financial year, median annual earnings have been adjusted to be indicative of what a visa holder would have earned for the full year. This aligns with how earnings are typically considered, that is, on an annual basis. Caution is advised when comparing median annual adjusted earnings across different visa routes, as work eligibility and requirements vary.
2.2 Employment
It is not possible to calculate an accurate employment rate using this data. For this analysis, we look at visa holders granted their visa before 2023 to 2024 and calculate the proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings at any point during 2023 to 2024. Important considerations about this proportion include:
- this does not account for individuals who may have been employed but had a long-term absence from work
- the analysis in this report does not account for arrivals and departures, meaning estimates may include visa holders who never entered the UK or who left before their visa expired
- unmatched visa records are assumed to belong to individuals who never worked in the UK, as the most likely reason for not matching is the absence of a National Insurance number; these unmatched records are counted as not having PAYE earnings when reporting on the proportion found to have PAYE earnings; however, some visa holders may have had PAYE earnings but remained unmatched due to discrepancies between Home Office and HMRC data
These figures therefore present the minimum proportion of visa holders who had PAYE earnings during financial year 2023 to 2024 based on HMRC matched data.
For those who were not found to have PAYE earnings, this does not necessarily mean they were unemployed. Depending on the requirements of their visa, these individuals may have been self-employed, studying, undertaking voluntary work, or on a long-term absence from work.
2.3 Income Tax
Income Tax figures relate to Income Tax liabilities from those found to have PAYE earnings. Income Tax figures are not annually adjusted and represent total Income Tax liabilities for the financial year 2023 to 2024. For further information about Income Tax liabilities please see Income Tax liabilities statistics.
3. Sponsored Work entry clearance visas
In financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings for main applicants granted entry clearance visas were £56,600 for Skilled Workers, £30,900 for Health and Care Workers, and £47,900 for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility). For dependants, median annual adjusted earnings were £30,200, £22,100, and £27,200 for the same visa routes, respectively.
Figure 1: Median annual adjusted earnings for granted Sponsored Work entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024
In financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 75% of main applicants granted a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa had PAYE earnings. This was at least 81% for Health and Care Workers and at least 68% for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility). For dependants, proportions were at least 45%, 67%, and 25%, respectively.
Figure 2: Minimum proportions of granted Sponsored Work entry clearance visa holders who had PAYE earnings, financial year 2023 to 2024
In financial year 2023 to 2024, the total amount of Income Tax on those found to have PAYE earnings for main applicants granted entry clearance visas was approximately £2 billion for Skilled Workers, £413 million for Health and Care Workers, and £278 million for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility). For dependants, the total amount was £125 million, £82 million, and £9 million, respectively.
Table 1: Income Tax on PAYE earnings for Sponsored Work entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024
| Sponsored Work entry clearance visa | Count of those found to be liable for Income Tax on their PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median Income Tax on PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Total Income Tax on those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | |||
| Main applicant | 81,900 | £9,100 | £2,033m |
| Dependant | 15,800 | £3,500 | £125m |
| Health and Care Worker | |||
| Main applicant | 102,700 | £3,500 | £413m |
| Dependant | 37,500 | £1,700 | £82m |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) | |||
| Main applicant | 10,900 | £5,600 | £278m |
| Dependant | 1,500 | £2,500 | £9m |
Table 1 shows that, of the Sponsored Work entry clearance visas included, Skilled Worker main applicants made up the majority (69%) of the total Income Tax on PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024. The median amount of Income Tax on PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 for a main applicant granted an entry clearance visa was £9,100 for Skilled Workers, £3,500 for Health and Care Workers, and £5,600 for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility).
When looking at the mean Income Tax, rather than the median, these figures are higher due to the influence of high-earning outliers. While not directly comparable (as this report only considers PAYE earnings), this allows for some comparison with Income Tax liabilities statistics which reports on average Income Tax for UK taxpayers. Based on this measure, Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) main applicants recorded much higher average Income Tax than the average UK taxpayer in 2023 to 2024 (approximately £24,800 and £25,500, respectively, compared to £7,800), while Health and Care Worker main applicants recorded lower average Income Tax in comparison (approximately £4,000).
3.1 Skilled Worker entry clearance visas
As shown in Figure 1, in financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings for a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa were £56,600 for a main applicant and £30,200 for a dependant.
Table 2 shows that, of the top 5 nationalities among main applicants granted a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa, US nationals had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£112,100) by a considerable margin, followed by French nationals (£77,300) and Indian nationals (£58,000)[footnote 2].
Figure 3 shows that the ‘Financial and Insurance Activities’ industry had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£99,000), followed by ‘Information and Communications’ (£72,000) and ‘Administrative and Support Service Activities’ (£65,000).
Table 3 looks at the occupations reported by a visa holder’s initial sponsor. Of the top 5 occupations, the occupation with the highest median earnings was ‘Programmers and Software Development Professionals’ (£77,100).
As shown in Figure 2, in financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 75% of main applicants and at least 45% of dependants of those granted a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa had PAYE earnings.
Table 2 shows that, of the top 5 nationalities for main applicants granted a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa, Pakistani nationals had the highest proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (85%), followed by French nationals (80%) and South African nationals (79%). Of the top 5 occupations, ‘Chartered and Certified Accountants’ (80%) had the highest proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings (Table 3).
Table 2: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Skilled Worker main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by nationality
| Nationality (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nationalities | 82,700 | £56,600 | 75% |
| India | 25,800 | £58,000 | 74% |
| United States of America | 5,200 | £112,100 | 76% |
| South Africa | 3,700 | £50,600 | 79% |
| France | 3,400 | £77,300 | 80% |
| Pakistan | 3,100 | £38,500 | 85% |
| Other nationalities | 41,500 | £53,900 | 74% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Table 2 lists the 5 most common nationalities among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa.
Figure 3: Median annual adjusted earnings for main applicants granted a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa, by industry, financial year 2023 to 2024
Notes:
- Breakdowns by industry refer to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) (2007) code reported by a visa holder’s most recent PAYE employer as of the end of financial year 2023 to 2024.
- ‘n’ refers to the number of visa holders who were found to have PAYE earnings in each industry. Industries with fewer than 100 visa holders have been excluded from this breakdown. A small number of those who were found to have PAYE earnings but were missing a SIC code have also been excluded.
Table 3: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Skilled Worker main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by occupation
| Occupation (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | 82,700 | £56,600 | 75% |
| 2136 Programmers and Software Development Professionals | 11,200 | £77,100 | 74% |
| 2423 Management Consultants and Business Analysts | 6,200 | £76,300 | 79% |
| 2135 IT Business Analysts, Architects and Systems Designers | 5,200 | £73,600 | 75% |
| 2421 Chartered and Certified Accountants | 4,500 | £53,000 | 80% |
| 5434 Chefs | 3,700 | £28,600 | 74% |
| Other occupations | 51,900 | £50,900 | 75% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Breakdowns by occupation are based on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2010) code reported by a visa holder’s initial sponsor.
- Table 3 lists the 5 most common occupations among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Skilled Worker entry clearance visa.
3.2 Health and Care Worker entry clearance visas
As shown in Figure 1, in financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings for a Health and Care Worker entry clearance visa were £30,900 for a main applicant and £22,100 for a dependant.
Of the top 5 nationalities for main applicants granted a Health and Care Worker entry clearance visa, Filipino nationals had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£35,500), followed by Indian nationals (£32,000) and Ghanaian nationals (£27,700) (Table 4). Of the top 5 occupations, the occupation with the highest median earnings was ‘Medical Practitioners – Speciality Registrar and Equivalent’ (£58,000) (Table 5).
As shown in Figure 2, in financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 81% of main applicants and 67% of dependants of those granted a Health and Care Worker entry clearance visa had PAYE earnings.
Of the top 5 nationalities for main applicants granted a Health and Care Worker entry clearance visa, Zimbabwean nationals had the highest proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (95%), followed by Nigerian nationals (91%) and Filipino nationals (86%) (Table 4). Of the top 5 occupations, ‘Care Workers and Home Carers’ (84%) had the highest proportion found to have PAYE earnings (Table 5).
Table 4: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Health and Care Worker main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by nationality
| Nationality (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nationalities | 107,800 | £30,900 | 81% |
| India | 30,900 | £32,000 | 69% |
| Nigeria | 19,500 | £27,400 | 91% |
| Zimbabwe | 17,600 | £26,500 | 95% |
| Philippines | 13,600 | £35,500 | 86% |
| Ghana | 5,600 | £27,700 | 85% |
| Other nationalities | 20,500 | £33,000 | 78% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Table 4 lists the 5 most common nationalities among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Health and Care Worker entry clearance visa.
Table 5: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Health and Care Worker main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by occupation
| Occupation (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | 107,800 | £30,900 | 81% |
| 2231 Nurses – Band 5 and equivalent | 31,900 | £35,400 | 80% |
| 6145 Care Workers and Home Carers | 32,000 | £23,100 | 84% |
| 6146 Senior Care Workers | 16,800 | £25,800 | 78% |
| 2211 Medical Practitioners – Speciality Registrar and equivalent | 4,500 | £58,000 | 80% |
| 2231 – Supervised Practice Nurses (Band 3 and equivalent) | 4,300 | £37,500 | 81% |
| Other occupations | 18,300 | £37,300 | 79% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Breakdowns by occupation are based on the SOC (2010) code reported by a visa holder’s initial sponsor.
- Table 5 lists the 5 most common occupations of initial sponsorship among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Health and Care Worker visa.
3.3 Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visas
As shown in Figure 1, in financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings for a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa were £47,900 for a main applicant and £27,200 for a dependant.
Of main applicants granted a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa, Indian nationals were the most common nationality found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (Table 6), with median earnings of £36,500. However, of the top 5 nationalities, US nationals had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 by a considerable margin (£216,900), followed by Japanese nationals (£201,200) and German nationals (£141,200). Figure 4 shows that the ‘Wholesale and Retail Trade’ industry had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£178,800), followed by ‘Financial and Insurance Activities’ (£154,000) and ‘Administrative and Support Service Activities’ (£133,300). However, the overall median earnings for Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) main applicants is influenced by the significant number of visa holders in the ‘Information and Communication’ industry who recorded relatively lower median earnings of £35,800. Of the top 5 occupations, the occupation with the highest median earnings was ‘Management Consultants and Business Analysts’ (£77,900) (Table 7).
As shown in Figure 2, in financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 68% of main applicants and 25% of dependants of those granted a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa had PAYE earnings.
Of the top 5 nationalities for main applicants granted a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa, Japanese nationals had the highest proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (92%), followed by Chinese nationals (82%) and Indian nationals (73%) (Table 6). Of the top 5 occupations, ‘IT Project and Programme Managers’ (76%) had the highest proportion found to have PAYE earnings (Table 7).
Table 6: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by nationality
| Nationality (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nationalities | 11,100 | £47,900 | 68% |
| India | 7,400 | £36,500 | 73% |
| Japan | 800 | £201,200 | 92% |
| United States of America | 400 | £216,900 | 57% |
| Germany | 200 | £141,200 | 38% |
| China | 300 | £133,000 | 82% |
| Other nationalities | 1,900 | £99,500 | 53% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Table 6 lists the 5 most common nationalities among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa.
Figure 4: Median annual adjusted earnings for a main applicant granted a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa, by industry, financial year 2023 to 2024
Notes:
- Breakdowns by industry refer to the SIC (2007) code reported by a visa holder’s most recent PAYE employer as of the end of financial year 2023 to 2024.
- ‘n’ refers to the number of visa holders who were found to have PAYE earnings in each industry. Industries with fewer than 100 visa holders have been excluded from this breakdown. A small number of those who were found to have PAYE earnings but were missing a SIC code have also been excluded.
Table 7: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) main applicants granted entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by occupation
| Occupation (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | 11,100 | £47,900 | 68% |
| 2135 IT Business Analysts, Architects and Systems Designers | 2,700 | £34,800 | 74% |
| 2136 Programmers and Software Development Professionals | 1,800 | £34,400 | 73% |
| 2139 Information Technology and Telecommunications Professionals | 1,000 | £36,800 | 74% |
| 2134 IT Project and Programme Managers | 1,000 | £40,200 | 76% |
| 2423 Management Consultants and Business Analysts | 400 | £77,900 | 39% |
| Other occupations | 4,200 | £103,100 | 65% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Breakdowns by occupation are based on the SOC (2010) code reported by a visa holder’s initial sponsor.
- Table 7 lists the 5 most common occupations among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) entry clearance visa.
4. Sponsored Work extensions of stay
Figure 5: Median annual adjusted earnings for granted Sponsored Work extensions of stay, financial year 2023 to 2024
When comparing with Figure 1, Figure 5 shows that median annual adjusted earnings were similar in 2023 to 2024 for Skilled Worker main applicants and dependants granted extensions of stay, compared to those granted entry clearance visas. Median earnings were slightly higher for Health and Care Workers granted extensions of stay compared to entry clearance visas (£34,900 for main applicants and £24,400 for dependants, compared to £30,900 and £22,100, respectively). Median earnings were higher for main applicant Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) main applicants but lower for dependants when comparing granted extensions of stay with entry clearance visas (£58,600 and £22,100, compared to £47,900 and £27,200, respectively).
In financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 81% of main applicants granted a Skilled Worker extension of stay visa had PAYE earnings. This was at least 81% for Health and Care Workers and at least 87% for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility). For dependants, the proportions were at least 63%, 70%, and 24%, respectively.
Figure 6: Minimum proportions of Sponsored Work visa holders granted extensions of stay who had PAYE earnings, financial year 2023 to 2024
When comparing with Figure 2, Figure 6 shows that the proportions of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 were generally higher for both main applicants and dependants granted Sponsored Work extensions of stay, compared to those granted Sponsored Work entry clearance visas. These patterns are likely driven by additional employment-related criteria for extensions of stay (such as requiring continued employment with a sponsoring employer) and individuals having more time to settle in the UK.
In financial year 2023 to 2024, the total amount of Income Tax on those found to have PAYE earnings for main applicants granted extensions of stay was approximately £1.6 billion for Skilled Workers, £426 million for Health and Care Workers, and £91 million for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility). For dependants, the total amount was £149 million, £74 million, and £2 million, respectively.
Table 8: Total Income Tax on PAYE earnings for Sponsored Work extensions of stay, financial year 2023/24
| Sponsored Work extension of stay | Count of those found to be liable for Income Tax on their PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 | Median Income Tax on PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Total Income Tax on those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | |||
| Main applicant | 80,900 | £8,900 | £1,559m |
| Dependant | 17,300 | £4,100 | £149m |
| Health and Care Worker | |||
| Main applicant | 70,800 | £4,100 | £426m |
| Dependant | 21,900 | £2,400 | £74m |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) | |||
| Main applicant | 5,000 | £6,400 | £91m |
| Dependant | 600 | £1,800 | £2m |
When comparing with Table 1, Table 8 shows that the median Income Tax on PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 was generally similar for those granted Sponsored Work extensions of stay compared to those granted entry clearance visas. The median amount of Income Tax in 2023 to 2024 for a main applicant granted an extension of stay was £8,900 for Skilled Workers, £4,100 for Health and Care Workers, and £6,400 for Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility).
5. Family-related entry clearance visas
Family-related entry clearance visas include:
- Family: Partner
- Family: Partner (for immediate settlement)
- Family: Child
- Family: Child (for immediate settlement)
- Family: Other
- Family: Other (for immediate settlement)
In financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings were £20,200 for a granted Family-related entry clearance visa.
Those granted Family-related entry clearance visas had lower median earnings compared to dependants of those granted Sponsored Work entry clearance visas in 2023 to 2024 (£20,200, compared to £30,200 for Skilled Worker dependants, £22,100 for Health and Care Worker dependants, and £27,200 for Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) dependants).
Of those granted a Family-related entry clearance visa, Pakistani nationals were the most common nationality found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (Table 9). However, of the top 5 nationalities, US nationals had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£27,800), followed by Nepalese nationals (£23,400) and Indian nationals (£21,600).
Figure 7 shows that the ‘Information and Communication’ industry had the highest median earnings in 2023 to 2024 (£35,000), followed by ‘Financial and Insurance Activities’ (£33,400) and ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities’ (£26,300).
In financial year 2023 to 2024, at least 48% of Family-related entry clearance visa holders had PAYE earnings.
Of the top 5 nationalities, Nepalese nationals had the highest proportion who were found to have PAYE earnings in 2023 to 2024 (77%), followed by Indian nationals (55%) and Pakistani nationals (47%).
In financial year 2023 to 2024, the total amount of Income Tax on PAYE earnings was £107 million for Family-related granted entry clearance visas.
The median amount of Income Tax in 2023 to 2024 for those granted a Family-related entry clearance visa was £1,500.
Table 9: Median annual adjusted earnings and minimum proportions who had PAYE earnings, for Family-related entry clearance visas, financial year 2023 to 2024, by nationality
| Nationality (Top 5) | Count of those found to have PAYE earnings in 2023/24 | Median annual adjusted earnings in 2023/24 | Minimum proportion who had PAYE earnings in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nationalities | 50,500 | £20,200 | 48% |
| Pakistan | 10,100 | £17,500 | 47% |
| India | 4,100 | £21,600 | 55% |
| Bangladesh | 2,300 | £12,900 | 42% |
| United States of America | 2,300 | £27,800 | 46% |
| Nepal | 3,300 | £23,400 | 77% |
| Other nationalities | 28,400 | £20,700 | 47% |
Notes:
- Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
- Table 9 lists the 5 most common nationalities among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a Family-related entry clearance visa.
Figure 7: Median annual adjusted earnings for those granted Family-related entry clearance visas, by industry, financial year 2023 to 2024
Notes:
- Breakdowns by industry refer to the SIC (2007) code reported by a visa holder’s most recent PAYE employer as of the end of financial year 2023 to 2024.
- ‘n’ refers to the number of visa holders who were found to have PAYE earnings in each industry. Industries with fewer than 100 visa holders have been excluded from this breakdown. A small number of those who were found to have PAYE earnings but were missing a SIC code have also been excluded.
6. Family-related extensions of stay
Family-related extensions of stay include:
- Family Life (10-year route)
- Partner
- Fiancés
- Other Relatives
- UK Born Children
In financial year 2023 to 2024, median annual adjusted earnings were £21,300 for granted Family-related extensions of stay. At least 62% had PAYE earnings and the total amount of Income Tax on their PAYE earnings was £421 million.
In 2023 to 2024, those granted Family-related extensions of stay had slightly higher median earnings compared to those granted Family-related entry clearance visas (£21,300, compared to £20,200). However, the proportion of those found to have PAYE earnings was notably higher (at least 62%, compared to at least 48%). Family-related extensions of stay accounted for more Income Tax in total in 2023 to 2024 (£421 million, compared to £107 million) and had a higher median Income Tax (£1,800, compared to £1,500).
7. About the data
7.1 Data sources
Visa records used for matching to HMRC data are now extracted using the same approach that is used for Immigration system statistics. For more information see User Guide to: Immigration system statistics. Visa grant totals are expected to closely align with these statistics. However, discrepancies may occur due to data being extracted from live operational case working databases at different times and the exclusion of those aged 17 and under and 66 and over (at the time their visa was granted) from the data used for this publication.
Sponsor reported occupation and industry data are matched to main applicant visa records using the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number from the Home Office’s Sponsorship Management System.
Information on earnings for this publication comes from HMRC’s PAYE RTI system. For more information on PAYE see Quality assurance of administrative data used in earnings and employment from PAYE RTI. PAYE Income Tax receipts come from a PAYE accounting system called the Enterprise Tax Management Platform (ETMP) linked to the RTI programme. For more information see PAYE Manual.
This report follows earlier experimental figures published in published in May 2024: Analysis of migrants use of the Graduate route. The visa records used for the analysis in this report were extracted using an updated approach that aligns with Immigration system statistics, allowing comprehensive coverage of visa holders and their dependants. As a result, some refinements to the data matching process were required. While this report focuses on selected Sponsored Work and Family routes, further development is planned for other routes, such as the Graduate route.
7.2 Data matching process
Visa records with a National Insurance number were verified against the MWS database before linking to RTI. The MWS lists individuals who successfully applied for a National Insurance number through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) post-16 registration process or were allocated a National Insurance number as part of their visa. A record was considered robust if it matched at least 3 of the following identifiers (in addition to matching on National Insurance number):
- date of birth
- surname
- forename
- sex
- nationality
- postcode (for extension of stay visas only)
For visa records without a National Insurance number, fuzzy matching to the MWS was performed using 2 methods: precision matching and Levenshtein edit distance (LED). Precision matching compares specific visa details against HMRC records. LED helps match records with minor errors in key fields (for example, misspellings) by adjusting or replacing parts of the data. A record was considered robust if it matched an MWS record on date of birth and surname or forename and at least one of the following identifiers:
- sex
- nationality
- postcode (for extension of stay visas only)
Further development work is ongoing to improve the quality of matches across additional visa routes.
7.3 Further information about the data and analysis for this report
The term ‘earnings’ refers to the amount paid to an employee through PAYE before tax. This may include regular employment payments and non-regular payments such as bonuses and overtime payments.
Visa holder earnings have been adjusted for a 12-month period. This is calculated by averaging their PAYE earnings across months where earnings were reported in the 2023 to 2024 financial year, then multiplying by 12. These figures provide an indication of what a visa holder would have earned if they had PAYE earnings for the full financial year. However, this may result in a higher estimate of annual earnings for those on non-regular payment schedules.
PAYE Income Tax is available as a total figure per visa holder. Where individuals held multiple visas in a financial year, this total is apportioned to reflect the months spent in PAYE employment on each visa. PAYE earnings are only considered for months where a visa was valid for at least one day in the month.
All figures reporting on the proportion of visa holders found to have PAYE earnings or to have been liable for PAYE Income Tax have been rounded to zero decimal places. Figures reporting on median earnings, and median and average PAYE Income Tax, have been rounded to the nearest £100. Figures reporting on total PAYE Income Tax on those found to have PAYE earnings have been rounded to the nearest million.
Breakdowns by occupation are based on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2010 code reported by a visa holder’s initial sponsor. This may not reflect a visa holder’s current occupation if it has since changed.
Breakdowns by industry refer to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 code reported by a visa holder’s most recent PAYE employer as of the end of financial year 2023 to 2024. This may differ from the industry recorded on a visa holder’s sponsor application. For a small number of records where a visa holder was found to have PAYE earnings but their industry was missing, these were excluded from all figures reporting on industry.
Visa holders who were found to have switched onto another visa before 1st May 2023 have been excluded from all calculations, as they would not have been eligible to work for at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024. We are unable to account for those who were granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) before their visa expired. Additionally, some records were missing key identifiers meaning some switches may not have been detected. As a result, a small number of earnings or Income Tax liabilities could have been incorrectly attributed to a visa holder while on a different visa or after obtaining ILR.
Dependant figures for the Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) route may include a small number of dependants from other Global Business Mobility routes due to how the data is recorded. This is expected to be minimal, considering the Senior or Specialist Worker route accounts for the vast majority of granted Global Business Mobility visas.
For the Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) route, international employments may have modified PAYE arrangements. Payments made through RTI PAYE are captured in our data. However, some individuals with modified PAYE schemes may have Self Assessment returns for self-employment or other income.
Due to how the data was extracted, a small number of extensions of stay visa records were categorised as ‘Skilled Worker/Skilled Worker Health and Care’. These were excluded as we could not clearly identify these as either Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visas.
A small number of visa records had an implausible date of birth or leave expiry date, which have been imputed where possible using minimum leave to remain conditions. Records missing age or length of leave have been excluded.
7.4 Limitations of the data
While figures are derived from HMRC matched data, figures are calculated using a separate methodology to the UK labour market statistics, jointly produced by HMRC and the Office for National Statistics, and should not be directly compared to these figures. Caution is also advised when comparing to any other similar data sources used to produce earnings figures.
As with all administrative data, there will be a small number of cases where data is missing or has been inputted incorrectly. Some information submitted by employers for RTI is late, missing or incorrect.
While standards for a ‘robust’ match to HMRC data have been set high, matches may still not be 100% accurate. Individuals with near identical personal details may be incorrectly identified as the same person.
While this report refers to ‘visa holders’, due to visa system and travel-related factors, a small number of individuals may have been granted the same visa covering the same duration more than once, resulting in them being counted multiple times.
The data used in this report is not currently matched to any indicator of visa holder travel history. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether a visa holder in these figures was in the UK during the period for which their visa allowed them to work.
We are unable to reliably identify contracted working hours or actual hours worked. We are also currently unable to determine the proportion of visa holders who were in self-employment.
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The majority of dependants are Partner dependants considering this analysis only includes visa holders aged 18 to 65 years at the time their visa was granted. However, due to processing delays, a small number of child dependants may be included, if these individuals had turned 18 by the time their visa was granted. ↩
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Throughout this report, ‘top 5’ refers to the 5 most common nationalities or occupations among those eligible to work in at least one month in financial year 2023 to 2024 on a given visa. ↩