UK Announces Minimum Salary Ghanaians and Other Foreigners Need for Expansion Worker Visa

• The UK has introduced an important salary requirement for foreigners hoping to take up a specialised work opportunity in Britain
• Ghanaians planning to use the route will need to meet specific financial conditions before their applications can be considered
• The latest rules also include an additional factor that could push the required earnings even higher

The United Kingdom government has outlined the minimum salary prospective applicants must earn to qualify for an Expansion Worker visa.

The immigration route is designed for senior managers or specialist employees being transferred to Britain to help establish a branch of an overseas business that has not yet started trading in the UK.

For Ghanaians and other foreign nationals considering the opportunity, meeting the required salary threshold will be an important part of the visa application.

UK states baseline earnings for applicants

Under the rules, applicants must already be employed by the overseas company and hold either a senior managerial position or a specialist role.

Read also

UK explains 1 key thing Ghanaians and other foreigners must check before accepting a job offer

They must also receive a salary that meets the minimum financial requirement set by the UK government.

Applicants must be offered a salary of at least £52,500 (approximately GH₵ 813,490.13) per year to qualify under the standard salary requirement.

This means Ghanaians working for overseas companies who are being considered for a transfer to the UK will need to ensure their proposed salary meets the required threshold.

Higher salary may be required for some jobs

The £52,500 figure is not necessarily the final minimum for every applicant.

According to the rules, the salary requirement can be higher if the established going rate for the applicant's occupation exceeds £52,500 per year.

In such cases, the applicant must be paid at least the higher going rate for their specific occupation.

Therefore, the minimum salary will be whichever is higher between £52,500 and the applicable going rate for the job.

Read also

UK lists 2 categories of people who cannot apply for British nationality via standard route

Salary depends on the applicant's occupation

The going rates are linked to the occupation code assigned to each job.

This means the exact salary requirement can vary depending on the applicant's profession, responsibilities and the occupation under which the role is classified.

For Ghanaians hoping to use the Expansion Worker visa to relocate to Britain, checking the applicable occupation code and going rate will therefore be an important step before applying.

The route is specifically intended for eligible employees helping an overseas business establish its first UK presence, rather than for general job seekers looking for employment in Britain.

UK publishes available skilled worker visa jobs

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the UK government had updated its Skilled Worker visa eligible occupations list, effective 22 July 2025, in one of the biggest reforms to its immigration framework in years.

The minimum skill threshold had risen from RQF Level 3 to RQF Level 6, removing around 180 occupations, including care workers, from visa eligibility.

Read also

US states 1 category of people not eligible for DV-2026 programme

The minimum annual salary for new Skilled Worker visa holders had also risen to £41,700, with applicants advised to verify their occupation code before applying.

Source: YEN.com.gh