New Entrant Visa Eligibility - Currently on Dependent Visa

Question: I would like to know whether I will be eligible for New Entrant visa after 2-3 months down the line considering my following background.
Sept 2019 - Nov 2021 - Student Visa
Nov 2021 - Oct 2023 - Graduate Visa (Worked)
Oct 2023 - Present - Skilled Worker Dependent Visa ( Working)

Any guidance in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

You can be paid between 70% and 90% of the usual going rate for your job if your salary is at least £20,960 per year and you meet one of the following criteria:

your job is in a shortage occupation
you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job (if you have a relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject your salary must be at least £23,580)
you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education

Do you qualify for any of the above

Thanks for your quick response. Yes my job is in shortage occupation list. Basically, I would like to know till how many years or how long I will be considered as New Entrant considering the following
1. I completed my Masters in the year 2021 and
2. I worked from 2021 to 2023 on Graduate route visa and
3. from past 3 month I am working on Skilled worker dependent visa.

Are you under 26?

Once again thanks for your quick response. No I am not

It would appear an employer wouldn’t be able to treat you as a new entrant.
One positive about this is that you would have a better salary.

Thanks for your response. My understanding was that I would be eligible for a New Entrant visa till 4 years after completion of my Masters.
So, considering 4 years from the date of completing Masters, I have spent 2 years working on a Graduate visa and ~4 months working on a dependent visa but still I have ~20 months left for which I can be considered as a New Entrant. Please let me know if my understanding is correct?.
The reason for asking this question is that my current salary doesn't meet the minimum salary threshold criteria after the new rule (i.e. minimum salary threshold of £38700 per year) implementation on 4th April.

It would appear you fail to meet f(ii) as your last period of leave is outside that of a student / graduate visa.


f) all of the following conditions apply:

(i) the applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was as a Student; and

(ii) that permission is either current or expired less than 2 years before the date of application; and

(iii) in that permission or any previous permission as a Student, the applicant was sponsored to study one of the following courses (not any other qualifications of an equivalent level):

• a UK bachelor’s degree; or

• a UK master’s degree; or

• a UK PhD or other doctoral qualification; or

• a Postgraduate Certificate in Education; or

• a Professional Graduate Diploma of Education; and

(iv) the applicant has completed (or is applying no more than 3 months before they are expected to complete) the course in (iii) above, or the applicant is studying a PhD and has completed at least 12 months study in the UK towards the PhD, or

(g) the applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was as a Graduate, and that permission is either current or expired less than 2 years before the date of application.