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🇮🇷 Iranian citizens · 🇬🇧 UK · Work

UK work visa success rate for Iranian citizens (year to March 2026)

89% of Iranian UK work visa applications were approved in the year to March 2026, across 1,376 decisions — the remaining 11% were refused. Approval is down from 91% in year to March 2025. Unlike the Schengen figures, this is grouped by the applicant's nationality rather than by where the application was lodged, and it is broken down by visa type, so it describes Iranian work applicants specifically. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It remains a nationality-wide outcome rather than a prediction for one case. On the money side: Salary must meet £41,700/year or the going rate for your occupation (higher of the two); lower thresholds exist for new entrants and shortage roles. Plus £1,270 in savings unless the sponsor certifies maintenance. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record against that.

Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Rate: UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02) . Rules: GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job (salary rules) .

UK assesses a work visa on whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 68% base approval for Iranian citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Published approval rates for Iran run at 37.6% on US visitor visas in FY2025 and 70.9% on Schengen short-stay applications in 2025.

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Key requirements

  • Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK sponsor
  • Job in an eligible (graduate-level) occupation code
  • Salary of at least £41,700/year or the occupation's going rate — whichever is higher
  • English at CEFR B1 (test, degree taught in English, or exempt nationality)
  • Application fee + Immigration Health Surcharge; £1,270 maintenance unless your sponsor certifies it

Visa fee (cost)

From £819 for a 3-year Skilled Worker visa (April 2026 rate), plus the £1,035/year Immigration Health Surcharge.

Money & funds

Salary must meet £41,700/year or the going rate for your occupation (higher of the two); lower thresholds exist for new entrants and shortage roles. Plus £1,270 in savings unless the sponsor certifies maintenance.

Typical timeline

Around 3 weeks for most overseas applications once biometrics are done; priority services can shorten this.

Common refusal reasons

  • Salary below the general threshold or the occupation's going rate
  • Sponsor licence problems or an invalid CoS
  • Wrong or ineligible occupation code
  • English language requirement not met
  • Maintenance funds not evidenced correctly

Where Iran sits in the official data

Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Iranian applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Iran.

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 62.4% adjusted refusal rate places Iran 170th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 15% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Iran is 30.6 points above it.

Schengen short-stay visas — 2025

Across all Schengen consulates in Iran, 29.1% of short-stay applications were not issued — 89th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 13.5 points above the 15.6% median.

Schengen short-stay applications lodged in Iran in 2025, by issuing state. All rows use the European Commission's methodology, so they are comparable with each other — the US figure is computed differently and is shown separately above.
DestinationRefusedIssuedDecided
France25.3%74.7%26,553
Germany25.7%74.3%17,125
the Netherlands26.2%73.8%8,234
Spain31%69%13,463
Greece33.2%66.8%4,414
Italy40.7%59.3%13,082

Among Schengen states, applications lodged in Iran were refused least often by France at 25.3% and most often by Italy at 40.7% — a gap of 15.4 points on a like-for-like basis. That gap reflects who applies where as much as how strictly each state decides, so it is a starting point for choosing a main destination, not a ranking of leniency. You must still apply to the state where you will spend the most nights.

Demand and outcome moved together for Iran between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 104,957 short-stay applications, against 164,140 the year before — down 36.1% — while the refusal rate went from 26% to 29.1%. Had 2024's rate held, roughly 3,265 of the 104,957 applicants refused in 2025 would have been issued a visa instead.

Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UK work visa refusal rate for Iranian citizens?

11% in year to March 2026, against 9% in year to March 2025 — meaning 89% of decided cases ended in a visa. Entry clearance work visa applications from Iran nationals decided in the year to March 2026, as a share refused. The Home Office publishes decisions by nationality and visa type; withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It is a nationality-wide outcome, not a probability for an individual application. Your own case is assessed on its own evidence, so use the estimator on this page rather than the average.

Where does this UK refusal-rate figure come from?

From UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02), covering year to March 2026. We restate the published figure without adjustment and link the source file directly, so you can check it yourself.

What matters most for a UK work visa?

Officers focus on whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for. In practice the single biggest lever is the sponsor and job offer, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.

Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?

Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.

Is this a guarantee of approval?

No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.

Is my information private?

Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.

What is the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold in 2026?

£41,700 per year or the going rate for your specific occupation — whichever is higher — for most standard applications (in force since 22 July 2025). New entrants and some listed roles have lower thresholds, and Health and Care roles follow their own rules.

Can I apply for a Skilled Worker visa without a sponsor?

No. A Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office-licensed employer is the foundation of the route — without it there is no application.

Do I need to prove savings for a Skilled Worker visa?

You need £1,270 held for 28 days unless your sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS, which most established sponsors do.

How long does the UK Skilled Worker visa take?

Usually about 3 weeks from outside the UK after biometrics, with paid priority options in many countries.

Why are Skilled Worker visas refused?

Almost always mechanics: salary under the threshold or going rate, CoS/sponsor issues, wrong occupation code, or English/maintenance evidence problems — fix those and the route is predictable.

Explore related visa odds

UK work visa odds for other nationalities

Helpful guides

UK ETA 2026: who needs it, cost (£20) and how to apply → How long does a visa take? US, UK, Canada & Schengen (2026) → How to read visa approval and refusal rates → How to prove strong ties to your home country → How to document your finances for a visa → What to do after a visa refusal →