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🇸🇴 Somali citizens · 🇬🇧 UK · Work

UK work visa success rate for Somali citizens

16.5% of Somali US visitor-visa cases were approved in FY2025. the UK publishes no work-visa outcomes broken down by nationality, so there is no official Somali rate for this exact route, and any site quoting a precise percentage is estimating rather than citing. What is documented is the decision itself — officers assess whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for, and the single biggest lever is the sponsor and job offer. 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 July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: 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 28% base approval for Somali citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Published approval rates for Somalia run at 16.5% on US visitor visas in FY2025.

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Your trip

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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 Somalia sits in the official data

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

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 83.5% adjusted refusal rate places Somalia 197th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 1% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Somalia is 51.7 points above it.

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.

What actually moves the needle

A confirmed offer from a sponsoring employer

This is the heart of work decisions for UK. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.

Qualifications and experience that match the role

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

A sponsor in good standing

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

Context for Somalia applicants

Published approval rates for Somalia run at 16.5% on US visitor visas in FY2025. Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.

Avoid the common pitfall

The most frequent reason this route fails is an unconfirmed offer or a role that does not match your background. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official UK work visa success rate for Somali citizens?

Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for the UK work visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.

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 →