SIT is aware that departments/ colleges can find salary calculations for Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellows and Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) difficult. Where a Fellow or ESR is sponsored under a Tier 2 visa, it is crucial that the correct salary is listed in their Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and that any subsequent changes in salary are reported to the Home Office.
As Marie Skłodowska Curie funding is provided in Euros (€), Research Services provides an exchange rate for the specific project in question which is used to convert the funding into Sterling (£), but employer’s costs must also then be accounted for by applying a multiplier. This multiplier for employer’s costs is higher if the Fellow or ESR has opted out of the pension.
All employees are automatically opted in to the pension initially but if a Fellow or ESR opts out of the pension the funding portion which would have been the employer’s pension contribution reverts to them as an increase in salary, which must be reported to the Home Office if they are a Tier 2 visa holder.
If you have any queries or are unsure about these issues, please contact Research Services or SIT for advice.
