The Skilled Worker route is for European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and non-EEA nationals who are sponsored to do a specific skilled job for a Home Office licensed sponsor. Formerly known as the Tier 2 (General) Visa, the Skilled Worker Visa is tailored for individuals offered a skilled job by a UK employer. This visa category aims to address skill shortages in the UK labour market by enabling employers to hire qualified professionals from overseas. The Skilled Worker Visa presents a compelling opportunity for skilled professionals worldwide to pursue their career aspirations in the United Kingdom. By understanding the eligibility criteria, application process, and associated rights and benefits, prospective applicants can navigate the visa journey with confidence. Whether you're an employer seeking to recruit international talent or an individual aspiring to work in the UK, the Skilled Worker Visa opens doors to a world of possibilities, fostering innovation, diversity, and economic growth in the UK workforce.
Dependent partners and children can apply on this route (with some exceptions for dependants of care workers and senior care workers).
The Immigration Rules on the skilled worker visa route changed on 4 April 2024 to increase the minimum salary thresholds for the Skilled Worker route, with transitional arrangements put in place for workers already on the route. These changes apply to applications made from 4 April2024.
Free Immigration Advice Online For Skilled Worker Visa UK
Our specialist team of skilled worker visa solicitors can provide one-off free immigration advice online regarding your skilled worker visa application. Ask a question to our specialist team of skilled worker visa solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice with our specialist skilled worker visa solicitors concerning your application for a skilled worker visa in the UK.
Specialist Skilled Worker Visa Solicitors in the UK
Our committed team of skilled worker visa solicitors possesses in-depth expertise in UK immigration law, with a specific focus on the Skilled Worker Visa pathway. We are well-versed in the nuances of securing this visa and remain abreast of the latest regulations and prerequisites, guaranteeing precise guidance for our clients. Specialising in Skilled Worker Visa applications, our immigration solicitors bring a wealth of knowledge and a demonstrated history of effectively managing such cases. We provide prompt, accessible, and reliable fixed-fee immigration advice and legal assistance customised to meet the requirements of your UK Skilled Worker Visa application.
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Applications Under The Skilled Worker Visa Category
Our specialist team of skilled worker visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly and reliable fixed-fee legal services for the following applications for skilled workers:
- Entry Clearance For Skilled Worker Visa UK
- Switching To a Skilled Worker Visa
- Switching From Student Visa To Skilled Worker Visa UK
- Extension Of Skilled Worker Visa UK
- Updating Skilled Worker Visa UK
- ILR As A Skilled Worker
- Skilled Worker Dependants
- Administrative Review Of UK Visa Refusal
What Are Key Features of Skilled Worker Visa UK?
The key features of skilled worker visa UK include the following:
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer with a valid sponsor license.
- The job offer must meet specific skill, salary, and language proficiency requirements.
- Individuals must score the requisite number of points based on various factors, including job offer, skill level, English language proficiency, and salary.
Sponsorship
- Employers wishing to hire skilled workers from outside the UK must hold a sponsor license issued by the Home Office.
- Sponsors play a crucial role in the visa application process, issuing Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to prospective employees and ensuring compliance with immigration regulations.
If your prospective employer does not hold a sponsor licence, our specialist team of solicitors for sponsor licence can provide priority service to your prospective employer with an application for skilled worker sponsor licence to get decision on the sponsor licence application within 10 working days.
Points Based Criteria
The Skilled Worker visa falls under the Point Based System (PBS) visa category, where points are allocated based on several factors. These include possessing a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), the skill level of the job, proficiency in English, meeting the required salary threshold, holding a PhD-level qualification, working in a shortage occupation, and being a new entrant to the workforce. To be eligible to apply for the Skilled Worker visa, a total of 70 points are necessary. Among these, 50 points are obtained from mandatory non-tradable criteria, while the remaining 20 points can be acquired through tradable factors.
Application Process
- Prospective applicants must submit their visa application online, providing relevant documentation and personal details.
- Upon successful submission, applicants may need to attend a biometric appointment at a designated visa application centre.
- The processing time for a Skilled Worker Visa application typically varies depending on the type of service you use. An application submitted through standard service can take a few weeks; an application submitted through priority service is decided within 5 working days and an application submitted through Super Priority Service is decided within 24 hours.
Rights and Benefits
- The Skilled Worker Visa holders are entitled to work in the UK for the sponsoring employer in the specified role.
- Dependent family members, including spouses/partners and children, can accompany the primary visa holder and may be eligible to work or study in the UK, subject to certain conditions.
Pathway to Settlement
- The Skilled Worker Visa offers a pathway to settlement in the UK, with individuals eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after completing 5 years period of continuous residence.
- ILR grants individuals the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely, paving the way for British citizenship, if desired.
FAQs - Skilled Worker Visa UK
Following are the various Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about a skilled worker visa:
The Skilled Worker Visa is a category within the UK immigration points-based system designed for individuals who have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer and meet specific eligibility criteria for skill level, salary, and English language proficiency.
Eligible applicants include individuals offered a skilled job by a UK employer with a valid sponsor license. Among other criteria, applicants must meet the required skill, salary, and language proficiency thresholds.
Essential requirements include having a job offer from a UK employer with a valid sponsor license, meeting the minimum skill and salary thresholds, demonstrating English language proficiency, and scoring the requisite points based on various factors.
70 points are required to be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa, with 50 points obtained from mandatory non-tradable criteria and the remaining 20 points from tradable factors.
Yes, applicants must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from their prospective UK employer, who must hold a sponsor license issued by the Home Office.
Yes, dependent family members, including spouses/partners and children, can accompany/join the primary visa holder and may be eligible to work or study, subject to certain conditions.
Yes, holders of the Skilled Worker Visa can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after completing 5 years of continuous residence in the UK, which grants them the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely.
The processing time for the skilled worker visa application varies depending on the type of service you use:
Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.
Priority Service: An application for a skilled worker visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.
Super Priority Service: An application for a skilled worker visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.
Yes, in many cases, individuals already in the UK under a different visa category may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker Visa, provided they meet the eligibility criteria and requirements.
The Skilled Worker visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa. According to paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules, a “Skilled Worker” means a person who has, or had, permission under Appendix Skilled Worker, or as a Tier 2 (General) migrant under the rules in force before 1 December 2020.
Any time spent on a Tier 2 General visa counts towards the 5-year qualifying period for ILR. If you currently hold a Tier 2 General and want to extend or apply for ILR, you will submit your application as a Skilled Worker.
The relevant jobs for which a Skilled Worker visa is possible are those listed in the Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List.
You must apply online.
How you apply depends on whether you’re:
- outside the UK and are coming to the UK
- inside the UK and extending your current visa
- inside the UK and switching from a different visa
You must apply to update your visa if you want to change your job or employer.
You can include your partner and children in your application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.
The fees for a skilled worker visa vary depending on whether you apply from inside or outside the UK.
Skilled Worker Visa Fees From Outside The UK
If you're submitting your skilled worker visa application from outside the UK, the standard fee varies depending on the duration of your stay in the UK:
- For stays up to 3 years, the fee is £719 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
- For stays exceeding 3 years, the fee is £1,420 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
Skilled Worker Visa Fees From Inside The UK
If you're applying for a skilled worker visa from within the UK to switch, extend or update your skilled worker visa, the standard fee also depends on the duration of your intended stay:
- For stays up to 3 years, the fee is £827 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
- For stays exceeding 3 years, the fee is £1,636 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
Skilled Worker Visa Fees For Jobs On The Immigration Salary List
Individuals whose occupations are listed on the immigration salary list are eligible for reduced application fees for themselves and their families:
- The fee for each person applying is £551 for stays up to 3 years and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year
- For stays exceeding 3 years, the fee is £1,084 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
It's worth noting that the application fee remains the same whether you're applying from within or outside the UK.
“Supplementary employment” means employment in a job (other than the job for which the person is being sponsored) which either:
- appears in the Appendix Immigration Salary List; or
- is in the same profession and at the same professional level as the job for which the person is being sponsored; or
- if the person has permission as a Skilled Worker, is in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed in Tables 1, 2 or 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations;
provided in all cases that:
- the person remains working for the sponsor in the job for which the Certificate of Sponsorship records the person is being sponsored (except where the other employment takes place during the 4-month period referred to in SW 18.1A of Appendix Skilled Worker, where that provision applies); and
- the other employment does not exceed 20 hours per week and takes place outside of the hours when the person is contracted to work for the sponsor in the job for which the person is being sponsored.
A Skilled Worker can apply for a second job that does not qualify as supplementary employment. This secondary job may involve more than 20 hours of work per week and may not be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa. To pursue this second job, the individual will require a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and must apply for a variation of permission in addition to their existing CoS and permission for their primary job. This is necessary because the terms of their existing permission do not cover work in the second job.
However, they cannot seek further permission to remain solely for the purpose of the second job until they have commenced working for their initial sponsor. Subsequently, they must submit a new application, explicitly expressing their intention to modify their existing permission. The confirmation provided in this application should include the applicant's full name, date of birth, CoS reference number from the current permission, and confirmation of the expiry date of the current permission.
Upon approval of their secondary employment, the applicant's initial permission will be varied, and they will have two sponsors concurrently during the validity period of both CoS certificates. In cases where the applicant holds a biometric residence permit (BRP), arrangements will be made for a new BRP card to be issued. The revised BRP card should now indicate '2 CoS as Letter' where the CoS reference number is displayed, indicating the individual's secondary employment status.
Furthermore, the UKVI will update the applicant's approval letter to specify both primary and secondary sponsors and include the end dates of employment for each. The applicant will be informed that they must retain the approval letter alongside their BRP card as evidence of their right to work.
"Certificate of Sponsorship” means either:
- an electronic document, with a unique reference, issued by a sponsor using the Sponsorship Management System; or
- the record linked to a Sponsorship Reference Number, given by a sponsor to an applicant through an invitation to apply, using the “Sponsor a Worker” scheme operated by the Secretary of State,
that confirms the job details for which the sponsor is sponsoring the applicant.
“Skilled Worker” means a person who has or had permission to work as a Skilled Worker under Appendix Skilled Worker or as a Tier 2 (General) migrant under the rules in force before 1 December 2020.
