A ‘new entrant’ means a new entrant to the labour market, in other words, someone who is near the start of their career and meets certain criteria. It does not mean an applicant who is making their first Skilled Worker visa application or entering the UK for the first time. If you apply for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant, you can be paid 70% of your job’s standard going rate or £30,960 per year, whichever is higher.
You can apply for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant for a maximum of 4 years. Any time already spent in the UK on a Graduate route visa will be counted towards the 4-year limit when switching from a Graduate route visa to a Skilled Worker visa as a new entrant from inside the UK.
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.
Who can apply for a Skilled Worker visa as a New Entrant?
A person can apply for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant in one of the following circumstances:
Applicants under the age of 26
An applicant can meet the new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant is under 26 on the date of application.
Post-doctoral position
An applicant can meet the new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant is sponsored for a post-doctoral position in one of the following occupations:
- 2111 Chemical scientists
- 2112 Biological scientists
- 2113 Biochemists and
- biomedical scientists
- 2114 Physical scientists
- 2115 Social and humanities scientists
- 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2162 Other researchers, unspecified discipline
- 2311 Higher education teaching professionals
Applicant working towards a recognised professional qualification in a UK-regulated profession
An applicant can meet new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant is working towards a recognised professional qualification in a UK-regulated profession. You can check the list of regulated professions online. The applicant's sponsor/employer must confirm which recognised professional qualification the applicant is working towards – this must be a qualification accepted by the regulatory body for the profession.
Applicant working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body
An applicant can meet new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant is working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job they are sponsored for. The sponsor must confirm who the relevant professional body is and that the applicant is working towards full registration or chartered status. You can check the list of chartered bodies from the Privy Council.
Applicant switching from student visa to Skilled Worker visa
An applicant can meet new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was under Tier 4 (General) or the Student route. The permission must either be current or have expired less than 2 years before the date of application.
In that permission (or previous) permission, the applicant must have been sponsored to study one of the following courses (not any other qualifications of an equivalent level):
- a UK bachelor’s degree
- a UK master’s degree
- a UK PhD or other doctoral qualification
- a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- a Professional Graduate Diploma of Education
The applicant must have completed (or be applying no more than 3 months before they are expected to complete) the course. An exception applies to PhDs and other doctoral Confirmation (from the applicant or
their sponsor) the applicant has completed (or the date they are expected to complete) their course, or they have completed at least 24 months’ study in the UK towards a PhD or other doctoral qualification.
Switching from the Graduate route to a Skilled Worker visa
An applicant can meet new entrant criteria for the skilled worker visa application if the applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was under the Graduate route. The permission must either be current or have expired less than 2 years before the date of application. You can apply for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant for a maximum period of 4 years. Any time already spent in the UK on a Graduate route visa will be counted towards the 4-year limit when switching from a Graduate route visa to a Skilled Worker visa as a new entrant from inside the UK.
4-year time limit when applying for a Skilled Worker visa as a new entrant
Applicants can be new entrants for a maximum of 4 years. The 4 years include time spent in any Tier 2 route, the Graduate route or as a Skilled Worker, whether or not that permission was for a continuous period. An applicant cannot be considered as a new entrant for only part of the time they are applying for.
If the applicant is applying for more than 4 years, or if granting the application would mean they would have more than 4 years’ permission in total (whether continuous or not) as a Tier 2 migrant and/or as a Skilled Worker, they cannot score tradeable points as a new entrant. They will need to score tradeable points in another way.
How Can We Help With Skilled Worker Visa as a New Entrant?
Our specialist team of skilled worker visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations for your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant on a fixed fee basis. Our skilled worker visa solicitors can legally represent you in your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant and carry out all the work on your application until a decision by the Home Office UKVI on your skilled worker visa application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors about your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant will entail the following:
Advice on requirements: Our skilled worker visa solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant to be successful;
Documentary advice: Our skilled worker visa solicitors will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant;
Assessing documents: Our skilled worker visa lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant are in accordance with the requirements of the immigration rules;
Completing the application form: Our skilled worker visa lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant;
Submitting an application through Priority or Super Priority Service: If required, our skilled worker visa lawyers will submit your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant online through priority/super priority service to get a faster decision on your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant;
Booking an appointment with the application centre: After the online submission of your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant, our skilled worker visa lawyers will book your appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics;
Detailed cover letter: Our specialist skilled worker visa solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant to explain all the relevant legal requirements for your application to be approved by the Home Office UKVI;
Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our skilled worker visa lawyers will upload online all the supporting documents to be considered in support of your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant;
Follow-up work: Our skilled worker visa lawyers will carry out all the follow-up work until the Home Office UKVI decides on your application to switch to a skilled worker visa.
Other Related Services
- Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
- Entry Clearance For Skilled Worker Visa UK
- Switching To a Skilled Worker Visa
- Student Switching To a Skilled Worker Visa
- Extension Of a Skilled Worker Visa UK
- Updating a Skilled Worker Visa UK
- ILR as a Skilled Worker
- Skilled Worker Dependants
- Work Visas UK
- Administrative Review Of UK Visa Refusal
How Much Does Skilled Worker Visa UK Cost?
The costs involved in the application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant are as detailed below:
Our Fixed Fees
Our fixed fee for your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant ranges from £800 + VAT to £1,200 + VAT. Our fixed fee will cover all our work on your application for a skilled worker visa as a new entrant, including advising on documents, checking your documents, completing the application form and submitting the application online, booking an appointment for biometrics enrolment, preparing a cover letter in support of the application, uploading all supporting documents to be considered in support of the application, and carrying out all other follow up work until decision by the Home Office UKVI on your application.
Our agreed fixed-fee will depend on the complexity of your case and the volume of work involved in your application. You will make an initial payment of half our fee when we start working on your matter, and the remaining half is due once we have fully prepared the application and it is ready for submission.
Unable to afford the cost of the full service? You have the option to book an appointment online for our one-off immigration advice and consultation service for a fixed fee of £100 (including VAT) or our immigration document checking service for a fixed fee of £300 (including VAT).
Home Office UKVI Fees
If you are applying for switching to a skilled worker visa from within the UK, the Home Office UKVI fees for the application depend on the duration of your intended stay:
- For stays up to 3 years, the fee is £885 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
- For stays exceeding 3 years, the fee is £1,751 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
Individuals whose occupations are listed on the shortage occupation list are eligible for reduced application fees for themselves and their families:
- The fee for each person applying is £590 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 £1,160 per person and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the rate of £1035 per year.
FAQs - Skilled Worker Visa as a New Entrant
Following are the various Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about an application for a Skilled Worker visa as a new entrant:
