UK Skilled Worker Visa x Guide 2024 | Move to the UK with a Skilled Worker Visa

Skilled Worker Visa eligibility

Skilled Worker visas allows international expat workers to come and stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. The Skilled Worker Visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa.

Eligibility:

• Job eligibility

  To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:

  • Work for a UK employer who has been approved by the Home Office

  • Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with informations about the job role you've been offered in the UK

  • Do a job that's on the list of eligible occupations

  • Receive at least the minimum wage (how much you will need to be paid depends on what type of job you will do)

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your skilled worker visa.

• Knowledge of English

  When applying for the Skilled Worker Visa you will need to prove you are able to understand, speak, read and write English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.

  You can prove your knowledge of English by:

  • passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider

  • having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18

  • having a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English - if you studied abroad, you’ll need to apply through Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) for confirmation that your qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

In some cases, you might not need to prove you knowledge of English. Check if this applies to you here.

How long you can stay in the UK with a Skilled Worker Visa

Your Skilled Worker Visa can be valid for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. When your visa runs out or if you change jobs or employer(s), you'll need to apply to extend or change your visa.

If you want to stay in the UK longer:

You can ask to have your visa extended as many times as you want, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

After 5 years, you might be able to apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’, which means you can stay in the UK for as long as you want. ‘Indefinite leave to remain’ also know as ‘settled status’ lets you live, work and study here for as long as you want, and apply for benefits if you're eligible.

How to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa

All application for Skilled Worker Visas must be submitted online. How you apply depends on whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK

• while in the United Kingdom and are looking to extend your current visa

• switching from a different visa while inside the UK

You must apply to update your visa if you want to change jobs or employers.

If your partner and children are eligible, you can include them in your application to stay in the UK.

How long it takes to get a decision for your application to get a Skilled Worker Visa

Up to three months prior to the day you are scheduled to begin employment in the UK, you may apply for a visa. Your sponsorship certificate includes the date your job will start.

You must present identification documentation and supporting documentation as part of your Skilled Worker Visa application.

If you need to make an appointment to do this, you might need to allow more time. In the rare cases when an appointment is required, you'll be informed about it when you begin your visa application.

Getting a decision

Once you've applied online, shown proof of who you are, and sent in your documents, you'll usually hear about your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK

• 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK

*Due to the high number of applications, if you live in the UK and want to get a Skilled Worker visa, it currently takes an average of 16 weeks to hear back regarding your application.

How much it costs

When you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have enough money to:

• Pay the visa application fee. Depending on your situation, the standard fee is between £625 and £1,423

• Pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £624 per year

• You will need to be able to support yourself when you arrive in the UK, you'll usually need at least £1,270 available (unless you're exempt).

If your job is on the list of jobs in short supply, you’ll pay a lower application fee.

When you apply for your Skilled Worker Visa, you'll be told how much you need to pay.

What you can and cannot do with a Skilled Worker Visa

With a visa for skilled workers, you can:

• Work in the UK

• Study in the UK

• You can bring your partner and children to live with you as "dependants" if they are eligible

• Take on extra work in some cases

• Do volunteer work

• Travel abroad and return to the UK

• Apply for settled status, also know as ‘indefinite leave to remain’, which lets you stay in the UK permanently. To apply for settled status you must’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements.

With a Skilled Worker visa you cannot:

• Apply for most government benefits or the State Pension

• Change jobs or employer unless you have applied to update your visa

If your visa application is accepted, you'll get a full list of what you can and can't do with a Skilled Worker visa.

If you’re not eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, you may be eligible for another type of visa to work in the UK.

This page is intended for informational purposes only, to give a broad indication of the requirements that a job and an applicant must meet in order for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route to be possible. The information on this page is not intended as a guarantee of visa sponsorship and should not be taken as such.