Skilled Worker Visa UK

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What is a skilled worker visa UK? Who can apply for a Skilled Worker Visa UK? (Eligibility) Sponsorship Requirement Language Requirement Salary Requirement Document checklist for the Skilled Worker Visa UK? How much does a UK Skilled Worker Visa cost? Can I get a Skilled Worker Visa without sponsorship? Where can I find the Skilled Worker Visa UK sponsor list? Where can I find the Occupations list? Are there any exceptions in the minimum Salary? What is the Shortage Occupation List? What is my Occupation Code? What is the duration for living in the UK with this Visa? Can it help me settle permanently? What is the Skilled Worker Visa UK response timeline? How do I bring my child and partner to the UK along with me? What are the financial requirements for Skilled Worker Visa UK dependants? How to score points for a UK Work Visa Tier 2 sponsor licence processing time UK companies willing to sponsor tier 2 visa What is tier 2 a rating? Tier 2 sponsor visa uk for family How to score points for a UK Work Visa What are the Skilled Worker Visa requirements? What are the Work Visa application documents? What are the Skilled Worker Visa fees? What are the employer’s requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa? How can 1 Absolute Advisor help?

Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker Visa, formerly known as the Tier 2 Work Visa, is a route through which eligible workers from overseas can come and work in the UK. This route is part of the UK’s points-based immigration system, meaning applicants must score a certain number of points in order to apply.

If you need help applying for a Work Visa, our immigration lawyers are here to help. Speak to our client care team today on 0207 993 6762 to hear about our application support service.

What is the Skilled Work Visa?

The Skilled Worker Visa is a relatively new route in the immigration rules that replaced the Tier 2 (General) Work Visa as of 1 January 2021.

As a result of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, the immigration rules were amended. But since the Work Visa remains one of the most popular routes for workers, the UK Government had to relax the rules to avoid a skill shortage or shortage of labour. The UK’s points-based system is designed to encourage highly skilled migrants, and so is considered fairer than the Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.

The Skilled Worker Visa has a much more flexible eligibility criteria than its predecessor. For example, Tier 2 migrants had to earn a salary of at least £30,000 to be eligible for the visa. Now, however, Skilled Work Visa permits are granted to applicants who can score points based on their salary, education, skill level and more. Applicants no longer need to earn as high as £30,000 to be eligible.

Another advantage of the new Work Visa is that it can last up to five years. After five years of working in the UK continuously, applicants can then seek permanent residency, otherwise known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

The Skilled Worker Visa is the route taken by working professionals to emigrate to the UK. They can do an eligible job with an approved employer in the UK. It has replaced the previously available Tier 2 General Work Visa.

Who can apply for a Skilled Worker Visa UK? (Eligibility)

A Working professional who fulfils the following requirements is eligible to apply:

Sponsorship Requirement

Anyone outside the UK who:

  1. Has a Job sponsorship by an employer approved by the Home Office
  2. Has a Sponsorship Letter with the role and salary mentioned on it
  3. Works in a profession that’s on the Eligible Occupations List

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Language Requirement:

Applicants have to prove working knowledge of English as a spoken and written language.

Salary Requirement:

Applicants must have a minimum salary of £25,600 per year or £10.10 per hour. Anything below this is unacceptable for eligibility.

If your occupation’s going rate is above these, then you have to be paid that rate by your employer.

Check the going rate for your occupation here:

Document checklist for the Skilled Worker Visa UK?

  1. Passport or other valid document to show your nationality and identity
  2. Name of the sponsor
  3. Sponsor License Number
  4. Certificate of Sponsorship Reference Number provided by the sponsor
  5. Your job title and Annual Salary
  6. Proof of Knowledge of English
  7. Your Job’s Occupation code

Note: If your sponsorship letter was issued before 1 December 2020, ask for a new copy as the Visa has changed from Tier 2 (General) Work Visa to Skilled Worker Visa UK.

Some cases require providing special documents (eg, Tuberculosis report, criminal records, etc) depending on the country and job selected. For a complete understanding of your particular case schedule a callback with one of our expert advisors here.

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How much does a UK Skilled Worker Visa cost?

The standard application fees for the Skilled Worker Visa costs from £610 to £1,408 depending on the circumstances of application.

Along with application you have to pay a healthcare surcharge of £624 per year.

Can I get a Skilled Worker Visa without sponsorship?

No. A job sponsorship is mandatory for the Skilled Worker Visa UK.

If you are NOT an eligible worker using this visa, schedule a free call back here to discuss other ways you might be able to enter the UK.

Where can I find the Skilled Worker Visa UK sponsor list?

Visit this link for a complete list of Worker and Temporary worker Sponsors in the UK:

Use this list to verify the sponsor issuing your certificate.

If you are using this list to make a decision on where to work, be sure to talk to a good agency about which sponsor to choose and possibly verify if their credentials and work culture harmonize with your expectations.

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Where can I find the Occupations list?

You can easily find the jobs listed here:

Are there any exceptions in the minimum Salary?

Yes. In certain cases the applicant can apply for jobs below the minimum salary threshold. It can be as low as £20,480 per year but not lower. The possible conditions are:

  1. The job is in the shortage occupation list
  2. Applicant under 26 - student, recent graduate or under training
  3. Applicant has a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths PhD for the Job
  4. Having post doctoral position in science or higher

Note: For other PhD graduates (eg, Psychology) the minimum salary is £23,040 per year.

What is the Shortage Occupation List?

A Shortage Occupation in the UK is any occupation which has a high shortage of workers. An updated list can be found here:

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What is my Occupation Code?

Search for your Occupation code using the title of your job in this tool:

Not every job title might be available and if you don't find your title try search using a similar title instead.

For instance, Chefs are eligible for the Visa, but cooks are not. Look for similar professional titles to see if the job descriptions match.

What is the duration for living in the UK with this Visa?

You can stay in the UK for 5 years using this Visa. Further extension after 5 years is possible as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

Can it help me settle permanently?

After 5 years of living in the UK you can be eligible to apply to settle permanently in the UK using the Indefinite Leave to Remain route.

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What is the Skilled Worker Visa UK response timeline?

Application timeline varies on whether you’re applying from outside the UK or within the UK.

Applied from Outside the UK: 3 weeks

Applied from Within the UK: 8 Weeks

If you need to fast track the process, you might be able to pay for a faster decision.

How do I bring my child and partner to the UK along with me?

For your dependents under Skilled Worker Visa UK you will need to provide proof of relation.

For Partner you will need to prove:

  1. Civil Partnership or UK Recognized Marriage Certificate
  2. Proof of living together for at least 2 years in a partnership

If your child is 16 or over:

They must:

  1. Live with you
  2. not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
  3. be financially supported by you

If your child lives with you, you’ll need to provide evidence of their address such as:

  1. bank statement
  2. credit card bills
  3. driving licence
  4. NHS registration document
  5. an official letter from their university or college

What are the financial requirements for Skilled Worker Visa UK dependants?

You need to show that your dependents have a certain amount of money to survive in the UK.

You - or your partner or child - will need to keep money in the bank to show this ability:

  1. £285 for your partner
  2. £315 for one child
  3. £200 for each additional child

For skilled worker visa uk points calculation, visit our blog article on points calculation here.

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Tier 2 sponsor licence list

Ans. – The Tier 2 sponsor licence list is all about a list of published record of organizations that are licensed for sponsoring non-EEA migrant workers under Tier 2 & 5. The list is updated on a regular basis.

There are four categories under the route of Tier 2 sponsor licence:

Tier 2 sponsor licence processing time

Ans. –The processing time for Tier 2 sponsor licence is almost ten weeks. You will likely receive a pre-license audit from an officer dealing with Home Office Compliance. The entire team will pay a visit to your premises to make sure that you have right procedures required for maintaining all duties of sponsorship.

UK companies willing to sponsor tier 2 visa

Ans. – There are three various types of industries in the UK that hire international students. They are:
Accounting, Consulting and Professional Services – EY, KPMG, BDO, Capco, Oliver Wyman
Banking and Finance – Barclays, HSBC, RBS, Aviva, First Derivatives
Engineering and Technology – Airbus, Atos, Babcock, UK Power Networks, Centrica

It is very much essential to keep up-to-date regarding the names of companies that will permit along with the ones that will not.

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What is tier 2 a rating?

Ans. –The applicants of Tier 2 must have a valid job offer. The company must pay the applicant accordingly. The salary package must vary on the basis of designation along with the level of experience. It is better to confirm about the same in detail prior moving ahead. It is better to conduct in-depth research.

Tier 2 sponsor visa uk for family

Ans. –The Tier 2 sponsor visa in UK is issued to the spouse, family or child of the respective member holding a valid Tier 2 visa. The visa is for those people that are accompanying or about the join their family in the United Kingdom, who have already applied for the Tier 2 visa.

How to score points for a UK Work Visa

To be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa, you need to accumulate at least 70 points.

However, it is also important to note that some points are mandatory, and others more flexible.

You must score 50 mandatory points as follows:

The remaining 20 points are ‘tradable’ and can be swapped for one another. This works as follows:

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What are the Skilled Worker Visa requirements?

In addition to scoring points, you also have to meet a number of requirements in order to be eligible for the work permit.

Generally speaking, you must:

What are the Work Visa application documents?

As with any visa route, you must prove to UKVI that you have met all of the stipulated visa requirements. You will need to submit your evidence in a portfolio within your application.

The documents you will need to submit include:

What are the Skilled Worker Visa fees?

The cost for a Work Visa depends on where in the world you are applying from and how long you intend on working in the UK.

If you are applying for a Skilled Work Visa from within the UK, the fees are:

If you are applying from outside the UK, the fees are:

The good news is that if you are filling a job on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), you can benefit from a visa discount. An SOL visa costs £464 for 3 years or £928 for longer.

However, these fees do not include additional immigration fees, such as the cost to register your biometric information, the Immigration Health Surcharge or any lawyer fees. You may also need to pay to have your documents translated into English.

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What are the employer’s requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa?

In order to legally hire talent from overseas, employers must have a Sponsorship Licence from the UK government. With this licence, you can then issue ‘certificates of sponsorship’ to international workers who you intend to hire.

The Sponsor Licence permission can vary depending on how many people you wish to recruit and how large the business is.

You must also be mindful that you’ll need to pay an Immigration Skills Charge per each and every overseas worker you hire. This charge can be as low as £364 for a 12-month employment, followed by another £182 for each subsequent 6-months thereafter.

However, larger businesses can pay up to £1,000 for a member of staff to work on their premises for 12 months. The fee is then reduced to £500 for each subsequent 6-month period after.

How can 1 Absolute Advisor help?

Our immigration lawyers situated in the heart of London are well-versed in the Work Visa rules. We can assist you in creating an airtight Skilled Worker Visa application from start to finish, and in fact we help hundreds of people achieve their dreams of working in the capital, and the UK, every single day.

Call us on 0207 993 6762 for a free initial consultation on your case and to hear more about our bespoke Work Visa advice services.

Skilled Worker Visa UK FAQ

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