UK Skilled Worker Visa from Pakistan
Pakistani citizens can enter the UK to do an eligible job by obtaining a UK Skilled Worker visa. The employer you will work for must hold a valid sponsor license in order to issue you an eligible certificate of sponsorship.
To know more about the UK Skilled Worker visa from Pakistan, the eligibility requirements, how to apply, or other immigration services we offer, call Total Law today on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
Skilled Work Visa UK for Pakistani Citizens: An Overview
The Skilled Worker visa is designed to attract highly skilled foreign workers into the UK and subsequently offer them a route to remain in the country indefinitely. This visa is a Work visa that allows Pakistani and other non-EU citizens professionally skilled in their line of work to enter the UK and work for their licensed employers.
UK Skilled Worker visa is available to Pakistani citizens who score 70 points by fulfilling particular eligibility requirements, such as skill and salary level, proficiency in the English language, and possession of a valid sponsorship license and qualified work offer from a UK employer.
You may qualify for the Skilled Worker visa if you are skilled at degree level in an eligible occupation. This visa is typically a long-term visa valid for 5 years, however, how long you will stay in the UK to work for your employer is largely determined by the period your Certificate of Sponsorship allows.
Note that if you wish to change employer or move to a new job role with the same employer, you must apply to update your Skilled Worker visa.
You can extend your Skilled Worker visa and apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) when you have stayed in the country for up to 5 years. You can also apply for British citizenship when you have stayed in the country for an additional 1 year as a permanent resident.
Page Contents
- Skilled Work Visa UK Overview
- Eligibility and Requirements for UK Skilled Worker Visa
- How to Apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa?
- How Long Can You Stay in the UK With a Skilled Worker Visa?
- Processing Time and Cost for Skilled Worker Visa
- What You Can and Cannot Do
- Settle in the UK With a Skilled Worker Visa
- Skilled Worker Visa Refusals
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
"I'm very happy with the standard of training received on the OISC Level 1 course, i passed my exam. Thank you!"
Liam Calvert
Posted 6 years ago
"My application was approved and a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders this year "
Akeel Lakar
Posted 6 years ago
"We used this service for the spouse visa extension application to assure that all the information was valid and correct."
Nabil Anwar
Posted 6 years ago
Eligibility and Requirements for UK Skilled Worker Visa
Pakistani citizens who want to obtain a Skilled Worker visa must meet the UK Skilled Worker visa requirements. They include:
Your Job
To obtain a Skilled Worker visa you must have a legitimate job offer from a licensed UK employer. From 22 July 2025, the Home Office increased the minimum skill requirement for a standard Skilled Worker Visa to RQF Level 6, which is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and above. You must have received the job offer even before you begin your visa application.
This job offer must be issued to you by an A-rated company that is licensed to sponsor foreign workers to enter the UK and do jobs on the list of eligible occupations. Your employer must also pay you the minimum salary for the job you do.
The type of job you do will determine how much you will be paid. You must be issued a valid CoS by your UK employer to include in your application.
Knowledge of English Requirement
Pakistani citizens applying for a Skilled Worker visa are required to prove they can read, write, speak, and understand the English language. The required level to satisfy this criterion is to get a minimum of level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
To prove your knowledge of the English language, you need to:
- Have academic qualifications obtained in the UK
- Possess a degree or other academic qualifications that was taught in English outside the UK
- Pass an English language test from a licensed test centre. Your score must be at least at CEFR B2 level in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding English
Some individuals are exempted from the UK English test. The individuals involved in this category include:
- People who have passed their English Language assessment that an appropriate authority in their line of work has approved
- Individuals from certain English-speaking countries, such as Australia, Jamaica, Canada, USA, etc.
Minimum Salary Requirements
Another eligibility criterion for a Skilled Worker visa is that applicants must be paid a minimum salary of £41,700, excluding health and care visa routes. In addition, there are instances in which a lower salary may qualify you for a UK Work visa.
Your employer can pay you less than if:
- You are under 26 years old, in professional training, or a recent graduate
- Your role is included in a shortage occupation
- You possess a postdoctoral position in higher education or science
- You possess a PhD degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) that is specifically related to your line of work
Note that under the new arrangement, the salary discount set out for jobs on the shortage occupation list would no longer continue.
Required Documents
Pakistani skilled workers must provide supporting documents to the Home Office to apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa. These documents usually include:
- Your Pakistani passport or travel document
- Your job’s occupation code
- Reference number of your CoS
- Your job title and yearly salary
- The sponsor licence number of your employer and their name
- Evidence of your relationship with your partner or spouse and children, such as marriage and birth certificates (if they are coming with you to the UK)
- Evidence of your English language proficiency
- Your UK PhD certificate or ECCTIS reference if you did not study your PhD in a UK educational institution
- Proof of enough finances to cater for your needs while in the UK
- All applicants’ tuberculosis test results
- Valid ATAS certificate, if your employer informs you that you require one because part of your work entails conducting PhD-level or higher research on a sensitive subject
- Criminal record certificate
You will also be required to prove your identity by providing your biometric information. You can submit your biometric information at a visa application centre in Pakistan or via the Home Office’s mobile UK Immigration: ID Check app. With this app, you can scan, upload your identity documents and forward them to the Home Office.
A qualified translator is required to translate any document that is not in English. In your evidence portfolio, you must include both the original and the translated version.
Your situation as an applicant will determine which precise documents you must provide. It is for this reason that we strongly advise you to seek expert guidance from an immigration lawyer. You must also be able to satisfy the general requirements under UK Immigration Rules, such as identity, suitability, no criminal conviction or record of immigration breach, etc.
Our professional immigration lawyers at Total Law are experienced in securing Skilled Worker visas for Pakistani citizens.
How to Apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa?
Similar to most UK visas, a Skilled Worker visa application is an online process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply:
- Start with creating an account on the Home Office website with an email ID
- Have all your supporting documents (including the CoS you have received from your sponsoring UK employer) and other relevant information ready with you so as to answer the questions on the online form completely and accurately
- After completing the form, submit it online along with scanned copies of your supporting documents
- Pay the fees online using a debit or a credit card
- Book an appointment with a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric details (i.e., your facial images and fingerprints)
You will have to prove your identity as part of your UK visa application process. How you need to do so depends on where you are from and the type of passport you have.
If you are eligible to prove your identity through the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, you can use it to scan your required documents to prove your identity. Otherwise, to prove your identity, you will have to:
- Book an appointment with your nearest UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to submit your biometric details if you are applying from inside the UK, or
- Book an appointment with your nearest visa application centre (VAC) in Pakistan to submit your biometric details if you are applying from there (or from any other country where you currently hold a legal resident status)
How Long Can You Stay in the UK With a Skilled Worker Visa?
Once you are issued a Skilled Worker visa, you can enter the UK and stay for up to 5 years. When this visa is about to expire, you can apply to extend it or update it if you switch employers or jobs.
You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after staying in the UK for 5 years, provided you meet the requirements.
Processing Time and Cost for Skilled Worker Visa
How Long it Takes?
Pakistani citizens applying for a Skilled Worker visa from Pakistan should expect a decision on their application within 3 weeks.
However, some factors may delay the processing time of your application, such as the volume of applications, previous immigration violations, additional document requests, etc.
How Much it Costs?
The application fee for a Skilled Worker Visa applicant from outside the UK is £819 for up to 3 years and £1,618 for over three years.
Applicants must also have at least £1,270 in their account to show they can support themselves once in the UK.
The cost to apply for a visa extension is £943 per person for stays up to three years and £1,865 per person for over three years.
The application cost for employees and their families may be reduced if their employment is on the immigration salary list. Each applicant must pay £628 for up to three years or £1,235 for longer than three years. The same charge applies whether it is applied from within or outside of the UK.
What You Can and Cannot Do
When you obtain the Skilled Work visa UK, you will be permitted to engage in some activities. They include:
- Sponsor your dependent (partner and children) to come and join you in the UK if in an eligible role
- Do an eligible job
- Study
- Do voluntary work
- Travel overseas and return to the UK
- Take up a second job (depending on the situation)
- Seek to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK after staying in the country for up to 5 years and meeting other eligibility requirements
You are not permitted to:
- Switch jobs or employers unless you have applied to update your visa
- Seek the state pension or public funds.
Settle in the UK With a Skilled Worker Visa
Skilled Worker is a settlement route to the UK. A Pakistani national living in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa may be eligible to apply for ILR provided they:
- Meet the five-year ‘continuous residence’ requirement in the UK as specified by the Home Office (any time spent as a ‘dependant’ or on any other visa ineligible for this purpose will not be counted)
- Meet at least the minimum salary threshold
- Are required to continue living in the UK for their current job
- Meet the salary requirements after they get ILR
- Successfully pass the Life in the UK Test
- Are not in breach of immigration laws (except certain circumstances) or on immigration bail
You will need to apply online for ILR as a Skilled Worker from inside the UK. You will be required to submit relevant documents supporting your case, such as your Life in the UK Test pass certificate or a confirmation letter from your sponsoring employer that you continue to be needed for your current job and your salary matches the corresponding going rate, and pay the required fees.
Skilled Worker Visa Refusals
Your Skilled Worker visa application may be refused even when you have a confirmed job offer from your UK sponsoring employer. Before applying, you must, therefore, thoroughly check whether you meet the eligibility criteria to avoid a potential refusal. Even if you meet the visa conditions, an eligibility error on the part of your sponsoring employer may lead to a visa refusal.
Here are some of the common reasons why your Skilled Worker visa application may be refused:
- Your employer’s sponsorship licence has been suspended, revoked, or declared invalid
- Your CoS contains errors
- Your offered salary is below the required threshold
- Your role does not match the occupation code selected
- Your job description on the CoS is inconsistent with the claimed skilled occupation
- The Home Office is not convinced about the genuineness of your job offer for any other reason(s)
- You do not fulfil the English language requirement
- You have submitted an inaccurate or incomplete application form
- You have submitted insufficient supporting documents (even after the Home Office asked you to submit additional evidence)
- Information inconsistencies exist between your application form, employment records, and supporting evidence
- You have failed to prove that you have sufficient funds
- You have a serious criminal conviction or previous adverse immigration history
- You have provided false information or forged documents
How Can Total Law Help?
As a Pakistani citizen who wants to obtain a UK Skilled Worker visa, you are required to meet the eligibility requirements and provide supporting documents for the visa. Incomplete documentation and inaccuracies in your application may result in the rejection of your visa application.
To avoid unnecessary errors in your application, we recommend you reach out to one of our immigration lawyers at Total Law for guidance. Our immigration lawyers are well-versed in UK immigration-related matters and they can help apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa on your behalf to the standard required by the Home Office.
Our immigration lawyers already know the best steps to take to help you actualise your goal of entering the UK to work for your licensed employer. Call us today on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online for a quick response.
Advice Package
Comprehensive immigration advice tailored to your circumstances and goals.
Application Package
Designed to make your visa application as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Fast Track Package
Premium application service that ensures your visa application is submitted to meet your deadline.
Appeal Package
Ensure you have the greatest chance of a successful appeal. We will represent you in any case.
The Advice Package
During this untimed Advice Session with our professional immigration lawyers in London, you will receive our comprehensive advice, completely tailored to your needs and your situation.
The Application Package
With our Application Package, your dedicated immigration lawyer will advise you on your application process and eligibility. Your caseworker will then complete and submit your forms to the Home Office on your behalf.
The Fast Track Package
Our Fast-Track Application Package is a premium service for those who need to submit their application in time with their deadlines. Your case will become a top priority for our lawyers and you will benefit from our highest-quality services.
The Appeal Package
By choosing our Appeal Package, you can rely on our lawyers’ legal knowledge and experience to ensure you have the highest chance of a successful appeal. We will also fully represent you in any hearings/tribunals.
Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are already in the UK on a different visa category, you may be eligible to switch to a Skilled Worker visa provided your current visa type allows it and you meet the relevant conditions for a Skilled Worker visa.
Yes, you can obtain a work permit in the UK without IELTS because you also have another option to prove your English proficiency by providing an ECCTIS report for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree you hold.
If your Skilled Worker visa is refused, the Home Office will outline the refusal reason(s) in your visa decision letter. The letter will also mention if you can ask for an administrative review. If not or if you have exhausted the option, you can submit a fresh application. Ensure you have taken care of the previous refusal reason(s) before you reapply.
