Skilled Worker Visa UK

Whilst popular, the UK Skilled Worker route has a strict set of requirements that foreign nationals must meet in order to be eligible, the main requirements for the Skilled Worker Visa include:

• Having a job offer for an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office approved sponsor employer in the UK
• Holding a Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer
• Meeting the minimum salary threshold; this varies depending on the type of role you will be doing but is normally £41,700
• Being able to demonstrate your English language ability to at least the level of B1 as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• Proving that you have enough money to support yourself whilst in the UK

The Skilled Worker Visa eligibility requirements vary depending on the job that you will be doing whilst in the UK. For example, for some roles, you may need to provide a criminal record certificate to be eligible or your salary requirements may be different if you will be doing a job on the immigration salary list.

One of the main requirements for the Skilled Worker route is to have a job offer in the UK, however, only certain types of roles qualify for this visa. Your job must be at the appropriate skill level, this is RQF Level 6 and above and the job must also be in an eligible occupation code.

You can find out whether your job is eligible by looking up the occupation code. You can get your occupation code from your employer or you can find it using the ONS occupation coding tool.

You can view a list of all of the eligible occupation codes for the Skilled Worker route on the gov.uk website. There may not always be an occupation code for your exact job role, in this case, you should look at the most appropriate occupation code based on the duties you will have.

Your job must also meet the minimum salary requirements. Usually, you must earn at least £41,700 per year.

Each occupation has its own going rate so your minimum salary may be higher depending on this. In some circumstances you can still be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa if you earn less than £41,700 per year.

To meet the financial requirement for the Skilled Worker route you will need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself whilst in the UK. To do this you will need to show that you have at least £1,270 available.

You will need to show that this money has been available to you for at least 28 days in a row within 31 days of you applying for the visa.

You can be exempt from having to meet the financial requirement if you have already been in the UK on a valid visa for the last 12 months or if your employer agrees to cover your costs of up to £1,270 during your first month in the UK. You will need to show proof of this to be exempt.

If you are eligible to bring family members with you to the UK then there are additional financial requirements that you will need to meet for each relative.

To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must prove that you’re proficient in the English language. You can demonstrate your English proficiency by:

• Scoring at least grade level B1 (CEFR) in an approved English language test. However, when the changes under the immigration white paper come into effect, both the applicant and dependants will need to score level B2 to qualify for the skilled worker visa.
• Having an academic qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s degree or higher, taught in English
• Having a UK GCSE/A-level or Scottish Highers from a UK school

You do not have to provide proof of English proficiency if you’ve already met the English language requirement for a previous UK visa application.

Nationals of specific majority English-speaking countries are exempt from the English language requirement for a Skilled Worker visa. These countries include: the Bahamas, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, the USA, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Before applying for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must obtain a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your UK sponsoring employer confirming you meet the eligibility criteria for the visa.

A certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record containing information on the role you’re being sponsored for, including your job type and position, gross salary, employment start and end dates, etc. You must provide your CoS reference number on your Skilled Worker Visa application.

There are two types of Certificate of Sponsorship: defined and undefined. Undefined CoS are for foreign workers switching to the Skilled Worker visa route from an eligible immigration route within the UK or those applying to extend their Skilled Worker visa. Defined CoS is for overseas Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Sponsors must apply and pay for a defined Certificate of Sponsorship from the Home Office. The application must include detailed information on each specific job, including the skills and salary levels they intend to sponsor.

UKVI allocates undefined Certificate of sponsorship to valid sponsors annually based on factors like the business needs and workforce size.

You must use your CoS to apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa within 3 months of receiving it, or it’ll become invalid.

UK employers looking to hire foreign skilled workers must first apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office. A valid sponsor licence permits a UK employer to hire and sponsor overseas workers for eligible occupations. However, the business must meet specific requirements to obtain and maintain a sponsor licence.

To qualify for a sponsor licence, UK employers must provide the following.

• Proof that the business is genuine and operating legitimately in the UK
• Proof that there is a genuine vacancy that requires a foreign skilled worker and that the job meets the required salary threshold.
• Proof that the business can fulfil all required sponsor duties and responsibilities, including having an efficient HR and sponsor management system.
• Proof of adequate staff and resources to manage the sponsorship management system
• Proof of continuing compliance with the Home Office sponsor requirements
• Proof that none of the business directors or key personnel have been involved in fraudulent actions or have any unspent criminal convictions.

Employers who meet these requirements will be issued an A-rated sponsor licence once their application is approved. UKVI conducts regular check-ins and audits to ensure sponsors maintain the eligibility requirements.

Failure to meet these requirements during a Home Office audit will result in the sponsor licence being downgraded to a B-rating. The sponsor cannot issue CoS to new employers until they address all outstanding issues and their sponsor licence is upgraded back to an A-rating.

Your partner and children may be able to apply to join or stay with you in the UK as your dependants if you are in a qualifying role. They can live, work (except as professional sportspeople), and study in the UK. They must each complete a separate visa application and pay the visa fee. If their application is successful, they’ll be issued a dependant visa with the same validity as yours.

For a Skilled Worker visa, the following qualify as dependants.

• Your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner
• Your children under 18, including those born to you in the UK
• Your child/children over 18, if they previously had permission to remain in the UK as your dependants.

They must provide evidence of their relationship with you along with their application. This includes Marriage, Civil Partnership, and Birth Certificates. They’ll need your application number, called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a family linking code, if you got one when you applied, to link your applications.

In addition to the £1,270 you need to support yourself for your first month in the UK, you’ll need extra funds to support your dependants. You’ll need:

• £285 for your partner
• £315 for one child
• £200 for each additional child.

Skilled Worker visas are usually valid for 3 to 5 years. You can apply to extend your visa before it expires, provided that:

• You have the same job as when you were first issued your visa
• Your job is in the same occupation code as when you were granted your initial permission to enter the UK
• You are still working for the employer who issued your current certificate of sponsorship.

Your family members can apply to extend their visa with you, but they must complete separate applications.

Skilled Worker Visa extension applications are typically processed within 8 weeks. Once you submit your application, you cannot travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands until your visa is processed, as doing so is equivalent to withdrawing your application.

You must apply to update your visa if you change jobs or employer while holding a Skilled Worker visa. You should apply for a Skilled Worker visa update if:

• You want to change your job and work for a new employer
• You change to a job in a different occupation code with the same employer
• Your job changes to a different occupation code, and you’re not a graduate trainee
• You switch from a job on the immigration salary list to a job that’s not on the list. You do not have to apply for a visa update if you stay in the same job, but your job was taken off the immigration salary list.
• You take on a second job that’s not on the eligible occupation list and involves more than 20 paid hours a week in addition to your sponsored job.

You must apply for a Skilled Worker visa update at least 3 months before the scheduled start date for your new job. You can continue working in your current job while waiting for a decision on your application. However, you cannot start the new job until your visa update application is approved.

Your partner and children must also apply to update their visas. They can apply at the same time as you or any time before their visas expire.

You can switch to a Skilled Worker visa if you’re already in the UK on a different visa, depending on your current visa route. You must meet the Skilled Worker job and sponsorship requirements and be proficient in English to qualify for the switch.

If you’re applying to change to a Skilled Worker visa from a student visa, you must also meet one of the following requirements.

• You must have completed your course of study
• Your expected job start date is after you finish your course
• You’re studying full-time for a PhD and must have been in the UK for at least 24 months.

You cannot apply to switch to a Skilled Worker visa if you’re in the UK on any of the following visas.

• Visitor visa
• Short-term study visa
• Parent of a Child Student visa
• Seasonal worker visa
• Domestic worker in a private household visa
• Immigration bail
• Permission to stay outside the immigration rules.

If you hold any of these visas, you must leave the UK and apply for the Skilled Worker visa from abroad.

You may be eligible for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) after holding a Skilled Worker visa for 5 years. Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is the UK’s permanent residency. It grants you the right to permanently live and work in the UK without employer sponsorship.

To be eligible for ILR, you must meet the following criteria.

• You still work for the same sponsor licence holder that sponsored you for your visa.
• You have lived in the UK for five continuous years as a skilled worker. Note that this will be extended to 10 years under the changes to the immigration white paper. These changes are expected to come into effect before the end of 2025.
• You have not spent up to 180 days in any 12 months period outside the UK
• You still meet the minimum skill and salary levels requirement
• You must pass the Life in the UK test.

Just like the Skilled Worker visa, you must apply for an ILR on the Gov.uk website and pay the application fee. Your dependant can apply at the same time as you if they’re eligible, but they must complete separate applications.

The Home Office can refuse your Skilled Worker visa application for several reasons. Some of the common reasons for Skilled Worker visa refusals include:

• Incomplete or incorrect details on the application form
• Failure to pay all required fees
• Failure to meet the required 70 points on the point-based immigration system.
• Inaccurate job code or certificate of sponsorship reference number
• Incomplete or insufficient supporting documents to prove your eligibility
• Previous immigration breaches or criminal record.
• Invalid employer sponsor licence

If the Home Office refuses your application, you’ll be sent a notice of refusal detailing the reasons for the refusal. You can request an administrative review requiring the Home Office to reconsider your application.

You must file for an administrative review within 28 days of receiving the notice of refusal if you’re abroad and within 14 days if you applied in the UK. The Home Office will respond to your request within 28 days.

If you’re unsatisfied with the outcome of the administrative review, you can request a judicial review.