Skilled Worker visa

The UK Skilled Worker visa allows overseas skilled workers to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. You must have a confirmed job offer in a UK company that holds a sponsorship license.

The Skilled Worker visa is open to individuals of all nationalities (except British and Irish) who have an offer of an eligible skilled job in the UK from a Home Office-approved sponsor.

The route can lead to settlement and applicants can be joined by dependent partners and children. The skilled worker visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa category from 1 December 2020.

In order to secure a Skilled Worker Visa, you will need to be sponsored to do a specific job, which meets certain skill and salary requirements, by an employer that has been licensed by the Home Office. There is no cap on the number of people who can enter the UK on the Skilled Worker route.

What are the requirements to apply for a Skilled Worker visa?

In order to qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do;
• Your job offer is a genuine vacancy;
• Your sponsor has paid any required Immigration Skills Charge;
• Your job is at an appropriate skill level;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0);
• You will be paid a salary that equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for the occupation;
• You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds; and
• You have provided a criminal record certificate if required.

Before you can apply for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a job offer from a Home Office approved Sponsor.