Skill Worker Visa
Skilled Worker Visa UK for those individual professionals who want to come to the UK and do their eligible job with their approved employer. The eligible job could be anything from an architect to a doctor to a teacher to a lawyer, and so on.
The employer must have an intention to make a lead or key role in the business. The visa lets you come to the UK to do the job you are trained for, and live and work in the UK as a Skilled Migrant. You can apply if you are: an employee of a company that has an intention to make a lead or key role in the business; or have your own company, and your job is eligible.
The applicant must have a university degree, be high-skilled, have a job offer, be approved by UKVI. You can apply if you have a degree and relevant experience, have a job offer and have been offered a tier 1 (Intra-Company Transfer) visa by your employer. There are also extra requirements if you are applying as a skilled worker, such as having a long-term job offer, and more job offer details will be on the visa requirements page.
The worker will be able to apply to live and work in the UK on this visa under the same terms as British citizens and holders of British citizenship and British overseas citizens, and will not have to live separately from their employer. This visa is aimed at those who meet the ‘skills shortage list’ criteria, which include high-demand occupations.
The Skilled Worker visa is the main route for people to come to the United Kingdom to take up employment. Before applying for a visa under this route you must have a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from your potential employer. The job that you have been offered must pay the ‘appropriate salary’ which is usually at least £38,700 per year (the ‘appropriate salary’ for certain professions is higher – please contact us for more guidance). You must also meet the English language requirement and have the appropriate level of savings available.
English language requirement
Skilled Worker applicants must show that they meet the English language requirement at CEFR level B1 in all four components (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
Savings
You must have at least £1,270 in your bank for a minimum of 28 days before you apply. If you have been in the UK with a valid visa for 12 months before you apply, you do not need to show any savings.
How long will my skilled worker visa last
A Skilled Worker visa is valid for a maximum of 5 years or for the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is the shortest.
After you have completed 5 years on a Skilled Worker visa you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Can I bring my family to the UK?
Yes. Your partner (if you are unmarried, you must have lived together for 2 years) and your children under 18 can come to the UK with you. If you are already in the UK, your children aged over 18 can remain with you if they are currently in the UK as your dependents.
Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they’re in the UK. They will need:
- £285 for your partner
- £315 for one child
- £200 for each additional child
Appeal rights
There is no full right of appeal if a Skilled Worker application is refused, instead, you must apply for administative review. In an administrative review, a refusal will not be overturned if the applicant has failed to provide a specified document or made an error with their application. It is therefore crucial to ensure that any application is well prepared, thoroughly checked, and submitted by a qualified and experienced immigration specialist to avoid refusal of the application and loss of fees paid.