Who is this visa for:
The United Kingdom is a very desirable country to work in for many reasons, one of them being the wide array of opportunities available for jobs and career growth. However, working in the UK is subject to certain conditions if you are a non-UK/Irish citizen. Following Brexit these conditions apply to most EU citizens as well.
If you are a non-British or non-Irish citizen you need a visa with work rights to legally work in the UK. There are some exemptions for example, EU Settled citizens do not require a visa since the Settlement Scheme incorporates work rights in the UK.
There is a variety of work visas available under various immigration pathways. Each visa comes with a set of requirements and criteria as well as visa conditions which must be met by the applicant/visa holder. In this article we will be discussing the Skilled Worker Visa as well as some considerations you may wish to keep in mind if you are considering relocating to the UK for employment.
In order to apply for a Skilled Woker visa, you must have been offered employment from a UK business with a valid ‘sponsorship licence.’ A company can apply for a sponsorship licence from the Home Office to successfully employ overseas workers in their organization. Once the UK employer has received the sponsorship licence, they can assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) in order to support your skilled worker visa application. The information in the CoS will include your personal details and other key information details of the position you will be taking in the UK as well as salary level.
The skilled worker visa is a route to settlement in the UK and this visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa.
Skilled Worker visa – Main eligibility criteria –
- You must have been offered a role an entity who has been approved by the Home Office i.e., in order to get this approval they must have applied for and been granted a sponsorship licence;
- You must have a Certificate of Sponsorship created by your employer in order for you to apply for the skilled worker visa;
- You must be working in a role that is on a list of eligible occupations;
- You must meet a minimum salary there hold. This minimum salary will differ from role to role;
- You must be able to prove that you have knowledge of the English language.
There are additional requirements you might need to meet depending on your personal circumstances.
Immigration solicitors in the UK can to assist you and your employer with the sponsor licence and the Skilled Worker visa application process. Immigration Solicitors will advise you and the employer on eligibility criteria and advise yon whether you qualify for the visa. The immigration solicitor UK will gather the required paperwork and apply on your behalf to the Home Office who will then process the sponsorship licence and your Skilled Worker Visa application.
How long you can stay in the UK on this visa:
How long you may be able to stay in the UK on this visa depends on your employer. You may be able to stay for up to 5 years in the UK on the skilled worker visa. Your employer may also ask your immigration solicitor to only supply you with a skilled worker visa for any number of years less than 5 years. After 5 years, you may be eligible to switch from a skilled worker visa to settlement in the UK, if you are planning to remain in the UK permanently.
How to apply for the skilled worker visa:
The Skilled Worker visa is an on-line application. You can apply for the visa from outside the UK or from inside the UK, if you are on the relevant visa. Note, certain visa holders are not able to ‘’switch’’ to the Skilled Worker visa from within the UK. Please speak to the UK Immigration Solicitor if you are not sure about your visa eligibility.
If you already have the Skilled Worker visa and your visa is due to expiry, you can apply for an extension of if you have a new job offer, you can apply for the visa with the new employer. They must have been granted the aforementioned sponsorship license from the Home Office in order to successfully employ you in the UK. You may bring your partner and children to the UK as dependents on your skilled worker visa. UK immigration solicitors will be able to assist you in completing the forms required and applying for the visa for you and your dependants.
Costs involved in applying for a skilled worker visa –
The costs involved will vary depending on the number of dependants you bring with you. You, your child and your spouse will need to pay separately for each application. You need to budget for:
- Application fees between £610 to £1,408 depending on your personal circumstances
- Immigration health surcharge- £624 per year
- Additional costs such as translation of documents, English language test, recognition of qualifications, chest X-rays – these costs will depend on your individual situation
- You may also be required to prove that you have enough cash as personal savings of £1,270 if your employer cannot certify your maintenance
- Solicitors fees if you are using one.
Contact our UK immigration Solicitors for the exact breakdown of costs associated with the Skilled Worker visa application.
Applying for the UK skilled worker visa can be daunting due to the complexity of rules and large volume of documents required for the application.
However, this is where our UK immigration solicitors can assist you. With years of expertise, our immigration lawyers will make your application process easy and worry-free. Contact Taylor Hampton Solicitors today for a tailored advice on your UK Skilled Migrant visa on 0207 427 5970 or email us: enquiries@taylorhampton.co.uk
