Skilled Worker visa

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A Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer:

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:

  • work for a UK employer that has been approved by the Home Office
  • have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you have been offered in the UK
  • do a job that is on the list of eligible occupations
  • be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do

You need to be employed by a licensed sponsor to apply to live in the UK.
Your sponsor checks that you can do the job they’re hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They will assign you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this.

What you can and cannot do

With a Skilled Worker visa, you can:

  • work in an eligible job
  •  study
  •  bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
  •  take on additional work in certain circumstances
  •  do voluntary work
  •  travel abroad and return to the UK
  •  apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if
    you have lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements
    You cannot:
  •  apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
  •  change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa

Your job

You must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa:

  • your job is eligible for this visa
  •  you will be working for a UK employer that has been approved by the Home Office
  •  you will be paid at least the minimum salary for the type of work you will be doing

The minimum salary for the type of work you will be doing is whichever is the highest out of the following 3 options:

  • £25,600 per year
  •  £10.10 per hour
  •  the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you will be doing

Taking on additional work

You can do additional paid work on this visa if you are still doing the job you are being sponsored for. You can also do unpaid voluntary work.
You can work up to 20 hours a week in a job that is either:

  •  in the same occupation code and at the same level as your main job
  •  in a shortage occupation

    Our team can conduct the eligibility  assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end-to-end  support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.