UK Skilled Worker Visa is a work visa that permits you from a different part of the world with the requisite skills to work in the UK for a licensed UK employer. The skilled worker visa replaced the Tier 2 visa. The scheme now is open to those with skills that are equivalent to A-level in the UK or above in an eligible occupation.
Depending on your certificate of sponsorship, with the UK skilled work visa, you can be granted up to five years visa. Significant to state that your visa is only valid as long as you remain in the same position with your sponsoring employer. If you wish to change roles or employers, you will have to apply for a new Skilled Work Visa.
Benefits of the UK Skilled Work Visa
- The UK skilled work visa has quite a number of perks some of which are;
- Under the scheme, it is possible to extend your visa before it expires, and after a qualifying period of five years, apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and a year after apply for British citizenship.
- With the skill level requirement being reduced from RQF level 6 to RQF level 3, the number of eligible occupations has increased greatly
- The skilled worker visa is not open to recent graduates
- Acquiring a skilled work visa has become easier and faster with the absence of the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)
- There is no cap on the number of Skilled Worker visas available in the UK
Eligibility and Requirements for the UK Skilled Work Visa
The eligibility criteria for the skilled work visa are;
- Have a job offer from a UK employer and the role is on the list of eligible occupations, and meets the minimum salary requirements from a UK employer
- Your employer must be on the list of licenced sponsors approved by the Home Office
- Your employer must have issued you with a valid “Certificate of Sponsorship” which is a digital document that contains information about the role for which you are being sponsored, including your role title and type, your work start and end dates, gross salary, your sponsor licence number, and the date of expiry.
- The job for which you are being employed must be on the list of eligible occupations and you must possess the skills and expertise to match the role
- You must meet the skill level requirement: at least equivalent to RQF level 3
- You must meet the minimum salary requirements which is currently £26,200 per year. However, the latest announcement by the home secretary states that from the 4th of April 2024, the minimum salary will be increased to £38,700. This increase does not apply to health and social care visa routes and education workers on national pay.
- You must prove that you meet the English language requirements
- You must have £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK
Required Documents
The required documents needed to apply for the UK skilled work visa are;
- Your passport (with a blank page)
- Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
- Your job title and annual salary
- Your job’s occupation code
- The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number (as shown on your Certificate of Sponsorship)
- Evidence of sufficient personal savings to support yourself
- Proof of your relationship to your spouse/partner and children (e.g. marriage and birth certificates)
- A criminal record certificate (this is only necessary for certain occupation types involving vulnerable individuals such as healthcare and education)
- Proof of your English language proficiency
- TB test results (if you are from a country for which this is required)
- UK PhD certificate or Ecctis reference if your PhD is not from the UK
Conclusion
Coming to the UK through a skilled work visa is sure one of the best ways though due to the complexity in its application and the documents required, we advise you to contact us for a free consultation on how you can have a seamless process.
