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What is the Skilled Worker Visa?
The Skilled Worker visa allows employers to recruit non-UK resident workers for eligible, skilled roles.
This route replaces the Tier 2 General work visa which also had a different set of requirements.
Family Members and Settlement
Spouses, ‘durable’ partners and children (under the age of 18) can also apply to join the main visa applicant in the UK.
This route can also lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) in the UK.
Skilled Worker Visa Requirements
The main qualifying criteria to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route are:
- You will be working for a Home Office-approved employer in the UK
- Your employer must issue you a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ providing information about the role you’ve been offered
- The job is on the list of eligible occupations
- Your minimum salary meets the relevant threshold in accordance to the role you will be doing
Applicants will also need a minimum of 70 points to qualify for the Skilled Worker route as follows:
Mandatory 50 points attributed to all skilled migrants which are as follows:
- English speaking at the required level – 10 points
- Job offer from an approved sponsor – 20 points
- Relevant skill level for the applied job – 20 points
Tradeable Points
- Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the minimum salary for the respective profession (whichever is higher) – 0 points
- Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the minimum salary for the respective profession (whichever is higher) – 10 points
- Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the minimum salary for the respective profession (whichever is higher) – 20 points
- Have a job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee – 20 points
- Education qualification at PhD level in a subject related to the job – 10 points
- Education qualification at PhD level in a STEM subject related to the job – 20 points
- The job is listed in a healthcare or education occupation/new entrant in the labour market, and salary equals or exceeds both £20,480 per year and the going rate for respective profession – 20 points
Eligible Occupations
To determine if the respective job is eligible for the Skilled Worker route, the sponsor needs to identify the relevant SOC code (a 4-digit occupation code) for the role.
This can be done using the
ONS occupation coding tool here. - The job description for the SOC code must match the respective position to be filled.
Salary Requirement
The general salary threshold for a Skilled Worker is £25,600 per annum, unless the ‘going rate’ for the particular role is higher. Therefore the applicant must be paid at least a basic salary which equals or exceeds these thresholds.
In some cases, applicants can still be eligible to apply for the Skilled Worker visa if they are paid less than the thresholds mentioned above, where they can trade points against a lower salary to satisfy the minimum of 70 points to qualify for the Skilled Worker route:
- An applicant with a PhD qualification which is relevant to the job may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £23,040 per year and 90% of the going rate for the occupation;
- An applicant with a PhD qualification in a STEM subject which is relevant to the job may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £20,480 per year and 80% of the going rate for the occupation;
- An applicant with a job offer for a job in a shortage occupation* may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £20,480 per year and 80% of the going rate for the occupation;
- An applicant who is a new entrant to the labour market* may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £20,480 per year and 70% of the going rate for the occupation;
- An applicant for a job in a listed health or education occupation may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £20,480 per year and 80% of the going rate for the occupation.
Shortage Occupation
A ‘shortage occupation’ is a skilled job where there is deemed to be a shortage of workers in the UK. - The list for which is maintained by the Home Office here
New entrant to the labour market
A new entrant is someone who is under 26 on the date of making the application and is applying for a maximum period of 3 years’ leave as a skilled worker, those sponsored in postdoctoral research positions, those in professional training or studying for professional qualifications, registration or chartered status, a recent graduate, or in professional training.
Visa Fees and Financial Requirement
Visa Application Fee
Applying from outside the UK:
- Up to 3 years - £610 per person
- Over 3 years - £1,220 per person
Applying from inside the UK:
- Up to 3 years - £704 per person
- Over 3 years - £1,408 per person
Note that if your job is on the shortage occupation list, the application fee is lower (and is the same for applications being made outside and inside the UK):
- Up to 3 years - £464 per person
- Over 3 years - £928 per person
Healthcare surcharge
You will also need to pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay - this is currently £624 per year
Financial maintenance
Applicants must evidence that they have money to support themselves when they come to the UK and have at least £1,270 in their bank account at the time of applying for the visa. These funds must have been available for at least 28 consecutive days, the 28th day of which must be within 31 days of applying. This must be evidenced, unless either:
- The applicant has been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
- The employer can cover their costs during the first month of being in the UK, up to £1,270
If the employer can support the skilled worker, the certificate of sponsorship must confirm this by the employer completing the ‘sponsor certifies maintenance’ section on the certificate, under ‘Additional data’.
Note that if there are also dependants applying, additional funds will be required to prove they can support themselves when they come to the UK.
English Language Requirement
Unless the Applicant for the Skilled Worker visa is from a majority-english-speaking country such as the USA or Australia, they must be able to demonstrate they can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
This can be satisfied by any of the following:
- Passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT)
- Obtained a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English from a UK school
- Having a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English
- Already proven that the minimum level of B1 was met as part of a previous UK immigration application that was successful
Switching to the Skilled Worker visa
If you are currently in the UK on a another Visa category, you may be able to switch to the Skilled Worker route.
Note that you cannot switch to the Skilled Worker Visa if you are currently in the UK on one of the following visas:
- visitor visa
- short-term student visa
- parent of a Child Student visa
- seasonal worker visa
- domestic worker in a private household visa
- on immigration bail
- leave to remain outside the immigration rules
What happens if you change your Job or Employer?
You will need to apply to update your Skilled Worker or Tier 2 (General) visa:
- If you start a new job with a new employer
- if you change jobs with your current employer and the new job is in a different occupation code
- If your job changes to a different occupation code, and you are not in a graduate training programme
- If your current job is on the shortage shortage occupation list and change jobs to one that is not on the list
If you have any concerns about meeting the requirements, or submitting the correct documents to support your application,
Book a Consultation now for expert advice and full peace of mind that your application will be successful.
Want your Application to be completely managed by a UK Visa Specialist?
* Get Expert Advice and Support to submit your Skilled Worker Application.
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