Skilled Worker Visa UK

The Skilled Worker visa route is part of the UK’s points-based immigration system. You will need to be score at least 70 points to be eligible for this route.

The 70 points can be scored in different ways such as:

• Valid Certificate of Sponsorship – 30 points
• Appropriate salary rate – 20 points
• Knowledge of the English language – 10 points
• Maintenance funds – 10 points

As well as meeting the required number of points, you should ensure that you are able to meet the other requirements before applying.

You can be eligible for the Skilled Worker visa route if you:

• Have a job offer from a UK-based company for a role at the appropriate skill level
• Hold a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by a licensed sponsor
• Will be able to meet the appropriate salary threshold for the job
• Meet specific English language requirements
• Can support yourself and your family without relying on public funds.

To apply for entry clearance under the Skilled Worker visa route, you will first need to receive a job offer from a UK-based company that is a registered Skilled Worker sponsor.

If they are not a registered sponsor already then they will need to apply for a Sponsor Licence.

Your employer will need to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship. Once your CoS has been granted, you will be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa. You must apply online via the gov.uk website.

You must apply within 3 months from the date your Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned. You should know that if your application is refused and you wish to make another request, you will need a new Certificate of Sponsorship.

As well as submitting the application form to the Home Office, you will also need to submit a portfolio of evidence to prove to the Home Office that you meet all the relevant requirements. Then you need to book a biometric appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken.

If you wish to apply for a UK work visa including the Skilled Worker visa, our immigration advisers can help, call us now on 0161 826 9783 (local rate).

You will have to provide a range of supporting documents along with your Skilled Worker visa application. These include the following:

• Your certificate of sponsorship reference number
• Proof of your knowledge of English, such as proof of passing an eligible English language test or an English-language educational qualification
• A valid passport or other identity document
• Details of your job title and salary
• Your job’s occupation code
• Your employer’s details, including their sponsor licence number

You may also have to provide the following documents, depending on your circumstances:

• Proof of funds to show that you can support yourself in the UK
• Proof of your relationship with your partner or children (if you’re bringing them to the UK with you)
• Tuberculosis test results if you’re applying from a required country
• A criminal record certificate, if you work in certain professions
• An ATAS certificate if your job involves researching certain sensitive subjects
• An ECCTIS reference number, if you need your non-UK academic qualification verified

The Skilled Worker visa normally takes up to 3 weeks to be processed if you’re applying from outside the UK. If you’re applying from inside the UK, it will normally take up to 8 weeks.

Note that these processing time windows only apply once you have supplied all of your supporting documents and proved your identity, which you may have to do by scheduling an appointment at a visa application centre.

Note that processing times are only ever estimates, and may take longer during certain times of year or if your application is complex or incomplete.

Depending on your location and circumstances, you may also be able to use a priority processing service to ensure your application is processed in a faster timeframe. However, these options will incur additional costs.

One of the main requirements of the Skilled Worker visa is that your employer is on the licensed Skilled Worker Sponsor list. You will need to show this in your application by providing proof through your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

The CoS is not a physical document but a reference number that must be included in your application. Should your company have its Sponsor Licence revoked while you are an employee there, you will need to find a new sponsor and reapply for your visa.

If your employer is not a registered sponsor then they will need to apply to be on the sponsorship list.

If you already have a Skilled Worker visa and you would like to remain in the UK after the 5 years are up, you will have to apply for an extension.

If you have any dependents on your visa, such as children, siblings or a spouse, then it’s important to ensure that they are also included on your Skilled Worker visa extension application if they are still dependent.

You will be eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa extension if you meet the following criteria:

• Your job has not changed since applying for your original Skilled Worker visa
• You are still earning an ‘appropriate salary’
• You still meet the eligibility requirements
• Your job is in the same occupation code as when you were given your previous immigration permission
• You are employed by the company who assigned your current Certificate of Sponsorship

The current fees for a Skilled Worker visa extension are as follows:

• £943 per person for up to 3-year extension
• £1,865 per person for more than a 3-year extension

You will need to provide the Home Office with certain documentation and information as part of the application process for a Skilled Worker extension.

A decision is usually sent within 8 weeks of the application date.

The Skilled Worker visa fees vary depending on where you are applying from and how long you plan to stay in the UK for. The current fees are as follows:

For applications from outside of the UK:

• up to 3 years – £819 per person
• more than 3 years – £1,618 per person

Applications from inside the UK:

• up to 3 years – £943 per person
• more than 3 years – £1,865 per person

If your job is on the  immigration salary list, then the fee is lowered to:

• £628 if you’re staying for up to 3 years
• £1,235 if you’re staying for more than 3 years

It’s also important to consider other costs that you will incur when applying. These may include:

• Life in the English Test – £50
• Biometric fee (to have your fingerprints and photo taken for your Biometric Residents Permit) – £19.20
• Immigration Health Surcharge – unless on a Health and Care visa then you will be required to pay the health surcharge for access to the NHS, costing £1035 a year.

To be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa, you must be able to meet the minimum salary threshold for your role. You’ll usually need to be paid at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.

The going rate varies depending on the type of job, you can find out the going rate for your job using your occupation code.

In some circumstances, you may not need to meet the salary threshold of £41,700 or the going rate of your job. This applies if:

• your job is on the immigration salary list
• you work in social care or education workers on national pay scales
• you’re under 26, studying, or a recent graduate
• you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job
• you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education

In these circumstances, you can normally be paid between 70% and 90% of the usual going rate for your job.

The immigration salary list s a list of jobs compiled by the Migration Advisery Committee (MAC) that identifies roles in the United Kingdom that are in short supply of employees.

The aim of the list is to set out the types of jobs that immigrants are needed to fill in the UK. Your application fee will be reduced if your role is on the immigration salary list.

Some examples of jobs that may be on the list include: medical practitioners, electrical engineers, nurses, artists, various types of scientists, architects, vets, laboratory technicians, graphic designers, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, paramedics, occupational therapists, IT programmers and many more.

One of the critical requirement is that you have good knowledge of English. The visa requires you to read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. This is the intermediate level, meaning that you can deal with most situations arising in everyday life in the UK. Individuals from certain nations, where it is expected you will have a good understanding of English, do not need to meet the requirement, including Australia, Barbados, New Zealand, and the USA.

You can show that your English is at a B1 standard in the following ways:

• You are a medical professional and have passed an English Language assessment that the relevant professional body has accepted.
• You have passed a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider.
• You have received qualifications from studying at a UK school under 18, such as GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English.
• You have a degree-level qualification for a course taught in English.

The Skilled Worker visa requires you to have a job offer from a UK employer so that you can receive a certificate of sponsorship (CoS). The job offer must have come from a Home Office recognised organisation that is appropriately licenced to sponsor workers.

The role must also fit the minimum salary requirements to be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa. It must pay equal to or more than the requirement established by the Skilled Worker visa or the ‘going rate’ for your role, whichever is higher. The standard annual wage requirement is £41,700. However, it is the lower value of £33,400 if the role is on the Immigration Salary List. Jobs on this list usually require 80% of the standard salary requirement of various visas. Many of these occupations are in areas that are currently experiencing a shortage in the UK’s domestic labour market.

Although the minimum requirements stipulated by the Skilled Worker visa will usually be in place, the following will reduce the ‘going rate’ that you must be offered:

• You have a PhD in a relevant subject: 10% reduction.
• You have a relevant PhD in a STEM subject: 20% reduction.
• You are a new entrant at the start of your career: 30% reduction.

To prove that the role is eligible for the Skilled Worker visa requirements, you will need to provide a range of information in your application. This includes the job title, its annual salary, and the job’s occupation code. You may need to provide a signed contract for the role.

To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, your employer needs to assign you a CoS. This is an online document that includes a reference number that you will need to include in your application. It also includes your personal information and a start and end date for the work you will be carrying out in the UK.

The employer will need to pay £525 to assign you a CoS. They will also need to pay the UK Immigration Skills Charge, a fee designed to encourage businesses to hire and train domestic talent. Small businesses and charities must pay £364, while large companies need to pay £364.

To assign you a CoS, the employer needs to hold a sponsor licence. For the Skilled Worker visa, this must be a Worker licence rather than a Temporary Worker licence. You can check on the UK government website for a comprehensive list of UK employers that have a sponsor licence. If the employer doesn’t have a sponsor licence, they must apply for one online or risk breaking immigration law. To be eligible, the business must fit the following requirements:

• The leader has no unspent convictions for immigration offenses, fraud or money laundering.
• It has not had a sponsor licence revoked in the last 12 months.
• It has systems in place to monitor sponsored workers and staff employed to manage sponsorship processes.

You also need to make sure that your prospective employer assigns you the correct type of CoS. Defined CoS is for Skilled Worker visa applications coming from outside the UK. Meanwhile, defined CoS is for applications from those already in the UK who are switching to the Skilled Worker visa.

The UK government has listed the occupations that are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa on its website. Each role on the list has a code, the job type, related job titles, and whether the role is eligible for the Skilled Worker visa. For example, the occupation code 1111 is for chief executives and senior officials, who are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa. The following job titles are contained within this job type:

• Chairpersons
• Chief executives
• Diplomats and foreign office officials
• Senior public service officials

This list includes both white and blue-collar workers. These trades primarily have occupation codes of 5111 or higher. For example, it includes sheet metal workers (5211). Under this umbrella are metal fabricators and finishers, panel beaters and whitesmiths.

You must double-check the list to ensure your role is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa before you apply, as some roles are surprisingly ineligible. For example, non-commissioned military officers (3311) do not qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, but police officers do.

Only individuals entering skilled or highly skilled occupations are eligible for this visa. This is defined by a Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) of level three or higher. The RQF is a British system used to standardise individuals’ education and training levels. It ranges from entry level to doctoral qualifications across levels 1-8.

Level 6 on the RQF is equivalent to degree level in the UK.

The business that is hiring you is responsible for ensuring that you have the right level of qualifications for a Skilled Worker visa before they offer you a job and assign a CoS. They will ask for copies of certificates for your qualifications and will need to keep accurate records of these being collected in case of a Home Office inspection.

It is common for overseas qualifications not to line up perfectly with the RQF levels. Companies can work with UK ENIC to evaluate international qualifications and make comparisons. Companies can also consider professional equivalencies to qualifications, particularly in practical occupations such as engineering. Large companies typically establish qualification evaluation frameworks within their human resources departments.

There are two types of financial requirements for a Skilled Worker visa in the UK: visa application fee and your savings bank balance. These requirements are detailed in the sections below:

Bank Balance

The other financial requirement is that you have sufficient savings in your bank balance to sustain yourself while you are in the UK. This requirement works alongside the minimum salary requirement detailed earlier to ensure that you won’t become reliant on state support to survive in the UK. The current required savings balance is £1,270. This figure is shared with many other visas, including the Global Business Mobility (GBM) visa, the International Sportsperson visa, and some temporary worker visas.

Further bank balance savings requirements are in place if you plan on bringing dependents with you to the UK. The following additional savings apply to the following dependents:

• Spouse: £285.
• Dependent first child: £315.
• Each additional child: £200.

Visa Application Fee

The fee that you need to pay for your Skilled Worker visa application to be processed will depend on your circumstances. All of these figures are detailed below and should be applied to both the applicant and their dependents:

• If the CoS has been issued for three years or less: £819.
• If the CoS has been issued for over three years: £1,618.
• The role is on the immigration skill list, and a CoS has been issued for three years or less: £628.
• The role is on the immigration skill list, and a CoS has been issued for over three years: £1,235.
• You are applying for a Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa and the CoS has been issued for three years or less: £324.
• You are applying for a Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa, and the CoS has been issued for over three years: £628.
• You are applying for a Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa for a role on the Immigration Salary List and the CoS has been issued for three years or less: £324.
• You are applying for a Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa for a role on the Immigration Salary List and the CoS has been issued for over three years: £628.

Where one of the below applies, you will need to apply to update your Skilled Worker visa:

• You want to change your job and your new job is with a different employer
• Your job changes to a different occupation code and you are not on a graduate training programme
• You leave a job which is on the immigration salary list for a job which is not on this list

Your new job will still need to meet the Skilled Worker eligibility requirements, and you will need a new Certificate of Sponsorship to prove this.

However, you won’t be required to send in evidence again if you’ve been in the UK for more than a year.

You can submit an application to update your Skilled Worker visa up to three months before your new job start date. You may continue working in your current job whilst the application is being considered.

You can use your time in the UK as a skilled worker to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). ILR allows you to live, work and study in the UK without time restrictions, and is a pathway to British citizenship.

ILR for Skilled Workers requires you to have lived in the UK continuously for at least five years. During this period, you must not have left the UK for over 180 days in any 12 months. You also need to be in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa at the time that you make your application.

Skilled Worker visa holders also need to pass the ‘Life in the UK Test’ to get ILR. This test ensures you have good knowledge of British culture and history, much of which you will have naturally picked up from your five years spent in the UK.

Your family members (‘dependants’) may be able to come with you when you come to the United Kingdom on skilled worker visa if your role meets the dependent requirements.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

• your husband, wife or partner
• your child under 18
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

The costs remain the same for any dependent you wish to bring with you to the UK.

You must also show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK. Each dependant must have a certain amount of money available to them. You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply.

At Manchester Immigration Lawyers we know just how complicated the application process for the Skilled Worker Visa can be. Our expert skilled worker visa advisers are here to help make the process as smooth as possible and give you the best chance of success.

With over 50 years of experience and training in all aspects of immigration law, you can be sure your application is in the right hands with our immigration lawyers.

Whether you are an applicant or an employer, Manchester Immigration Lawyers has a wealth of experience in securing Skilled Worker Visas. Our Manchester offices are staffed by a highly-skilled team of experienced immigration lawyers who are fully equipped to advise you on your UK immigration options.

Our services include:

• confirming that all documents are adequate before submitting the application;
• preparing a detailed Letter of Representation;
• managing contact with the Home Office during the application process;
• facilitating the assignment of the CoS;
• and completing the application form to a highly professional standard before submitting it.

For more information, contact us now on or make an enquiry online to receive expert advice on your options from one of our immigration lawyers.