Unlocking Opportunities: The UK Skilled Worker Visa

H2: What is a Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled Worker visa is formerly known as a Tier 2 (General) visa. It allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer who has a valid “Sponsor licence”. After 5 years you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Then after 12 months with ILR, you can become eligible to apply to naturalise as a British citizen and obtain a British passport.

For employers, the Skilled Worker route allows them to recruit people to work in the UK in a specific job be it from within the UK or overseas. UK companies need to have a “Sponsor License” before they can issue Skilled Work Visas to overseas employees.

What’re the requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa?

Under the skilled worker route, the applicant needs to prove:

A job offer from a licensed sponsor

To apply for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a job offer from a UK company with a valid “Sponsor License”. A Sponsor License is a license that gives UK employers permission to hire migrant workers from countries or regions outside of the UK, including EU nationals entering the UK from 1st January 2021. If you want to know which companies have sponsor licenses, please check all the approved licensed sponsors here.

In addition, you’ll need a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from your employer to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa, and the COS must include details on the role you have been offered in the UK.

Appropriate skill level requirement

Under the skilled worker route, the job you’re looking to fill needs to meet the required skill level - RFQ 3 or above (A-levels and equivalent). You can find all the eligible occupations for Skilled Worker Visa here.

Minimum Salary requirement

Apart from the skill level requirement, the job provided by the sponsor company must also meet the applicable minimum wage threshold. Whichever is the higher out of the following options:

• The general salary threshold is £26,200, or
• The "going rate" for the type of job you’re working.