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Skilled Worker Visa

Skilled Worker Visa Application

The skilled worker visa is a popular immigration route for those looking to live and work in the UK. To qualify, individuals need a job offer from an employer who can sponsor them. Skilled worker visas can often transition to family visas and settled status, allowing individuals to stay in the UK indefinitely. To get this visa, you must be sponsored for a specific job meeting the required skill and salary levels. At Lawhive, our experienced immigration lawyers can assist you with your UK skilled worker vis application for affordable fixed fees.

Contact us today for a free quote to find out more.

• What is a skilled worker visa?

• What can you do with a skilled worker visa?

• What can't you do with a skilled worker visa?

• Who is eligible for a skilled worker visa?

• Is my job eligible for a skilled worker visa?

• Do I need a job offer to apply for a skilled worker visa?

• What is a certificate of sponsorship?

• What are the salary requirements for a skilled worker visa?

• Can you extend a skilled worker visa?

• How to apply for a skilled worker visa

• When can I apply for a skilled worker visa?

• How long does it take to get a skilled worker visa?

• What documents do I need to apply for a skilled worker visa?

• How much does it cost to get a skilled worker visa?

• Should I apply for a skilled worker visa if I work in public sector healthcare?

• Do I need to update my skilled worker visa if I change my job or employer?

• Can I switch to a skilled worker visa if I'm already in the UK on a different visa?

What is a skilled worker visa?

The skilled worker visa is an immigration option for non-UK nationals, allowing UK businesses to sponsor workers with sought-after skills.

To qualify for this visa, individuals must accumulate 50 points by meeting certain criteria. Dependents can also accompany skilled workers to the UK on this visa, making it a popular choice for families looking to begin a new life in the UK.

What can you do with a skilled worker visa?

Skilled worker visas have rules about what you can and can't do in the UK. You usually have to stick to the job you were sponsored for, but you might be allowed to do some extra work or volunteer. You're also allowed to study, but it's a good idea to check with your sponsor first.

What can’t you do with a skilled worker visa?

With a skilled worker visa, you can't get public funds. To qualify, you need to be able to support yourself, which is why salary requirements are part of the criteria. You also can't vote in UK elections.

Who is eligible for a skilled worker visa?

To qualify for a skilled worker visa, you will need to meet the following criteria:

• You’re aged 18 or over

• You have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your prospective employer

• The job you have been offered is a genuine vacancy

• The job offered is of an appropriate skill level for a skilled visa

• Your salary will at least equal the minimum salary requirement and match the market rate for the role

• Your sponsor has paid the immigration skills charge

• You have proved your English skills up to CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0)

• You can support yourself financially

• You have no unspent criminal convictions

• You have a TB certificate (if applicable)

Is my job eligible for a skilled worker visa?

Your job must meet a minimum skill level to qualify for a skilled worker visa, which is at least RQF level 3, similar to an A-level qualification. You don't necessarily need a formal academic degree to be eligible, but your sponsored job must meet this skill level requirement. You can check a list of eligible jobs on the Home Office's Appendix to the Immigration Rules, where each job has a specific occupation code listed.

Do I need a job offer to apply for a skilled worker visa?

To apply for a skilled worker visa, you must have a job offer from an employer with a sponsorship license from the Home Office. This shows the Home Office authorises your employer to sponsor workers. If you're interested in a job with an employer that isn't sponsored, they can apply for a sponsorship license if they meet the eligibility requirements.

What is a certificate of sponsorship?

Once you've secured a job offer from an employer with a sponsorship license, they will give you a certificate of sponsorship. This certificate includes information about your offered role, such as your position, salary, duties, and proposed start date. It's an electronic document, so you won't receive a physical copy. Your certificate will have a reference number for your use. Employers can get a certificate of sponsorship from the Sponsorship Management System.

What are the salary requirements for a skilled worker visa?

Employers sponsoring workers in the UK must pay them a minimum salary of £26,200 per year or £10.75 per hour, depending on the industry's "going rate" for the role. This is subject to tradeable points for other skills.

Can you extend a skilled worker visa?

A skilled worker visa is initially valid for 5 years and can be extended for another 5 years, with no limit on the number of extensions. Moreover, after living in the UK for 5 years on a skilled worker visa, you may be eligible for indefinite leave to remain.

To qualify, you must have spent 5 continuous years in the UK, meaning you can't have been absent for more than 180 consecutive days in any 12 months during your visa.

How to apply for a skilled worker visa

You can apply for a skilled worker visa online through the Government website.

To do so, you'll need to prove your identity and provide supporting documents depending on where you're from and what type of passport you have.

As part of the process, you may also have to go to a visa application centre to have your fingerprints and photograph taken.

When can I apply for a skilled worker visa?

The earliest date you can apply for a skilled worker visa is three months before the start date of your job. You’ll find this date on your certificate of sponsorship.

How long does it take to get a skilled worker visa?

Typically, skilled worker visa applications take 3-8 weeks to process.

If you apply online and provide your documents, you'll receive a decision within 3 weeks if you're in the UK and 8 weeks if you applied from outside. However, processing may take longer if you need an appointment to prove your identity and submit your documents. You may be able to speed up your decision through Fastrack services, both from outside and inside the UK. If you choose to apply with the assistance of an immigration solicitor, we can assign a solicitor to your case within 24 hours.

The timeframe for completion depends on factors such as the complexity of your case and the response times of other parties involved.

Contact us today for further information and a fixed-fee quote.

What documents do I need to apply for a skilled worker visa?

You will need to provide the following information:

• A copy of your certificate of sponsorship and certificate of sponsorship reference number

• Your passport

• Document that shows your job title and annual salary, such as a contract

• Job’s occupation code

• Evidence of your financial suitability 

• Proof of family relationships if you’re bringing them

• Tuberculosis test results, if required

• Criminal record certificate

How much does it cost to get a skilled worker visa?

The application fee for a skilled worker visa varies from £719 to £1,500, depending on your circumstances. If your job is on the shortage list, you may pay a lower fee.

Additionally, you'll need to pay the healthcare surcharge, which is £1,035 per year. Typically, you should have £1,270 available to support yourself financially, unless you're exempt. Your employer may cover these costs.

The fee for a licensed solicitor to assist with a skilled worker visa depends on factors such as case complexity and specific requirements. On average, it ranges from £675 to £900, but in some cases, it may reach £923.

Should I apply for a skilled worker visa if I work in public sector healthcare?

The health and care worker visa is designed for those sponsored to work in the NHS, an NHS supplier, or adult social care. If you aim to work for the NHS, you must be sponsored through a health and care worker visa rather than a skilled worker visa.

If you work in health care but not within the NHS or adult social care, you might qualify for a skilled worker visa.

Do I need to update my skilled worker visa if I change job or employer?

It depends on what type of work you wish to do and whether it is with the same employer.

You do not need to update your visa if:

• You change job and stay with the same employer on the same standard occupation code (SOC)

• You’re in a graduate training programme and you change jobs 

• You’re doing additional work (overtime) on the same occupation code, or working less than 20 hours a week 

You need to update your visa if:

• You switch to a new job with a different employer

• You have taken a second job

• Your job switches to a new employer

• Your job changes to a new occupation code

Can I switch to a skilled worker visa if I’m already in the UK on a different visa?

If you meet the eligibility criteria, the UK Home Office allows individuals already in the UK on a different visa to switch to a skilled worker visa.

How can Lawhive help?

At Lawhive our network of dedicated immigration solicitors can help you with your application.

Whether it is filling in your application form correctly, or fast-tracking your application we can increase your chances of success and advise on the best type of visa for your circumstances.

Contact us for a free case assessment and start planning for your future in the UK.