Skilled Worker Visa UK 2023
To make a successful UK Skilled Worker visa application, you must meet all the Skilled Worker visa requirements 2022 and submit all the supporting documents.
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Skilled Worker Visa UK
If you want to apply, extend or switch to a UK Skilled Worker visa then we can provide legal advice and assistance with your Skilled Worker visa application. Contact our immigration solicitors for case assessment, eligibility requirements, and supporting documents.
No matter where you live, our UK Immigration solicitors in Manchester provide Skilled Worker visa applications related services worldwide.
Our highly experienced immigration solicitors based in Levenshulme, Manchester can provide free general immigration advice online via email, online chat, or an enquiry form. For detailed advice, please book an appointment with our expert immigration solicitor today.
You can contact us on 01612258181 or leave your details here for a call back request regarding your immigration matter.
Contents
- What is a UK Skilled Worker visa?
- How to apply for a Skilled Worker visa?
- Who is eligible for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
- What are the requirements for a Skilled Worker visa?
- What documents are required to apply for a Skilled Worker visa?
- Your partner and children
- Switching to a Skilled Worker visa
- Skilled Worker visa extension
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a Skilled Worker
- What are the benefits of a Skilled Worker visa?
- UK Skilled Worker visa refusal?
- Skilled Worker visa processing time
- UKVCAS Super Priority service for Skilled Worker visa applications
- Solicitor fees for Skilled Worker visa UK
- How Can We Help With Your UK Visa Application?
What is a UK Skilled Worker visa?
The Skilled Worker visa allows you to come or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa. Applicants need to score at least 70 points on the points-based system to be eligible.
You can make an Entry Clearance application for a UK Skilled Worker visa if you are sponsored for a skilled job by a UK employer holding Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence. You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.
How to apply for a Skilled Worker visa?
To apply for a Skilled Worker application, the applicant will need to submit an online application, together with their supporting documentation, and pay the relevant fee. They will also need to provide their biometric information at the visa processing centre local to them, either overseas or in the UK.
Applications can be made up to 3 months before the day the worker’s intended employment start date in the UK, as stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
The applicant will need to submit an online application within three months of being assigned their certificate of sponsorship. Each certificate has a unique reference number that they will need to apply.
They will also be required to attend an appointment at a visa application centre to enrol their biometric information and to submit various documents in support.
Who is eligible for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
The main eligibility criteria are as follows:
- You must work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
- You must have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
- You must do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
- You must be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do
English Requirement For Health And Care Worker Visa
You must be able to speak, read, write, and understand English. You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply. You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale
If you are not eligible for skilled worker visa You may be eligible for another type of visa to work in the UK.
The Salary Threshold Requirement For Health And Care Worker Visa
Employers seeking to recruit under the Health and Care Worker route must (subject to circumstances where less may be paid as set out below) pay their Health and Care Workers a salary of at least £20,480 per year unless the ‘going rate’ for the job is higher than this.
Each occupation code has its own annual ‘going rate’. For roles within the NHS, there are various pay bands that vary according to whether they are in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
There is a separate system for those working as biochemists or as biological or physical scientists which usually requires a minimum salary of £25,600 per year unless the ‘going rate’ for your job is higher than this.
You may be paid less than the ‘going rate’ in the following circumstances:
- You can be paid at 80% of the usual going rate if your job is on a shortage occupation list.
- You can be paid at 70% of the usual going rate if you are under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training towards a recognised UK qualification or registered status.
- You can be paid at 80% of the usual going rate if you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job as long as you will still earn at least £20,480 a year.
- You can be paid at 90% of the usual going rate if you have a non-STEM PhD level qualification as long as you will still earn your salary must be at least £23,040.
- You can be paid 70% of your usual going rate if you will be working in a postdoctoral position.
How Long Can You Stay On Health And Care Worker Visa
Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.
You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.
After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’). This gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.
The specific eligibility depends on your job.
You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.
What are the requirements for a Skilled Worker visa?
The rules and requirements for the Skilled Worker route are set out in a new Appendix for Skilled Worker. Under this route, applicants will need to accrue a total of 70 points to be eligible for a visa, including EEA nationals recruited from outside the UK after 1 January 2021 and who are not eligible for status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The applicable 70 points threshold for a Skilled Worker application is made up of 50 points for mandatory or ‘non-tradeable’ criteria (i.e; the job offer, speaking English, and the requisite skill level for the job on offer), and 20 points for what’s classed as ‘tradeable’ criteria.
| Skilled worker requirement | Points | Mandatory or tradeable? |
|---|---|---|
A genuine job offer from a licensed sponsor | 20 points | Mandatory |
Speak English to the required standard | 10 points | Mandatory |
Job offer is at a skill level of RQF3 or above | 20 points | Mandatory |
Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 0 points | Tradeable |
Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 10 points | Tradeable |
Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 20 points | Tradeable |
Job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee | 20 points | Tradeable |
Education qualification: Ph.D. in a subject relevant to the job | 10 points | Tradeable |
Education qualification: Ph.D. in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 20 points | Tradeable |
Skilled worker eligible "occupations"
To determine if the job is eligible for the Skilled Worker route, the sponsor should identify the relevant SOC code for the role. This is usually done using the ONS occupation coding tool. The job description on the list should match the position being filled.
Once the code has been identified, this will need to be cross-referenced with the list of eligible jobs to check that it is included and is eligible under the Skilled Worker route.
The Home Office can refuse the visa application if the incorrect SOC code is used.
Healthcare professionals looking to work in the UK health or adult social care sector should instead look at the Health and Care Worker visa. This route is specifically designed for health sector occupations and offers several benefits to visa holders over the Skilled Worker visa, such as a lower application fee and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Skilled worker "skill" requirement
Roles that fall below the required skill level of below RQF3, which is the equivalent of an A-level, will not be eligible for the skilled visa route.
Although alternative immigration routes may be considered, there is no general work permit or immigration routes for ‘low skilled’ workers or occupations below this level.
| Application type | Application fee per applicant |
|---|---|
Applying from outside the UK |
|
Applying from inside the UK (switching, updating or extending) |
|
Shortage occupation roles, both in-country and out of country applications |
|
What documents are required to apply for a Skilled Worker visa?
When you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you’ll need to provide following documents:
- your certificate of sponsorship reference number – your employer will give you this
- proof of your knowledge of English
- a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
- your job title and annual salary
- your job’s occupation code
- the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number – this will be on your certificate of sponsorship
Ask your employer for a copy of your certificate of sponsorship if you do not have one.
You must also submit all the other supporting documents depending upon your personal circumstances.
Your partner and children
Your partner and children can apply to join you or to stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible. If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.
Your relationship
A dependant partner or child is any of the following:
- your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
- your child under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay
- your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant
Switching to a Skilled Worker visa
You might be able to apply to change (‘switch‘) to a Skilled Worker route if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa. You can get in touch with us or call us on 01612258181 to find out if you are eligible to switch to the skilled worker route within the UK.
You can now switch to Skilled Worker Visa as a Student without completing your degree.
Skilled Worker visa extension
You can extend your skilled worker visa to complete 5 years to apply for ILR as a Skilled Worker if you are already in the UK on Tier 2 (General) Migrant or Skilled Worker Visa. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employers.
You can usually apply to extend a Skilled Worker visa or a Tier 2 (General) work visa if all of the following are true:
- you have the same job as when you were given your previous permission to enter or stay in the UK
- your job is in the same occupation code as when you were given your previous permission to enter or stay in the UK
- you’re still working for the employer who gave you your current certificate of sponsorship
Your partner or children will need to apply separately to extend their visa. They can either apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires
You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a Skilled Worker
You can apply for ILR as a Skilled Worker / Tier 2 General migrant after you have lived in the UK for 5 years as a Skilled Worker or in combination with other permitted work visa categories. You can apply for ILR as a Skilled Worker / Tier 2 General migrant 28 days before completing the 5 year qualifying period.
Get in touch on 0161 225 8181 for free immigration advice regarding your ILR application as a Skilled Worker.
What are the benefits of a Skilled Worker visa?
- A better opportunity for employers to recruit talent from around the world.
- The Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) where settled workers could apply for positions before they were offered to migrants has been abolished with the new scheme.
- More generous provisions allow the switching of visa routes from inside the UK.
- Lower minimum salary requirements for new entrants (who are starting their career). They will need to meet either 70% of the going rate for their occupation code or £20,480, whichever is higher.
- There will be no limit on the number of skilled workers who can come to the UK.
- Skilled workers can now apply for unlimited visa extensions – compared to the old Tier 2 (General) visa route where skilled workers could apply for extensions of up to six years.
- Applicants can live, work, and establish themselves in the UK and apply for ILR after residing in the UK for five years.
UK Skilled Worker visa refusal?
There is currently no right of appeal for a refusal of a Skilled Worker route application made from outside or inside the UK. However, you might have an option to apply for an Administrative Review or Judicial Review. Our team of highly-experienced immigration solicitors will be able to help with your application for a Skilled Worker visa or advise on the best alternative to satisfy your requirements.
Skilled Worker visa processing time
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:
- 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
- 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK
UKVCAS Super Priority service for Skilled Worker visa applications
By using UKVCAS Super Priority Service, the eligible applicants can make UK Skilled Worker visa applications and receive a faster decision within 24 hours.
It costs £800 in addition to the Skilled Worker visa application fee. By using the Super Priority Service, you will get a decision by the end of the next working day following your UKVCAS appointment.
We at United Solicitors can help you to apply for your Skilled Worker visa under super priority service or priority service.
Solicitor fees for Skilled Worker visa UK
We charge a fixed fee starting from £800 + VAT to £1200 + VAT for our professional legal services in relation to Entry Clearance As A Skilled Worker visa applications. The agreed fixed-fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.
We charge a fixed fee starting from £600 + VAT to £1200 + VAT for our professional legal services in relation to Switch to Skilled Worker visa, Extension of Skilled Worker visa, or ILR as a Skilled Worker visa application.
How Can We Help With Your UK Visa Application?
Our expert UK immigration solicitor will guide you through every step of your application process including advice about legal requirements, eligibility criteria and required documents.
- Detailed immigration advice
- List of documents and assessment of supporting documents
- Direct Access to your case handler and supervisor
- Remote & face to face service
- Submission of your immigration application after your approval
- We book an appointment for you to enrol your biometrics
- We prepare our legal representations/cover letter
- We upload all the supporting documents
- Unlimited chase up letters to the Home Office
- We keep you updated with every stage of your application
- 24/7 support in urgent matters
Call us for a free legal advice
0161 225 8181
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