A UK work visa allows you to live and work in the UK for a specific period of time (many of these work visas can be renewed indefinitely). To apply for a UK work visa, you must meet the eligibility requirements and provide the necessary documents.
What is a UK work visa?
A UK work visa, sometimes referred to as a work permit, is a document that grants a foreign national permission to work legally in the UK. To be eligible for a UK work visa, the applicant must meet the criteria set out in the UK’s points-based immigration system.
What are the types of UK work visas?
There are different types of work visas for the UK:
- Visa for skilled workers
- Start-up visa in the UK
- UK Graduate Work Visa
- UK Domestic Worker Visa
- High-potential individual visa
- International sports visa
- Visa from the Minister of Religion
- Youth mobility program
- Worker visas for global business mobility
- Visa for senior or specialized workers
- Expanding Worker Visa
- Visa for posted worker
- Service provider visa
- Graduate Trainee Visa
- Visas for temporary workers
- Creative Worker Visa
- Seasonal worker visa
- Worker visa with an international agreement
- Charity worker visa
- Government-authorized exchange visa
UK Work Visa Requirements
You cannot apply for a UK work visa if you do not meet the financial requirements and do not have the certificate of sponsorship for work visas requiring one.
The certificate of sponsorship
A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a document that your employer provides to you. You need the CoS when applying for certain work visas in the UK. The UK visa routes that require a CoS are:
- UK Skilled Worker Visa
- International sports visa
- Visa from the Minister of Religion
- Visa for senior or specialized worker
- Expanding Worker Visa
- Service provider visa
- Visa for posted worker
- Creative Worker Visa
- Seasonal worker visa
- Visa with international agreement
- Charity worker visa
UK Work Vis Financial requirement
For most UK work visas, you need to have a certain amount of money in your bank account as proof that you can support yourself during the initial part of your stay in the UK. Most work visas in the UK require at least £1270. However, the Graduate Visa and Domestic Worker Visa have no such requirements, while the Youth Mobility Scheme requires at least £2,530. You do not need to meet this requirement if:
- You have been in the UK on a valid visa for one year.
- Your employer will support you financially for the first month with at least £1,270.
What Are the Fees for the UK Work Visas?
When you apply for a UK visa route, you must pay the following fees:
Type of visa Application fee Healthcare surcharge Personal funds
- Skilled Worker Visa £625 to £1,423, depending on your situation £624 per year at least £1270
- Start-up visa £378 £624 per year at least £1270
- Graduate Work Visa £715 £624 per year –
- Domestic Worker Visa £531 – –
- Minister of Religion Visa £625 £624 per year at least £1,270
- Youth Mobility scheme £259 £470 per year at least £2,530
- Global Business Mobility Worker Visa £259 £624 per year at least £1,270
- Temporary Worker Visa £259 £624 per year at least £1,270
How to apply for a UK work visa?
To apply for a work visa for the United Kingdom, three main steps are required:
- After receiving a job offer from an employer authorized to sponsor employees from abroad.
- The sponsor or employer will only hire you after verifying that you have the necessary skills to carry out the job and that you meet all the qualifications and requirements to be eligible for the work visa.
- After fulfilling all the conditions, the certificate of sponsorship will be issued which is the main requirement for applying for the UK work visa.
Sponsored License
- The employer must obtain a sponsorship license. The employer must submit an application directly to UKVI – UK Visas and Immigration, who will assess the applicant’s suitability and complete the process.
- The sponsor assessed and approved by the authorities can then submit an application for the certificate of sponsorship for an occupation which must appear in the list of selected and required occupations.
- Non-resident workers abroad are identified by the employer for whom they would like to request the CoS. Only after receiving this CoS, you will be able to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa.
- The applicant must submit an application with a unique CoS number and all documents that meet the eligibility criteria and requirements for the Skilled Worker Visa.
- You can get priority visa decisions within 5 days by paying an additional amount of GBP 500. There is another Super Priority option where the amount to be paid is 800 GBP.
- The work permit required in the UK is granted for 3 years or more than 3 years. The maximum duration is 5 years after which the applicant must request an extension.
Visa application outside the UK
- You will be asked to prove your identity and provide supporting documents as part of the application.
- In this process, applicants may have to provide their biometric data and their photographs may be taken at the VFS office.
- The VFS or the concerned office may ask you to use the “UK Immigration: Identity Check” app which allows scanning of your identity document such as passport. Applicants will also be able to create and/or access their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. The VFS office will guide applicants on what else needs to be done.
- You may need to make an appointment for this process.
Required Documents UK Work Visa
To apply for the UK Skilled Worker Visa you will need the following documents:
- The applicant’s Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number.
- Name and address of the employer.
- The employer’s sponsorship license number.
- Evidence of English language proficiency through English language proficiency test scores.
- A valid passport or any other acceptable valid document establishing the applicant’s nationality and identity.
- Job title.
- Annual salary.
- Labor Occupation Code.
Other documents
You may need additional UK work permit documents to do various jobs in UK post-MBA, engineering or any other course depending on your circumstances:
- You may need to provide evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK. This includes bank statements, deposits, etc., unless your certificate of sponsorship shows that your employer can support you financially.
- Proof of your relationship with your partner or your (dependent) children if they are also included in your application.
- Tuberculosis test results by country of origin.
- A background certificate or a criminal record certificate. This may be required specifically for certain job categories. These areas are –
- This includes education professionals such as teachers, educational consultants, school inspectors and assistants.
- Healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors, paramedics, pharmacists and other similar professionals.
- This includes therapy professionals such as psychologists, counselors, speech therapists, similar professionals.
- Social services including social workers, social workers and others.
- Certified UK PhD or your ECCTIS unique reference number (formerly UK NARIC unique reference number). If you completed your qualifications outside the UK, you will need to apply via ECCTIS.
- If the documents you submit are not in English, an acceptable official translation will be required.
- If you have lived in more than one country, you may need to provide a certificate for each country in which you have lived. It will depend on your age and how long you stay in each country.
If applicants are under 28 years old, they will apply for a certificate from any country of residence for a total of 12 months or more starting from 18 years of age. But if they are 28 years old or older, they will need a certificate from any country of residence for the last 10 years.
Fees UK Work Visa
- Entry fees for stays of up to 3 years – GBP 610
- Registration fees for stays over 3 years: GBP 1,220
- Application fees if your job is on the shortage occupation list for stays up to 3 years) – GBP 464
- Application fees (for a job on the Shortage Occupation List and you want to stay for more than three years GBP 928
- NARIC fees in the UK 49.50 GBP
A health surcharge of GBP 624 must be paid in addition to the application fee and this surcharge is refundable in the event that your visa application is unsuccessful and rejected.
Benefits of having a Skilled Worker Visa in the UK
There are many benefits to obtaining a skilled worker visa in the UK. Few are listed below:
- Earn money in pounds, one of the strongest currencies in the world. For Indian students, 1 GBP is equivalent to 103.95 INR.
- The visa holder can study at top colleges and universities in the UK.
- You can enjoy the best healthcare facilities in the world.
- UK pension benefits are considered one of the best in the world.
- Your family can travel and stay with you as permitted by this visa.
- You can live, work and study anywhere in the UK.
- You can enjoy jobs with salaries of GBP 50,000 on average per year. MBA jobs in the UK can be worth GBP 100,000 or more.
- Visa processing can only be done in three weeks.
- There is no specific number maintained as a limit for migrants under this program.
- Additionally, students can avail various customized UK scholarship schemes to cover their study expenses.