Table Of Contents
- UK Skilled Worker Visa: Eligibility
- Job Offer from an Approved Employer
- Certificate of Sponsorship
- Skill Level
- Minimum Salary Rate
- English Language
- Financial Requirement
- Application Process for UK Skilled Worker Visa
- Conclusion
Like millions of people around the world, do you also dream of working in the UK? Are you also among those who know that the UK gives you great career opportunities? UK Skilled Worker Visa is for you if you are looking for opportunity to work in the UK.
With UK Skilled Worker Visa you can work in the UK for a UK-based company or organization. The visa allows you to work in a job position that matches your educational qualifications and skills. The Skilled Worker Visa not only allows you to work in the UK; it is also a route to settlement.
In this article, we will discuss how you can navigate the skilled worker visa, its eligibility requirements, and its application process.
UK Skilled Worker Visa: Eligibility
The process of navigating a Skilled Worker Visa starts with its eligibility requirements. You must have a confirmed job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship. Also, your job must be in the eligible occupation category. You can apply for a first-time UK skilled worker visa from outside the UK. If you are already in the UK on another visa, you can apply to switch to this visa route. However, you must meet the eligibility criteria for that.
1. Job Offer from an Approved Employer
The foremost requirement for a UK Skilled Worker Visa is that you must have a job offer from an approved employer in the UK. An approved employer means that it has a sponsor license issued by the Home Office. UK Sponsor License allows a company to employ foreign nationals in its organization. Only an eligible job offer can allow you to apply for a UK skilled worker visa.
2. Certificate of Sponsorship
This is a mandatory requirement for any foreign skilled worker looking to apply for a UK skilled worker visa. Your employer, who must be an approved sponsor, assigns you a certificate of sponsorship, which is an electronic record. UK employers looking to employ foreign workers must apply for a certificate of sponsorship. And only when they receive it can they assign it to skilled worker applicants.
3. Skill Level
You don’t only need to have a job offer, but you must also have an eligible job role. An eligible job role must be deemed to be at RQF level 3 or above. This is the equivalent of a UK A-level. Your job role cannot be lower than this for you to qualify for the skilled worker visa requirements.
4. Minimum Salary Rate
This is another crucial requirement for the skilled worker visa. Your employer must pay you the higher of the minimum salary for the job. You should be paid the minimum salary for the type of work you’ll be doing, which should be the higher of the two:
- £38,700 per year or
- the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing
Each occupation has its own ‘skilled worker visa: going rate’
If your job is on the immigration salary list, you can be paid less than £38,700 per year but not less than the minimum salary of £30,960 per year. The salary you are getting must be at the standard going rate for your job.
Please note that the UK skilled worker visa route is a point-based system (PBS) where the applicants must earn at least 70 points to apply for it. Out of the 70 points, you will get 20 points if you meet the minimum salary threshold. However, you can trade a lower salary with other traits of PBS, such as educational qualifications. For example, if your salary is less than £38,700 per year or the ‘going rate,’ whichever is higher, you can still get 20 points if you hold a relevant PhD.
5. English Language
Unless exempt, you must meet the English language requirement to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. If you are in the UK already on another visa and you met the English language requirement previously, you don’t need to meet the language requirement again.
6. Financial Requirement
You must meet the financial requirements for a successful UK skilled worker visa application. One must have sufficient funds to support oneself without accessing public funds. You must have a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account, which must be available for at least 28 consecutive days within 31 days of making the visa application.
Your sponsor can also meet this requirement up to £1,270, but they must confirm it on the certificate of sponsorship being assigned to you.
If you have been in the UK for more than 12 months on another visa, you are not required to have savings of at least £1,270.
Additional funds for the dependents required are as follows:
- For spouse – £285
- For the first dependent child – £315
- For each additional child – £200 per child
Application Process for UK Skilled Worker Visa
How you apply for the skilled worker visa depends on where you are applying from.
Applying from outside the UK
If you are applying for a first-time UK skilled worker visa from outside the UK, you must apply online. As part of the online application, you are required to submit documents as proof of your identity, which you can scan either through the ‘UK
Immigration: ID Check’ app (if this option is available to you) or you can get your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph) scanned at the nearest visa application center.
You can upload the required documents online or at the visa application center.
Applying from inside the UK
This is possible when you are applying to switch to a UK skilled worker visa from inside the UK because you are in the UK on a different visa. You must apply online before your current visa expires. When applying to switch to this visa you are required to prove your identity as part of the application which you can do through either of the
two options:
‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ App or
At a UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service) center.
You must remain in one of these places and should not move out until you get a decision on your UK skilled worker visa application, or else your visa application will be withdrawn.
- UK,
- Ireland,
- The Channel Islands or
- The Isle of Man
You can upload the required documents online or at the UKVCAS center.
Pay the Application Fee – You must pay the application fee as part of your skilled worker visa application.
- If you are applying from outside the UK for a leave of up to 3 years, you need to pay £719 per person and
- If you are applying from outside the UK for a leave of more than 3 years, you need to pay £1,420 per person and
- If you are applying to switch to this visa for a leave of up to 3 years from inside the UK, you need to pay £827 per person and
- If you are applying to switch to this visa for a leave of more than 3 years from inside the UK, you need to pay £1,636 per person and
- If your job is on the ‘Immigration Salary List,’ you need to pay £551 (irrespective of where you apply from) if you are staying for up to 3 years and
- If your job is on the ‘Immigration Salary List,’ you need to pay £1,084 (irrespective of where you apply from) if you are staying for up to 3 years and
Pay the Healthcare Surcharge – You need to pay the healthcare surcharge as well for each applicant, which is usually £1,035 per year per person.
Review and Submit the Application – After you have filled in the form, submitted the required documents, and paid the application fee; you can review your application and then submit it.
Conclusion
A UK skilled worker visa is a route for foreign nationals to live and work in the UK. This is a point-based visa system. You are required to earn at least 70 points to be able to apply for this visa.
You need to meet other eligibility criteria as mentioned above as well, and if you meet them, you can apply online for a skilled worker visa.
For smooth navigation through the UK skilled worker visa application process, you should seek expert services.
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