Skilled worker visa holders have conditions imposed on their visa. Although they are free to travel in and out of the UK, there are few restrictions on their employment.
It is important to understand the rules on work conditions as a breach of the conditions could lead to curtailment of the visa. This means that your visa length would be cut short (cancelled). A breach of conditions could also severely affect any future visa application as it would be on your immigration record.
What are Skilled Workers Allowed to Do?
In order to maintain the skilled worker visa, holders must satisfy all the visa conditions. Skilled Workers are allowed to:
- work in an eligible job
- study
- take on additional work in certain limited circumstances
- do voluntary work
- travel abroad and return to the UK
- bring dependants (partner and children)
- apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’)
Note: You only become eligible for indefinite leave to remain after completing a continuous period of 5 years under the route. You also must meet all other eligibility requirements.
It is important to note that Skilled Workers must work for their sponsor in the sponsored role. Generally, the Home Office allows you to work outside the sponsored employment. However, there are limited circumstances when you are working outside the sponsored role. The Home Office refers to these as ‘supplementary employment’ or ‘secondary employment’.
Supplementary Employment
In addition to the job specified on the certificate of sponsorship (CoS), a Skilled Worker’s conditions allow them to do additional work if all of the following apply:
- the job is either in Appendix Shortage Occupation List or in the same occupation code as the job for which the CoS was assigned
- no more than 20 hours a week
- outside the working hours covered by the CoS
If the work meets the above requirements, you do not need to inform the Home Office that you are doing additional work. The Home Office permits this within the standard conditions of the Skilled Worker visa.
It’s important to note that you can only take supplementary employment if you continue to work for your sponsor. If you have left your sponsored employment, it does not give you permission to carry out supplementary work for 20 hours a week.
Secondary Employment
Skilled Worker visa holders can apply to the Home Office to take on an additional second job for more than 20 hours a week and a job that is not on the Shortage Occupation List or in the same occupation code as their sponsored role. This is known as secondary employment.
The existing conditions do not cover working in a second job. This means you must apply for a variation of permission. You must first have your second-job sponsor assign you another CoS. You can use this CoS to make a variation application. Then you will have two sponsors, and the Home Office will issue you a new BRP that specifies this.
It is not possible to apply for further permission to stay for the second job until you have started working for your first sponsor.
Eligibility for Secondary Employment
The current sponsored job and the secondary job must both meet the eligibility requirements of the Skilled Worker route. This includes meeting the minimum skill level and salary requirement or the going rate for the relevant occupation code.
Please note that taking on additional work may be subject to your employment contract with your main sponsor. It is common practice that employers do not generally allow employees to work elsewhere during their period of employment. Make sure to read your employment contract carefully before taking on a second job.
Exceptions for Health and Care Worker visa – Do They Still Apply?
A Skilled Worker sponsored in an occupation code eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa may have received temporary permission to take on unlimited additional work. This work should be another eligible Health and Care role. However, the Home Office limited that exception to additional work done before 27 August 2023.
On this date, this exception for Health and Care supplementary employment conditions was terminated. So that means the exception no longer applies after that date.
It is important for employers to be aware of the change to this concession. Any employer found to be employing someone who is in breach of their visa conditions could face a hefty civil penalty under the illegal working legislation. However, if they have statutory protection (records of a valid right to work check), it can be an exception.
Working Overtime for Your Sponsor
There are no restrictions on working overtime for your sponsor in your sponsored role. There is no limit on the hours of overtime work and the Home Office does not need to be notified if you work overtime for your sponsor (provided you are paid for overtime in line with sponsorship requirements).
What Happens If I Work More Than 20 Hours in the UK?
If you exceed 20 hours in supplementary work without updating your visa, you breach your conditions. Consequently, the Home Office may curtail or cancel your leave. Furthermore, you risk deportation, a ban on re-entry, and damage to future visa applications. Always seek explicit lawful permission before taking any extra hours.
Can I Do Freelance Work on Skilled Worker Visa UK?
You can treat freelance work as “additional work or a second job”. However, you may only do up to 20 hours a week in that role if it uses the same occupation code as your sponsored job or appears on the Shortage Occupation List—and only outside your main hours. Always check your occupation code and employer contract before starting any self-employed work.
Voluntary Work
Skilled Worker visa holders can take on additional voluntary work in their free time. There are no limitations on the job role or sector of the voluntary job. However, the voluntary role must not affect your ability to carry out your sponsored employment. As the role must strictly be voluntary, you must not receive any form of payment for this job. However, they do allow reimbursement for your expenses.
Example 1
An IT company sponsored you as an IT Manager under standard occupation code 2133. Your normal working pattern as per your CoS is Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. You are intending to take on an additional part-time role as an IT Manager for another employer on Saturdays for 8 hours per week.
Since the additional role falls under the same occupation code as your main job, involves fewer than 20 hours per week, and takes place outside your normal working hours, the Home Office allows you to take on that role under your Skilled Worker visa conditions. You do not need to inform the Home Office and are free to take on the additional job as it is within your visa conditions.
Example 2
A retail business sponsored you as a Sales Supervisor under standard occupation code 7130. Your normal working pattern is 10am to 6pm every weekday. You want to take on additional work in the evenings for a coffee shop as a Barista.
The Home Office does not permit this under the Skilled Worker conditions. The additional role as a Barista is not in the same occupation code as your sponsored role, nor is it in the shortage occupation list. Although the role would be outside the working hours of your sponsored job, you must meet all three conditions of the supplementary employment to be able to take it on without breaching the conditions of your visa.
How We Can Help
The team at A Y & J Solicitors are experienced in dealing with Skilled Worker visas. If you have queries relating to your conditions or would like advice about your specific circumstances, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
At A Y & J Solicitors, we have handled over 100s of successful Skilled Worker visa applications. With a 95% success rate, we have achieved an overall track record of 5,000+ successful immigration and visa cases through our result-driven approach to every application. We take on each client with the genuine intention to provide our undivided care and attention to their case. We guide you through every step of your Skilled Worker visa process, so you can trust the experts to manage your application and work toward your success.
Why A Y & J Solicitors?
With over thousands of successful immigration cases to our name, A Y & J Solicitors has built its reputation on trust, care, and real results. Over the 15+ years of working in UK immigration law, we’ve helped individuals and businesses confidently navigate sponsor licences, UK visas, and ILR applications. We’re proud to be recognised by The Legal 500, but it’s our clients’ peace of mind that matters most. When you work with us, you get clear advice, honest support, and a team that’s truly on your side.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience in Skilled Worker visas and immigration compliance. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or contact us today. We’re here to help!
