Disclaimer: The information in this blog is accurate as of its publication date. Any updates after that date are not reflected here.
The UK Immigration laws have been in a continuous change for years now, and these changes may continue in the future. A recent significant change is the Skilled Worker Visa, which replaces the old Tier 2 (General) Visa. Under this visa, you can come and work in the UK if you have been offered a valid job by an organisation listed under the Home Office’s sponsor list.
The skilled worker route visa has been defined as the visa category that will allow Mr A, who is a non-UK resident, to move to the UK and work here for an employer who is on the approved sponsor list of the Home Office.
Before Brexit, European citizens did not require a visa to enter the UK and work in the UK. Brexit is defined as the end of freedom of movement, meaning the European citizens wishing to come and work in the UK after 31 December 2021 will require UK sponsorship.
If you want to apply for a skilled worker visa and are confused about how the new points system works, A Y & J Solicitors can help you sort this issue.
We have outlined for you the sponsorship requirements that need to be met, including:
- Your prospective employer should have a Home Office approved sponsor licence
- Your prospective employer would need to provide you with a certificate of sponsorship – this would contain all the details of the position you will be filing
- Your prospective employer must ensure that the job on offer is on the approved list of occupations (i.e. is at RQF level 3 skill level or above or Shortage Occupation list)
- Your prospective employer must ensure that the salary on offer meets the Home Office’s minimum thresholds for sponsorship
- You must satisfy English language requirements
Once approved, you can stay in the UK for the period stated in your Certificate of Sponsorship and continue to extend your visa. After spending 5 continuous years in the UK as a Skilled Worker, you may qualify to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). During your sponsorship, you need to remember that your visa is tied to your employer and can be cancelled if you leave the job or are dismissed.
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How can you apply?
This application can be made from both inside and outside the UK.
Types of Skilled Worker application:-
- Initial (i.e. first) application (this could be an application from outside the UK or an application to “switch” from a qualifying visa category from inside the UK
- Extension (extension for the same employer, in the same role)
- Change of Employment (changing job or sponsor)
Immediate family members may be included as visa dependents. This normally includes your partner and dependent (under 18-year-old) children.
You would have to make your Skilled Worker visa application within 3 months of your certificate of sponsorship being issued by your employer.
The list of all the documents that you may be required to submit can be found here.
Some of the documents that are mandatory to submit are:
- Your current passport
- Your current UK Visa (if applicable)
- Evidence to support your claim of meeting the English language requirement
- Evidence of financial stability (you may need to hold funds of £1270 in your personal bank account), or your sponsor has certified the maintenance on the certificate of sponsorship
- Tuberculosis test (if applicable)
The application must be made online through the Home Office website. Fees would be paid online.
Once the application is submitted and you have enrolled your biometrics, it can take up to 3-8 weeks for the application to be approved, depending on where the application has been made. If the application has been made from within the UK, it would be approved within 8 weeks, and if it has been made from outside the UK, it can take up to 3 weeks to receive a decision.
Cost of the Visa
Along with the application fees, you would have to pay an up-front yearly health immigration surcharge. This is a mandatory charge and will allow you to access and receive treatment and services through the National Health Service (NHS) when you arrive in the UK.
- Visa Application fee: £464 to £1408 (dependent on if your role is on the Shortage Occupation List and the visa length applied for)
- Immigration Healthcare Surcharge: £624 (adult) per year that your visa will be issued
For more detailed information, you can visit https://ayjsolicitors.com/skilled-worker-route/
