The UK Skilled Worker Visa is the type of visa that allows a migrant to work for an employer inside the UK in a specific occupation approved by the Home Office. This visa replaces the former Tier 2 Visa, also called the General Visa.
It allows an employer to hire non-UK citizens or non-UK residents to work for him in some certain eligible skills/roles. The visa allows the migrant to migrate to the UK with his/ her spouse, partners, and children. It can also serve as a settlement route in the UK and Indefinite Leave to Remain.
However, the visa is only for certain foreigners with certain skills that are allowed by the Home Office. The employer/sponsor must first ensure that the role he is hiring a non-UK resident to take up matches the list of jobs eligible to give out to foreigners by using an ONS Occupation-Coding Tool. The ONS tool is used to identify the relevant SOC code for the role the employer is hiring.
Once the SOC code has been identified by the ONS coding tool, the code will be cross-referenced with the list of jobs allowed. This is to check if the role is present on the list of eligible jobs and also if the job is permissible under the Skilled worker immigration route. If the SOC code is incorrect, the Home Office can as a result reject the visa application.
How to Apply For UK Skilled Worker Visa
The first step in applying for the UK Skilled Worker Visa is by submitting an online application form along with other required documents. The applicants should also pay the required fees and provide their biometric information while applying at the processing center within the UK or overseas.
Applicants have the grace of applying for the visa up to 3 months before the intended employment start date, as stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship. They must submit their application within three months of receiving their certificate of sponsorship. Each applicant’s certificate has a unique reference number which they will apply during their application.
They also need to attend an appointment to enroll their biometric information at the visa application center. They will also be submitting their required documents during the appointment.
The documents required include:
- current passport or other travel documents
- Expired passports or previous travel documents bearing their travel history
- Proof of English Language proficiency
- Proof of personal savings
- Medical certificate
- Criminal record certificate from any country they’ve lived in for at least 12 months in the past 10 years
Eligibility Requirement
Job Offer
The first requirement you must meet before you can apply for a skilled worker visa is to have a job offer from a licensed employer/ sponsor. If you do not have a job offer, then there is no way you can qualify for the UK skilled worker visa.
English Language Proficiency
You must be able to communicate fluently in standard English. You must also ensure that your job offer is at a skill level of EQF3 or higher than that.
Applicants must be able to provide evidence to back up their English language proficiency by having a GCSE, A level Scottish National, Higher or Advanced Higher in English. Applicants having a degree or academic qualification taught in the English language must provide a letter of language proficiency.
However, there are some countries where applicants coming from any of them are free from the English Language Proficiency requirement. These countries include
Australia, Bahamas, Antigua, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Guyana, New Zealand, Jamaica, Malta, St Kitts and Nevis, Barbuda St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, USA, Grenada, and Trinidad Barbados and Tobago.
These three requirements are the top mandatory requirement, and if you fall short in any of them, there is no way you can have approval for the UK Skilled Worker Visa. Another requirement for the skilled worker visa is that the job should be on the job shortage occupation list.
Having a Ph.D. in a subject relevant to the job or in a STEM subject relevant to the job can increase your chance of getting your Visa approved.
Minimum Salary Threshold
The general minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker Visa holders is £25,600 per annum. It can however increase if the going rate for the particular job is higher. The salary requirement for a new entrant is 30% lower than that of experienced workers in any of the eligible occupations. However, the general minimum salary threshold of £20,480 must still be met.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applicants must also have a certificate of sponsorship from their employer/ sponsor. The certificate of sponsorship is a reference number the visa applicant will tender with their application. The Certificate of Sponsorship is of two types which are:
- The Undefined certificate of sponsorship, which is issued for applicants already in the UK. They are applying for the Skilled Worker Visa to switch from another immigration route into the skilled worker category. It is also used for applicants applying under another visa route either within the UK or from overseas.
- Defined Certificate of Sponsorship, for non-UK citizens or residents, who are applying for the UK Skilled Worker Visa.
However, it is important to note that having a certificate of sponsorship is just a requirement and does not guarantee your visa application approval. This is because there are other requirements that the applicant must meet to qualify for the UK Skilled Worker Visa.
Financial Maintenance
Skilled worker Visa applicants must prove they meet the financial requirement. They must have enough funds to support themselves and their dependents. This is because they will not have access to any of the public funds and benefits.
The requirement is that the applicant must have a minimum of £1,270 in their bank account balance at the moment of applying for the visa. This amount must however be in their account for 28 consecutive days, which the 28th day must fall within the 31 days of their visa application. This £1,270 minimum requirement is for a single migrant. The minimum requirement will increase with the number of dependants migrating with the applicant.
Criminal Record
Applicants whose job requires a criminal record certificate are to present it during their application.
Conclusion
The UK skilled worker visa allows individuals with specialized skills to relocate and work in the United Kingdom. It is however crucial to comply with the regulations established by the UK government. An example of such regulation is passing the Points-Based System evaluation and obtaining a job offer from a UK employer.