Work Visa

A Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. Those who wish to apply for a skilled worker visa  from their home country, our legal experts can advise you on the options and procedures.

Skilled workers with a job offer

Those coming to the UK for work from January 2021 must:

• have a job offer from a licensed sponsor
• meet certain skills/salary criteria
• speak English
• The skilled worker visa route replaced the tier 2 (general) visa category on 1 December 2021.

This came with significant changes:

• the general salary threshold was reduced to £25,600 (from £30,000)
• the required skills level was reduced from degree to A-level or equivalent
• the annual cap on certificates of sponsorship was suspended
• the resident labour market test was abolished
• the cooling-off period was abolished
• the rules on switching from other types of visa were relaxed
• the prohibition on visa applicants owning more than 10 percent of the shares in the sponsoring entity was abolished
• Skilled worker visa applications are assessed on a points system. A total of 70 points is needed.

The points for some characteristics such as salary or qualification are tradeable. Therefore, if someone earns less than £25,600, they may still be able to come if they can show that they have a:

• job offer in a specific shortage occupation, or
• PhD relevant to the job