UK Skilled Worker Visa 2023 | Work in the UK as a Foreigner | UK Work Visa 2023

The UK Skilled Worker Visa targets overseas skilled workers with a job offer from an eligible UK company with a visa sponsorship license.

How to legally work in the UK as a foreigner. The UK Skilled Worker 2021 which visa replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa enables you to go to the UK and legally work as a foreigner at an eligible job with an approved employer.

Eligibility Requirements for the UK Skilled Worker Visa

1. Your job

To qualify for a UK Skilled Worker visa, you must:

• Have a job offer that is eligible. To find out if your job is eligible, you need to know its 4-digit occupation code. Search for your job in the ONS occupation coding tool here.
  • Ensure that the job description matches what you’ll be doing. Some similar jobs have different codes, for example chefs and cooks. Chefs are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, but cooks are not.
  • Use your occupation code to view the table of eligible jobs to see if your job is included.
• have a confirmed job offer before you apply for the UK skilled worker visa.
• be going to work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• have a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• your job offer must be from an list an eligible UK Skilled visa sponsor also known as your approved UK employer.
• be paid a minimum salary – the eligible amount depends on the type of work you will do
  • The minimum salary for the type of work you’ll be doing is whichever is the highest out of the following 3 options:
    • £25,600 per year
    • £10.10 per hour
    • the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing. So if let’s say your salary is £27,000 per year, but the annual going rate for the job you’ll be doing is £30,000. You do not meet the usual salary requirements for the UK Skilled Worker Visa. Check when you can be paid less.

2. English Proficiency

You must be proficient in the English language. That is speaking, reading, writing and comprehension which must be to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. by either:

• taking a Secure English Language Test (SELT) exam from an approved agency
• having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, attained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18
• having a degree-level academic qualification that was undertaken in English – if you studied abroad, you’ll need to apply through Ecctis (previously UK NARIC) for your qualification to be assessed for equivalence to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

If you’re a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or vet

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’ve already passed an English Language assessment that is accepted by the relevant regulated professional body.

If you’re a vet, you may need to prove that you passed an English Language assessment with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Citizens of the following countries do not need to prove their English proficiency:

• USA
• Australia
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Belize
• Barbados
• Bahamas
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Malta
• Jamaica
• New Zeeland
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago

3. Proof of Funds

To be eligible for UK Skilled Worker Visa, you must provide proof that you have at least £1270 in your bank account to support yourself and dependents while in the UK.

The funds must have been available for at least 28 days in sequence with Day 28 being within 31 days of applying for your UK skilled worker visa.

If you are applying outside the UK you need to prove your funds via a certified bank statement.

If you are legally living in the UK for at least 1 year, you will need to show that your employer can cover your expenses during your first 4 weeks in the UK, for up to £1270.

Your family must also show proof of funds:

your family (children and partner) must prove that they have the necessary funds to support themselves in the UK

• partner – £285
• one child – £ 315
• every additional child – £200.

Your employer can also show proof of funds through by:

• indicating it on your sponsorship certificate.
• the  employer will need to complete the ‘Sponsor Certificate Maintenance’ section on your certificate. This is under ‘Additional data’.

4. Minimum Score for UK Skilled Worker Visa

To be eligible for the UK Skilled Worker Visa, you must score a minimum of 70 points in total.

50 of these 70points are mandatory through non-tradable criteria while the other 20 points are through tradeable requirements.

Below are the details of how the 50 points must be achieved in order to be eligible for the UK Skilled Worker Visa:

A total of 70 points is needed to be able to apply to work in the UK

Tradable or non-tradable points table:

Validity Period of the UK Skilled Worker Visa

Your UK skilled worker visa can be valid for up to 5 years before you need to extend it.

You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa should it expire or if you change jobs or employer.

You can apply to extend your UK skilled worker visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements above.

After 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) which gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.

How to Apply for UK Skilled Worker Visa

You can only apply for your UK skilled worker visa online depending on your personal circumstance, that is, whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

If you want to change your job or employer, you must apply to update your visa.

You can include your partner and children in your application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.

How Long Does the UK Skilled Worker Visa Application Take?

You can apply for your UK skilled worker visa up to a maximum of 3 months before the day you are due to start your job in the UK. This date will be listed on your UK employer sponsorship certificate.

Since as part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your the required documents, it makes sense to give yourself extra time should an appointment be needed to do this.

Getting a decision to your UK Skilled Worker Visa Application

Once you’ve applied for your UK Skilled Worker Visa online, you’ve proven your identity, and submitted the required documentation, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re applying from outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you’re applying from inside the UK

If you need to go to an appointment, you may fast-track the decision process. The procedure for fast-tracking your UK Skilled Worker Visa application process will depend on whether you’re outside the UK or inside the UK.

How Much a UK Skilled Worker Visa Application Costs

For an up to date fee schedule for the UK Skilled Worker Visa application costs, please check on this link for how much money you’ll need.

If you plan to work in the UK public sector healthcare

If you’re a doctor or nurse, or you plan to work in the UK health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the UK Health and Care Worker visa instead which is cheaper to apply for and does not call for the annual immigration health surcharge.

What You Can and Cannot Do with a UK Skilled Worker Visa

With a UK Skilled Worker visa you can:

• work in an eligible job
• study
• bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
• take on additional work in certain circumstances
• do voluntary work
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply permanent residence in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

You cannot:

• apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
• change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa

Required documents for UK skilled Worker Visa

If you already have a job offer from an approved UK visa sponsor:

Your employer – also known as your visa sponsor – will confirm that you meet the UK skilled worker visa eligibility requirements.

They’ll then issue you with a digital ‘certificate of sponsorship’ to prove this.

The certificate of sponsorship will have a reference number, which you’ll need for your UK skilled worker visa application.

You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.

Attach the following documents to your UK skilled worker visa application.

• certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer
• language (English ) proficiency proof
• valid passport or travel document
• your job title
• your annual salary
• your jobs occupation code
• your authorized employer information, you will find this on your certificate of sponsorship such as his/her name and sponsor license number
• If applying outside the UK, you will need to provide a police clearance certificate .

Depending on your case, you may be asked for additional documentation such as:

• proof of relationship with your partner or children
• Your TB test results if you are from a listed country
• working in certain jobs
• If your qualification is from outside the UK, you will need a UK Ph.D. certificate or your unique UNARIC reference number
• If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you must also provide a certified translation.
• In case you obtained your sponsorship certificate before 1 Dec 2020, you will need to update or renew your sponsorship certificate from your employer.
• If you are applying from outside the UK and you work, you will need to provide a criminal record certificate for the following job set occupation.
  • Education, such as Teachers, Education Advisors, and School Inspectors, Child Minders, Teaching Assistants
  • Healthcare such as nurses, doctors, paramedics, managers, pharmacists, dental and dental nurses
  • Therapists such as psychologists, speech and language therapists, counselors
  • Social services such as social worker, manager, probation officer, welfare and housing officer

• In case you have lived in more than one country:
  • Depending on your age and how long you have lived in every single country, you will be required to provide a certificate of each country in which you have lived. If you’re below 28 years, you will need to provide a police clearance certificate for each country where you have lived for 1 year or more after the age of 18. If you are 28 years or more you will need to provide a police clearance certificate from each country you have resided in for the last 10 years.

uk work visa, UK skilled worker visa, uk skilled worker visa 2021, uk skilled worker visa sponsorship from uK, uk visa, uk work permit, skilled worker visa, uk work visa 2021, skilled worker visa uk, uk work permit visa