Skilled Worker (Tier 2 General) Visa Services
The Skilled Worker visa allows qualifying individuals to come to the UK to do eligible work for an employer who has a sponsorship licence.
Previously known Tier 2 (General) visa has been replaced by the skilled worker visa and this is the main UK immigration route for non-UK resident workers.
Whether you are an employer looking to hire a skilled worker from overseas or are an individual applying for a sponsorship visa, it will be important to understand the Skilled Worker visa eligibility and application requirements to avoid issues or delays with the Home Office application. A refused application will mean you lose the application fee.
For skilled workers and their sponsors, with so much at stake, it is important to seek legal advice to understand the migration options available and that the Skilled Worker visa is the correct route.
As UK immigration specialists, we guide workers and employers through the complex Home Office visa application process.
What is the Skilled Worker Visa?
The Skilled Worker visa allows employers to recruit non-UK resident workers for certain eligible, skilled roles.
The Skilled Worker visa is open to individuals who attain 70 points by meeting specific requirements such as skill and salary level, English language ability and having a qualifying job offer from a UK sponsor.
The Skilled Worker visa makes provision for spouses, ‘durable’ partners and dependent children to apply to join the main visa applicant in the UK, and is also a route to settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain.
What are the Skilled Worker visa requirements?
The applicable 70 points threshold for a Skilled Worker visa is made up of 50 points for mandatory or non-tradeable criteria (ie; the job offer, speaking English and the requisite skill level for the job on offer), and 20 points for what’s classed as ‘tradeable’ criteria.
Skilled worker requirement | Points | Mandatory or tradeable? |
Job offer from a licensed sponsor | 20 points | Mandatory |
English language skill | 10 points | Mandatory |
Job offer is at a skill level of RQF3 or above | 20 points | Mandatory |
Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 0 points | Tradeable |
Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 10 points | Tradeable |
Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | 20 points | Tradeable |
Job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee | 20 points | Tradeable |
Education qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job | 10 points | Tradeable |
Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 20 points | Tradeable |
Extensive documentation is needed to prove each requirement; applications made with insufficient or wrong documentation will be refused.
As UK immigration specialists, we guide workers and employers through the complex Home Office visa application process. Contact us today to discuss your eligibility for this visa category.
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