UK Work Visa Visa Requirements and Immigration Process

You will need to demonstrate your eligibility to apply for a UK Work Visa. This can be done with the help of an employer or sponsoring organization and requires you to provide evidence of your qualifications, experience, and English language ability.

Your Employer Needs a Sponsor Licence

Your employer can issue you with a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS). The COS will state how long your visa is valid and what type of visa it is (Tier 2 or Tier 5). This information will help you determine which UK work visa you need to apply for. It is worth noting that your employer must be certified to employ a foreign worker with evidence of sponsor licence. Without this, they may not be able to sponsor your visa application.

They Will Submit a Certificate of Sponsorship Application

At the very beginning, your employer will submit a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) application to the Home Office on your behalf. A COS is a document that confirms your employment status and confirms that you’re allowed to work in the UK.

The cost of applying depends on whether or not you’re applying for off-the-books or restricted hours, but an off-the-books worker will pay £1,811 ($2,220) while someone with restricted hours will pay £630 ($742).

You can apply for a UK Work Visa with the help of UK immigration lawyers

You can apply for the UK work visa with the help of UK immigration lawyers. The role of UK immigration lawyers is to provide legal assistance to foreign nationals who want to apply for a visa.

UK immigration lawyers can also provide information on how you can apply, what documentation you will need, and your chances of approval or rejection based on your circumstances and situation.

The Points Based System

The Points Based System assesses whether a person is eligible to apply for a visa to enter the UK. The system is based on an applicant’s qualifications, experience, salary, and job skill level. Each tier has different requirements.

Tier 1 Visa for highly skilled workers

 To qualify as highly skilled workers:

• You need to have at least £945 per month in savings;
• You must meet the English language requirement; and
• You need to pass a points-based assessment that will evaluate how skilled you are according to various attributes, including age, education level, experience, and employment history
  

Tier 2 for sportspeople and members of the clergy

For the tier 2 visa, you must be sponsored by a licensed employer. You must speak English and have a valid certificate of sponsorship in your passport. You must also earn at least £30,000 per year or an average of at least £20,000 over the past 6 months.

Tier 3 for low skilled temporary workers

You can apply for a Tier 3 work visa if you are a low-skilled temporary worker. Tier 3 was suspended and replaced by the Youth Mobility Scheme. However, if your application was submitted before 7 November 2016 and approved, it will continue to be valid until its expiry date.

Tier 4 for student interns

Tier 4 is a UK visa for students and 4 student interns. To be eligible for this visa, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a full-time student or part-time student intern at a licensed Tier 4 sponsor.
• You must have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course.
• It would help if you were a national of a country outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland.

Tier 5 the UK holiday work visa

A Tier 5 visa is a UK holiday work visa. You can apply for this visa to come to the UK as a temporary worker.

The Tier 5 UK holiday working visa allows you to:

• Carry out creative work activities in the UK
• Do voluntary work in the UK (you will be doing unpaid work).

UK Work Visa Requirements plus documents needed

To apply for a visa, you will need to ensure that you have the following documentation:

• Current passport (valid for at least six months after the date of departure from the UK)
• Two passport-sized photographs (size 35mm x 45mm)
• Application fee (£19.00)
• Certificate of sponsorship from your employer or sponsor (if applicable).
• The certificate should show that they are committed to paying you at least £20,000 per year and that they will give you leave if you lose your job with them during the qualifying period.
  

You’ll also need proof that:

• You’re able to support yourself financially during your stay in Britain
• Your tuberculosis test results are negative;
• You have the right educational achievements, including certificates showing the highest level achieved plus details about where/when you attended classes, etc.;

The UK work visa application process

The application process for a UK work visa is fairly straightforward. You can begin by visiting the GOV UK website and clicking on the PRC section to access the relevant forms. 

You’ll need to fill them out and submit your supporting documents, so it’s best to organize everything beforehand. Then you can pay the application fee and immigration health surcharge online via credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. Next up is submitting biometric information, including fingerprints and photographs. After that comes fingerprint checking at one of many Visa Application Centres worldwide.

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Finally, once all this has been processed successfully and there are no issues with any of your documents or biometrics, you should receive confirmation that you have been granted leave clearance for entry into the UK.

Conclusion

The UK is home to a robust economy, and many people want to work here. But getting a visa can be difficult. If you’re looking to work in the UK, it’s a good idea to consult an immigration lawyer who can help you with your application.

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