Skilled Worker Visa
Do you want to recruit people from abroad to work in the UK?
Skilled Worker Visa UK
The Skilled Worker Visa route is available for employers to recruit people from abroad to work in the UK in a specific job. The employer must hold a sponsor’s licence issued by the Home Office. The Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation. This means you can only apply for jobs at a certain skill level. This is currently RQF Level 3 or above (under the UK’s Regulated Qualifications Framework) which is equivalent to UK A Levels. There are also salary requirements that must be met and applicants must be able to demonstrate English language ability of at least Level B1 in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Certificate Of Sponsorship (COS)
The sponsor has to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (“CoS”) for an applicant to be issued with a Skilled Worker Visa. The CoS has a unique reference number. It contains information about the job and the applicant’s personal details. A multiple entry CoS may be issued for a person who needs to travel significantly as part of their job.
A Skilled Worker can bring their dependent partner and children to the UK on this route. There is currently no limit on the number of people who can enter the UK on a Skilled Worker Visa.
The Skilled Worker Visa is a route to settlement / indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after a person has spent a continuous period of five years in the UK. Dependent partners and children can also be eligible for settlement in the UK.
Skilled Worker Requirements
The specifics of the Skilled Worker Visa route are very difficult to navigate for the untrained eye. Essentially, it can be broken down into validity requirements, suitability requirements and eligibility requirements. The issue many people have is understanding these requirements which can lead to problems with applications. For example, an application that doesn’t meet the validity requirements is invalid and may be rejected and not considered by the Home Office. If there is any previous adverse immigration history or litigation or NHS debts on the applicant’s part, they may fall foul of the suitability requirements.
Skilled Worker Visa Application Process
Many applications encounter difficulties in meeting the very detailed and complex eligibility requirements. These include the entry requirements, points requirements, sponsorship requirements, appropriate skill level requirements, tradeable points options and financial requirement. Issues that lead to refusal by the Home Office can arise at any time on the Skilled Worker Visa route i.e. the entry clearance stage, at the time of permission to enter or permission to stay applications and also at the settlement stage. Therefore it is important to seek expert advice early in the process so that any potential issues can be identified and resolved promptly before they lead to a Home Office refusal.
We specialise in assisting and advising businesses and individuals in the UK and overseas on how to meet the Skilled Worker Visa route requirements under the Points Based System. Whether you wish to obtain a sponsor’s licence, sponsor a skilled worker or simply require ongoing Home Office compliance support, our business immigration solicitors are on hand to provide clear and reliable immigration advice and help throughout the process.