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If you’re not a resident of the UK and want to work in the UK you have to apply for UK work visa. There are numerous work visa options accessible, with the majority of them focused on investors, entrepreneurs, skilled labourers, and individuals fitting particular worker profiles. Importantly, there isn’t a general work visa or permission available for temporary or low-skilled jobs. The next step is to decide which category is most appropriate, check for eligibility, and learn about the application procedure, associated fees, and lead times. In this blog, we’ll guide you through UK Work Visa policies and application procedures in 2024.
What is a UK Work Visa Application 2024?
A UK Work visa enables you to live and work in the UK for a set amount of time (many of these work visas are renewable forever). You must fulfil the work visa eligibility UK conditions and submit the required paperwork in order to apply for a UK work visa. Let’s discuss UK work permit guidelines.
Types of UK Work Visa
Different types of UK work visas are available such as:
Skilled Worker Visa
The Skilled Worker visa is a sponsored work permit in the UK that allows foreign nationals to work for employers approved by the Home Office in a specified job category within an eligible skilled occupation. Under the previous regulations, the Tier 2 (General) visa was replaced by the Skilled Worker visa. The eligibility requirements for a UK Skilled Worker Visa are as follows:
- Before submitting your visa application, you must have a verifiable work offer.
- You have to be employed by a UK company that has been approved by the Home Office.
- A sponsorship certificate from your workplace is required.
- In addition, you must have a job in one of the eligible occupations.
- You must get paid a minimal wage for the task you will perform.
- You have to speak English at least B1.
UK Start-Up Visa
As an entrepreneur, you can launch a new company in the UK with a Start-Up visa. The following are the requirements for eligibility:
- You have to be at least eighteen years old.
- An authorised UK endorsing body must have given its approval to your company.
- You have to be a B2 English speaker.
- Before applying, you need to have at least £945 in your bank account for ninety consecutive days.
- It is required that you currently have a valid UK visa, either as a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur, Tier 2 or Tier 4 (General) visitor engaging in permitted activities as a prospective entrepreneur.
UK Graduate Work Visa
After finishing a course in the UK, you can work flexibly, change professions, and further your career for two years with a United Kingdom Graduate Work visa. Applying for this visa is possible if:
- Currently, you have a student visa and are in. the UK
- With your student visa, you completed at least 12 months of study towards a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or other qualified courses.
- Moreover, your institution or college has informed the Home Office that you have completed the course successfully.
Visa for Domestic Workers in the UK
You can work in the UK for a private household if you have a UK domestic worker visa. You can work as a cook, cleaner, chauffeur, nanny, etc. Moreover, you have to fulfil the following conditions to be eligible for a UK domestic worker visa:
- You’re older than 19 years old.
- You don’t reside in the United Kingdom.
- You work as a maid in a private residence.
- You’ve been employed by that company for a minimum of a year.
- You also work in the same home as your boss.
- After six months, you intend to depart from the UK.
- Moreover, you do not require public funds.
High Potential Individual Visa
Top international institutions’ graduates can work in the UK for two years with the High Potential UK work visa. This type of visa does not require an employment offer. To apply for this visa, you need to meet the requirements stated below:
- Within five years, you must have a degree from an accredited university.
- You have to be at least eighteen.
- You need to be at least B1 proficient in English.
- In the UK, you need to be able to support yourself financially.
- You must not be a high-potential individual or a graduate who has received permission under the Student Doctorate Extension Scheme.
International Sports Person Visa
The International Sportsperson UK visa enables athletes or coaches to work in the UK and promote their sport to the height of competition. You have to fulfil the following conditions in order to be eligible for an International Sportsperson visa:
- You must be an elite athlete accepted by your sport’s governing body or a certified coach.
- The governing authority of your sport must approve your application.
- Moreover, your job will help your sport grow to the highest level in the UK.
- A sponsorship certificate is required.
- You need to show your command of the English language.
- In the UK, you need to be able to support yourself financially.
- Additionally, you have to present the last five years’ worth of trip records.
- If you are from a listed nation, you must get a tuberculosis test.
- Further, if you’re switching from a student visa, you need to have a qualifying job.
Minister of Religion Visa
You can enter the UK and work as a religious missionary or minister of religion if you have a Minister of Religion UK working visa. To be eligible for the Minister of Religion visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your age must be over 18.
- Your UK sponsor must provide you with a certificate of sponsorship.
- You have to demonstrate your English proficiency.
- You need to be able to sustain yourself financially in the UK.
- You must provide proof of your travel history during the last five years.
- Moreover, if your country appears on the list, you must obtain a tuberculosis test.
Global Business Mobility Worker Visa
There are five sponsored visa pathways under the Global Business Mobility working visa for the UK for foreign companies looking to set up business in the country, transfer employees, or pursue other business-related objectives. Moreover, these are the five visa routes for global business mobility:
Visa for Senior or Specialised Workers: With this visa, you can work as a senior management or specialist temporarily relocating to a UK branch of your foreign employer while you are in the UK.
Expansion Worker Visa: The Expansion Worker visa allows you to open a branch of your overseas company in the United Kingdom.
Visa for Secondment Workers: Your employer may temporarily move you to the UK for business purposes if you have this visa.
Visa for Service Providers: This visa permits you to temporarily enter the UK if the job is for a contract to deliver services covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements.
Graduate Trainee Visa: With this visa, you can work in the UK in a position that is related to a graduate program leading to a managerial or specialist role.
Requirements for Obtaining a UK Work Visa
If you don’t have the necessary certificate of sponsorship or meet the financial conditions, you can’t apply for a UK work visa. A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is a document provided by your company. To apply for specific UK work visas, you need the CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship). The following UK visa routes need a CoS:
- UK Skilled Worker visa
- International Sportsperson visa
- Minister of Religion visa
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa
- Expansion Worker visa
- Service Supplier visa
- Secondment Worker visa
- Creative Worker visa
- Seasonal Worker visa
- International Agreement visa
- Charity Worker visa
Financial Requirement
To be eligible for most UK work visas, you need to show that you can sustain yourself for the first portion of your stay in the country by having a minimum amount of money in your bank account. The majority of UK work visas need at least £1270. However, the Youth Mobility scheme requires at least £2,530, whereas the Graduate Work visa and the Domestic Worker visa have no such criteria. This requirement does not apply to you if:
- You have a one-year valid visa and have been in the UK.
- For the first month, your company will provide you with at least £1,270 in financial help.
Need Help With UK Work Visa Application 2024?
A person may still be refused permission to enter or remain in the UK based on one of the general grounds for rejection even if they fully satisfy the qualifying conditions for a UK work visa. To increase the chance of a successful outcome, expert advice should be sought before submitting an application for a visa or before hiring a foreign national on a sponsored employment route.
We are the experts on UK immigration. Moreover, we provide assistance with all forms of UK visas, settlement, and nationality applications to employers, business owners, investors, employees, and their families. Get in touch with us for guidance on UK work visa options.
