Understanding the requirements for the Skilled Worker visa will be crucial if you want to prevent problems or delays with the Home Office application, whether you are an employer trying to recruit a skilled worker from abroad or a person requesting a sponsorship visa. You will forfeit the application money if your application is rejected.
With so much on the line, it is crucial for skilled workers and their sponsors to get legal counsel to understand their alternatives for immigrating and to confirm that the skilled worker visa is the best option.
A Y & J Solicitors brings extensive experience and well-known skills as specialized UK Immigration Solicitors London when helping employers and employees with UK employment sponsorship and the Skilled Worker visa application.
Employers are permitted to hire non-UK residents for specific skilled roles under the Skilled Worker visa.
The visa is available to anyone who reaches 70 points by fulfilling criteria such as obtaining a qualified employment offer from a UK sponsor, having the required skill and pay level, and being able to speak English.
The skilled worker visa allows for dependent children, ‘durable’ partners, and spouses to seek to join the primary visa applicant in the UK. It also provides a path to settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Requirements for the Skilled Worker Route
You must be able to show as a candidate for the Skilled Worker Route that you have a verifiable employment offer from a Home Office Licensed Sponsor, that the job offer is at the required skill level, and that you can show you have the necessary level of English proficiency.
Your employment offer must pay the required salary minimum. The pay should be at least £23,040 and no less than £25,599 each year.
If you will earn more than £20,480 but are unable to achieve the wage criterion, you may still qualify for a skilled worker visa if you:
– A job offer for a position on the shortage occupation list;
– A PhD pertinent to the possible position or
– A PhD in STEM .
A legitimate Certificate of Sponsorship from an employer with a current Sponsor License is required.
A skilled worker can now stay in the UK for an unlimited period of time. Additionally, the grace period has been eliminated.
Skilled worker visa application
You have up to three months to apply for a skilled worker visa before the start date of the employment specified on your certificate of sponsorship. The application procedure will vary depending on whether you are transferring from another route into the Skilled Worker Route from within the UK, extending your current authorisation to remain in the UK from within the UK, or applying from outside the UK.
If you are requesting a skilled worker visa from outside the country, you must submit an online application.
If you are requesting authorization to work as a skilled worker in the UK from within the country, you can either request an extension or request a change to your status.
If you are in the UK with a valid visa and do not fit into any of the following categories, you may submit an in-country application for permission to continue on the skilled worker route:
– A guest;
– A transient student;
– Seasonal worker;
– On immigration bail; or
– Outside the immigration rules
If you hold leave in any of the above categories, then you will be required to leave the UK and make an application for a Skilled Worker Visa from your home country.
Once you have completed, submitted, and paid the fees for the Skilled Worker application form, you will be asked to upload the supporting documents.
Skilled Worker Visa Application Fee
Depending on a number of variables, the base charge for a Skilled Worker Visa application might range from £610 to £1,048. The length of the skilled worker visa you are applying for, the job you have been given, and whether you are applying from within the UK or from outside the country might all affect this. The payment will be less if your position is on the shortage occupation list.
A fee of £624.00 per applicant per year will be levied for the immigration health surcharge. This has to be paid in full and upfront. For instance, if you are applying for a 3-year visa with a dependent, the total cost would be £3,744.00 (£624.00 per person every year).
You will benefit from a discounted rate on application costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge fee if you qualify for a skilled worker visa as a health and care worker.
You should be eligible to apply for Pre-Settled Status or Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme if you are an EU citizen and entered the UK before December 31, 2020. There are no employment restrictions, and there is no cost to apply for this program.
As on December 1, 2020, you may apply for a Skilled Worker Visa if you are an EU citizen but are not qualified for the EU Settlement Scheme. Your visa will be valid for admission into the UK from January 1, 2021, if you are successful.
