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About United kingdom
Now four constituent nations form the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy, in advancing literature, science, and later pop music. The country is surrounded by water, having only one land border with Ireland. The United Kingdom is located in northwestern Europe and it comprises an area of 242,900. There’s an important thing you need to know about UK at the beginning. Technically, the full name of the country is The United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland, but it’s commonly referred to as the United Kingdom. Its population exceeds 63 million, with London, its capital, counting for over 8 million of them. Other big UK cities include Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Belfast, Leicester, etc. The official spoken language is English and their currency is the sterling pound. Its political definition is that of a parliamentary monarchy. The United Kingdom is one of the greatest countries in the world, playing a major and a central role in global politics and economy.
The new UK points system was introduced on 1 December 2020 and included a number of significant changes to the points-based system. The Skilled Worker visa replaced the Tier 2 visa scheme and allows entry to the UK on a long-term basis to fill a skilled job vacancy in a wide range of skilled occupations including in IT, accountancy, teaching, and healthcare. The occupation needs to be on the Skilled Worker eligible occupations list, which has been expanded to include more lower skilled occupations.
If the occupation is on the Skilled Worker Shortage Occupation List it is easier to gain enough points under the points system. Before they apply, Skilled Worker visa applicants must have a job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK employer with a valid Skilled Worker sponsor license.
Since 1 December 2020 the New Skilled Worker visa is the main UK visa route for skilled workers with a job offer coming to the UK to take up employment. In order to be eligible you must pass a points-based assessment. In Skilled Worker visa applications, points are awarded if the applicant is sponsored by an employer, is being paid the going rate salary, meets the English language requirements and meets the financial requirement.
In order to apply for the Skilled Worker visa you must have a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from a UK employer with a valid sponsor license. There are many occupations under the Shortage Occupation List. which makes it easier to gain enough points. Processing times for Skilled Worker visa applicants applying from overseas should be much reduced under the new points-based system, as obtaining a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship should not take longer than about a day to obtain.
Benefits of having a UK Skilled Worker Visa
- Income: Earn in pounds
- Education: Study in world-class colleges and universities at prices lower than the US
- Health: You can enjoy the best healthcare facilities in the world.
- Retirement: UK is rated as one of the best countries in the world and you can be assured of a retirement you will enjoy.
- Your family: You can bring your whole family to the UK.
- Freedom Live, work and study in any UK province or territory.
- Investment: Best investment for your money. Better returns than gold, mutual funds, stocks or FD.
Eligibility to apply for UK Skilled Worker Visa
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:
- Work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
- Have a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the job you have been offered in the UK
- Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
- Be paid a minimum salary – which is dependent on the type of work you do
Your stay in the UK
You can stay in the UK for up to five years on a Skilled Worker visa, and you can bring family members, including a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18. You will need to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.
There’s no limit on how many times you can extend your visa. After five years you could be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Indefinite leave to remain gives you the right to live, work or study in the UK without any time limits, plus you can apply for benefits – if you qualify.
Skilled Worker visa requirements
Applicants will need:
- To score 70 points awarded based on meeting minimum salary requirements, English proficiency (proof required), having a job offer with the appropriate skill level
- To earn a minimum salary of £25,600 per year, unless the job applied for is on the Shortage Occupation List, or the ‘going rate’ for the job the applicant will be doing is higher than this, or if the applicant has a PhD, in which case the minimum salary is reduced to £20,480
You must reach a points score above a minimum threshold if your application is to be successful. The minimum number of points required varies for each UK visa category.
Summary of Skilled Worker Visa Points Requirements
| Characteristics | Mandatory/Tradeable | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Offer of job by approved sponsor | Mandatory | 20 |
| Job at appropriate skill level | Mandatory | 20 |
| Speaks English at required level | Mandatory | 10 |
| Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 0 |
| Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 10 |
| Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 20 |
| Job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee | Tradeable | 20 |
| Applicant is a new entrant to the labour market (as designated by the MAC) | Tradeable | 20 |
| Education qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job | Tradeable | 10 |
| Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | Tradeable | 20 |
Skilled Worker English language requirement
Skilled Worker visa applicants may be required to complete an approved UKVI version of the English language test if they are not nationals of an English-speaking country on the list or have not completed a degree level course taught in English (verified by NARIC). There are no English language requirements for Intra-Company Transfer visa applicants.
Approved English Language Tests for Skilled Worker visa at B1 or above include:
You must have reached the required level in all areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. MUST BE AN UKVI VERSION OF THE TEST
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Integrated Skills in English (level B1, B2, C1, or C2) | Passes in reading, writing, listening, and speaking |
| Graded Examinations in Spoken English(level B1) | Grade 5 |
| IELTS for UKVI (level B1) | 4.0 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking |
| IELTS for UKVI (level B2) | 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking |
| IELTS for UKVI (level C1) | 7.0 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking |
| IELTS for UKVI (level C2) | 8.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking |
Documents Required
Skilled Worker visa applicants must provide a number of documents with their application, these include:
- Current passport and/or other travel documents
- Proof that they can meet the maintenance funds requirements for their visa. Usually the Skilled Worker A rated sponsor guarantees maintenance in the UK. Another way to show this is to have bank statements over 28 days showing maintenance funds.
- Proof that they meet the Skilled Worker English Language requirements, such as qualification equivalent to a bachelors degree or higher taught in English or English language test results.
- A clear tuberculosis (TB) test result letter, if the applicant is from one of the countries on the Home Office’s TB testing list
Skilled Worker Visa Financial Requirements
Most Skilled Worker sponsors guarantee their prospective employees’ financial requirements by stating on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they will cover the applicant’s maintenance and accommodation for the first month of employment in the UK. Only ‘A rated’ sponsors have this option which covers the vast majority of employers with a sponsor license.
If their employer does not provide a guarantee for the financial requirement then Skilled Worker visa applicants must prove, with bank statements or other documents, that they have personal funds of at least £1,270, and have had this money continuously for a 28 day period ending no more than 31 days before the date of the Skilled Worker visa application. The previous requirement under the Tier 2 visa scheme was to show that the applicant had the smaller amount in funds of £945 available for a period of ninety days. Applicants are exempt from this condition if they already have entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain under a Skilled Worker visa.
UK Immigration Health Surcharge
When you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you will have to pay the UK Immigration Health Surcharge – currently £624 per year.
Conditions of your Skilled Worker visa
You should make sure you adhere to the conditions of your stay in the UK. Under the Skilled Worker visa, you’re permitted to:
- Work in an eligible job
- Study
- Bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependents’ – if they qualify
- Take on additional employment in certain circumstances
- Do voluntary work
- Travel overseas and return to the UK
- Apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements
Skilled Worker Visa Family members (dependents)
In most cases you can bring your partner or children with you during your stay, but you must show that you have sufficient funds to provide for them. They will be able to apply under a family visa, you can contact us on 09175475386 or immigration@soegis.com.