Navigate the UK Work Permit Pathway to Unlock Opportunities

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Navigate the UK Work Permit Pathway to Unlock Opportunities

Did you just receive your offer letter for a job in the UK, or are you planning to move to this beautiful country as an employee of an accredited employer? 
A skilled UK Work Permit visa can be a route for you to start or pursue your successful professional career in a country like the UK. Let’s dive deeper and learn about methods to get a UK Work Permit visa, eligibility requirements, its validity, and other important details. 

Types of UK Work Visas You Need to Know

Generally, who wants to get a UK Work Permit needs to get a job from an accredited employer, but there are some exceptions to this in the case of a High-potential (HPI) visa, graduate visa, etc. 

Here are the various types of UK work visas you need to know: 

Visa Type 

Issued to 

Description/ Requirements 

Duration 

Skilled worker visa

Foreign nationals 

  • Job offer from a licensed sponsor 

  • Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

  • Job listed on the eligible list of skilled occupations 

  • Minimum salary requirements 

  • Minimum English requirements 

5 years 

Later, you can apply for an extension or gain permanent settlement (ILR) after 5 years. 

Health and Care Worker Visa 

Foreign nationals (For qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals, and adult social care professionals) 

  • Job offer from a licensed sponsor 

  • Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

  • Job listed on the eligible list of skilled occupations 

  • Minimum salary requirements 

  • Minimum English requirements 

5 years 

Later, you can apply for an extension or gain permanent settlement (ILR) after 5 years. 

Scale up visa 

Foreign nationals with high levels of skills or qualifications 

  • Academically elite 

  • Certificate of sponsorship (CoS) for first-time applicants. 

  • Job offer from the scale-up company, having staff growth of 20% over the last 3 years. 

  • Salary: 33,000 euros or more 

  • Minimum English requirements 

5 years 

Later, you can apply for an extension or gain permanent settlement (ILR) after 5 years. 

Temporary work visa 

Foreign nationals working for a short duration  

  • Academically elite 

  • Certificate of sponsorship (CoS) for first-time applicants. 

  • Job offer from the scale-up company, having staff growth of 20% over the last 3 years. 

  • Salary: 33,000 euros or more 

  • Minimum English requirements 

  • Must be 18+ 

  • Must have sufficient funds 

3 months to 2 years 

(Cannot apply for ILR.)

Global business mobility visa

 
  • Job offer from a licensed sponsor 

  • Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

  • Job listed on the eligible list of skilled occupations 

  • Minimum salary requirements 

  • Minimum English requirements 

6 months to 2 years 

(Cannot apply for ILR.)

(Can extend their visas within maximum stay limit.)

Graduate visa

Graduates who have completed a graduate degree or PG

 

Allows stay 2–3 years with PhD.

UK ancestry visa 

(For Commonwealth and British Overseas citizens & nationals) 

 
  • Grandparents born in the UK.

  • Applicants must be at least 17 years of age.

  • British overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, a British national (overseas), or citizen of Zimbabwe 

  • Apply from outside the UK.

  • Proof of grandparents born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or Isle of Man

  • Intend to work in the UK or have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependants. 

5 years 

Later, you can apply for an extension or gain permanent settlement (ILR) after 5 years

Global talent visa 

Foreign nationals considered leaders in academia or research, arts, and culture

  • Leader or potential leader approved by an endorsing body 

5 years 

Later, you can apply for an extension or gain permanent settlement (ILR) after 3–5 years

(If endorsed by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society, UK Research and Innovation, and Arts Council England or tech Nation can go for fast-track settlement 

High-potential individual visa 

Foreign national qualifications gained from the Home Office’s global universities list 

  • Minimum English requirements 

  • Must be 18+ 

  • Must have sufficient funds 

Allows stay 2 years and 3 years with PhD.

(Cannot apply for ILR.)

 

Besides these, there is a list of visas under temporary work visas and global business mobility visas, which are explained below: 

Temporary work visa 

Global business mobility visa

  • Charity Worker Visa 

  • Creative Worker Visa 

  • Government-Authorised exchange Visa 

  • International Agreement Visa 

  • Religious Worker Visa 

  • Seasonal Worker Visa 

  • Senior or Specialist Corker Visa in place of Intra-Company Transfer Visa (ICT) 

  • Graduate Trainee Visa in Place of Intra-Company Transfer Graduate Visa 

  • UK Expansion Worker Visa in place of Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa 

  • Secondment Worker Visa 

  • Service Supplier Visa

 

📑 Take Note of: 

After Brexit, EU nationals who are interested in working in the UK must apply for a work permit or visa. Also, nationals with pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme do not need any work visa or permit to work. 

Besides these, there are other work permits to work in the UK. 

  • Frontier Work Permit 
  • Dependent Family Permit 
  • Overseas Domestic Worker Visa
  • British Nationals (Overseas) Visa 
  • Youth Mobility Scheme Visa 

Moreover, those who already work in the UK can consider applying for a business visa (e.g. innovator visa or a start-up visa), which allows them to work with their own business. Furthermore, HPI, Graduate, Global Talent, and UK ancestry visas are a few options to choose to go to the UK without a job offer. 
 

Are You Eligible to Work in the UK? 

If you are also speculating an answer to this question, you are probably aware that you need to fulfil a certain set of criteria to become eligible for the Work Permit UK. However, your immigration status, i.e., leave, allows you to work in the country. If you don’t have it, you can apply for it. 

Here’s what you need to cross-check to discover where you are in the required set of eligibility criteria lists to get a green flag. 

Keep in Mind 🧠

You need to get 70 points to qualify for a visa in the UK. You can gain 30 points by securing a job from an accredited employer, and more than 30 points if your occupation is listed in the Skills Shortage List. 

  1. Automatically Eligible to Work:

You are automatically eligible to work if you fit into any of the criteria stated below: 

  • British/Irish citizen 
  • Pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme. 
  • Family permit for the EU Settlement Scheme. 
  • Indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK. 
  • Right to abode in the UK. 
  • Born to any of the British parents.
  • Born in the UK or over British overseas territory. 
  • Born in a British colony before 1983. 
  • Limited Leave to Enter or Remain

This is in scenarios if you visa with a time limit associated with it. This might also restrict you from a job or type of work you want to do and the number of hours you can put into work. 

  1. Proficiency in English 

You need to read, write, and talk in English according to the B1 scale as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. 

  1. Apply for Other Types of Visas

In case you are not eligible for the skilled worker visa in the UK, you can also apply for a few other types of visas, such as HPI, Graduate, Global Talent, UK ancestry visa, etc. 

Take Note 🗒️

If you have entered illegally or your right to leave has ended, then you are not allowed to work in the UK.


These are the various factors that calculate your eligibility to work in the UK after completing your Study in the UK. You must evaluate which criteria you fit, and you can consider processing your visa. 

How Do You Apply for a UK Work Permit? 

The UK government keeps updating its guidelines for applying for visas and revising its terms. There are various types of visas you can apply for. Also, how you apply depends upon certain factors, such as: 

  • If you are living inside or outside the country. 
  • Applying to switch or extend your visa. 
  • You need to update your visa if you wish to change your employer 
  • You have to apply to join you or stay in the UK to bring your spouse or family if they are eligible. 

Also, please take a look at a few dos and don'ts to keep in mind when you are entering the UK through a skilled worker visa, which is discussed below: 

Do’s 

Don't's 

Work in an eligible job 

Apply for most benefits (Public funds) or the State Pension 

Study 

Change jobs or employers unless you apply to update the visa 

Bring your partner and children as your dependants if they are eligible 

 

Take on additional work in certain circumstances 

 

Do voluntary work 

 

Travel outside and return to the UK 

 

Apply to settle permanently via ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) once you have spent 5 years or more in the country. 

 

You need to visit the official pages to apply from the right platform and prevent any fraud from happening. However, it is advised to seek help from a knowledgeable and informed professional in this. 

How Long Does It Take to Receive a UK Work Permit? 

You should apply 3 months prior to your due date for joining the work in the UK, which is listed on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). You need to provide your documents as proof of your identity. It may take 3 weeks to process your application if you are applying outside the country and 8 weeks if you are applying inside the UK. 

How Much Does It Cost for the UK Work Permit? 

Once you have decided to move to the UK, you need to manage your expenses accordingly. In case you are going with family, you need to pay for:

  • Application fees for every individual. 
  • Healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay 
  • Prove you have enough savings 

There is also an option to apply for a health and care worker visa, which is cheaper if you are a doctor or nurse. The cost of the annual immigration health surcharge is not included in this. 

Concluding Phrases 

Immigration processes are cumbersome for individuals to understand and align themselves with due to the constant revision of guidelines and changes in policies from time to time by the government for the UK Work Permit. It is necessary to keep an eye on the necessary details to easily complete the formalities. 

Still unsure about what is the right method for you to go to the UK? Connect to Immigration Experts at Zealand Immigration India and discover the best route for you and have a seamless transition! 

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What should be the minimum wage to become eligible for UK work permit?

    • Ans. According to living wage and national minimum wage, it should be 11.44 euros for 21+, 8.60 euros for 18-20, and 6.40 euros for under 18. This changes very year.

  • Q. Is it possible to get a UK work permit without a sponsorship?

    • Ans. In most of the cases, you need to have a sponsor, but for exceptions like HPI, graduate, global talent, and ancestry visas, you can get a leave easily.

  • Q. How much money should one have to become eligible for a UK work permit?

    • Ans. Anyone applying for a UK work permit must have at least 1270 euros in their bank account to show that they can support themselves. The money should remain in your account for 28–31 days in a row.

  • Q. How does one get PR in the UK?

    • Ans. You became eligible for the PR in the UK; if you have successfully completed 5 years with your skilled worker visa, you can easily apply for ILR to gain a PR in the UK, the easiest pathway, especially for the non-EU residents.

  • Q. What are the documents required for the businesses and institutions that sponsor students and workers in the UK?

    • Ans. The list of documents includes: Licensed sponsors list Technical details about bulk data transfers Manuals for SMS (Sponsorship Management Systems) Guidance for employers who wish to apply for sponsor licenses. Sponsorship policy guidance Codes of practice

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