UK Visa Guide – What is the process to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa for the UK?
As an economically developed nation, the United Kingdom has been winning Indian skilled professionals through numerous means. With approximately 1.2 million job vacancies waiting to be filled, skills shortages across several industries continue to intensify in the UK, particularly in the healthcare, IT, engineering, and hospitality industries.
The United Kingdom offers an incredible quality of life with rewarding job opportunities, so if you are looking for a place to live, work, and raise your family, there is no better country than the UK. And, if you’ve already considered it and wondering what is the process to apply for the skilled worker visa for the UK? Stick to this page to get all your questions answered.
But before that, let’s understand what the UK skilled worker visa pathway is all about:
The UK skilled worker visa permits a foreign national to work an eligible job in the UK for an approved employer. This visa is a replacement for a Tier 2 (General) Work Visa. The skilled worker visa route is probably the most sought-after visa stream for skilled professionals planning a new life abroad.
Applicants for the UK skilled worker visa are selected based on the list of in-demand occupations. These workers then become eligible to obtain a letter without undergoing the complications of the labor market test.
Who is eligible for the UK Skilled Worker visa?
The main eligibility criteria are as follows:
- You must work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
- You need to have a Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with two years of skilled work experience from the eligible occupations list
- You must have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK.
- You must meet the English Language requirement at B1 level
- You must do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
- The Skilled Worker visa minimum salary threshold is £25,600 per year.
- Have £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK
- Applicants must get at least 70 points on the new points-based system.
The visa is valid for five years. After five years, if you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and it gets approved, you can work and study in the UK and apply and qualify for benefits depending on your eligibility.
Decoding the Point-System for the UK work visa route
The skilled worker visa route for the United Kingdom follows a point-based visa system’ that determines an individual’s ability to immigrate to the UK. It determines eligibility by considering various factors to evaluate a candidates’ potential to be granted the UK work visa.
To be eligible, an applicant must score at least 70 points. If the candidate already has a valid job offer from a UK-based employer and can speak fluent English, they will be awarded 50 points.
The candidate can secure the additional 20 points if the salary being offered is at least £25,600 per year. The candidates can also claim extra points for higher qualifications:
- 10 points for PhD
- 20 points for a PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) disciplines
- 20 points for a job offer in the skill shortages stream
- Jobs in health or education can get you 20 points even if the pay is less than £25,600.
Skilled Worker visa to ILR
One of the most significant perks of having the Skilled Worker Visa is that, you can get permanent residency by applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years. However, you must meet the continuous residence requirement, which means you cannot be outside of the UK for over 180 days in any of the five years. Once you have your ILR confirmed, you can stay permanently in the UK and to apply for UK citizenship after one year.
Do you want to know more about the UK skilled worker visa or any other UK work visa? Call us to learn about immigration routes that best fit for you, please contact us 8595338595 or mail us at [email protected].
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