A Step-by-Step Guide To Getting A Skilled Worker Visa
By Jessica Johnson
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Summary
- The Skilled Worker visa is the UK’s main route for foreign nationals seeking to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years.
- You must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor for an eligible role and meet the English language and minimum salary requirements.
- The application process involves securing a Certificate of Sponsorship, preparing documents, submitting the online application, paying fees, and proving identity.
- Visa fees range from £769 to £1,751, plus a £1,035 annual healthcare surcharge and proof of £1,270 in savings (unless exempt).
- Working with an experienced immigration solicitor can help ensure your Skilled Worker visa is prepared correctly and processed without delays.
The Skilled Worker Visa is the UK’s main work visa route, enabling foreign nationals to live and work in the UK for up to five years. As specialists in UK Business Immigration, we have seen at first hand how the immigration rules have changed in recent years, making it harder for those with the necessary skills to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa. Here, we will outline the exact process for securing a Skilled Worker Visa and the main considerations to increase your chances of success.
Who is the Skilled Worker visa for?
The Skilled Worker Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to live and work in the UK in an eligible sponsored role. The route enables holders to work towards gaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (i.e. permanent settlement) in the UK after living in the UK for five continuous years.
What are the steps to applying for a Skilled Worker visa?
To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you will need to:
- Check that you meet the eligibility criteria – including having an offer of an eligible job from an approved licensed sponsoring employer
- Get a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your sponsor
- Prepare the necessary documents and paperwork
- Prepare and submit your Skilled Worker visa application
- Pay the application fee
- Submit the necessary documents to support your application
- Prove your identity
Step 1. Checking if you are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa
You will be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa if you:
- Have a job offer for an eligible role from a licensed sponsor
- Meet the minimum income requirements
- Meet the English language requirements
- Have sufficient savings to support yourself when you first arrive in the UK.
Please see the FAQ section below for more details on each of these requirements.
Step 2. Get a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your sponsor
Before applying for a Skilled Worker visa, your UK employer must issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is an electronic record with a unique reference number that confirms the Home Office has approved them and that they are offering you an eligible job. You will need this reference number when completing your visa application.
Step 3. Prepare the necessary documents and paperwork
When applying for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have certain key documents ready. These include your:
- Passport
- Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
- Proof of English language ability
- Job title and SOC code
- Salary details
- Employer’s name and sponsor licence number (found on your Certificate of Sponsorship).
You may also need extra documents, depending on your situation. These can include bank statements to show personal savings, proof of relationships if family members are applying with you, tuberculosis test results, or a criminal record certificate if your job is in healthcare, education, or social services.
If your qualification is from outside the UK, you might need an Ecctis reference number to confirm its level. All documents must be in English or Welsh, or accompanied by a certified translation.
Step 4. Prepare and submit your Skilled Worker visa application
Once you have your Certificate of Sponsorship and documents ready, you can apply for your work visa. It is essential to carefully review all details before submitting your application, as errors or missing information can delay the process. If necessary, an experienced immigration solicitor can prepare and submit your application on your behalf, ensuring everything is completed accurately and in line with Home Office requirements.
Step 5. Pay the application fee
The application fee ranges from £769 to £1,751, depending on how long you plan to stay and whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK. If your job is on the immigration salary list, the fee will be reduced to £590 for up to 3 years or £1,160 for more than 3 years. You must also pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £1,035 per year, to access NHS services while in the UK.
In addition, you will usually need at least £1,270 in savings to support yourself when you arrive in the UK, unless your employer confirms on your Certificate of Sponsorship that they will cover your first month’s costs or you have already been living in the UK for 12 months on another visa.
Step 6. Prove your identity
Finally, you will need to confirm your identity. This may involve using the UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan your passport or attending a visa application centre to provide fingerprints and a photograph. This step allows the Home Office to verify your details before processing your application.
What happens once I have applied?
After you have applied, proved your identity, and submitted your documents, you will usually receive a decision within 3 weeks (assuming you applied from outside the UK). Your application may take longer if the Home Office needs to verify your documents, invite you to an interview, or review your personal circumstances, such as a criminal conviction. In some cases, you may be able to pay for a faster decision, and you will be told if this option is available when you apply. We can check if the expedited application option is available to you and guide you through this process to ensure your visa is secured as quickly as possible.
FAQs
What roles are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa?
In order to apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have a job offer for a role that is on the official list of eligible occupations. When checking whether the role is eligible, ensure it is listed as a ‘higher-skilled’ job. If so, you can proceed with your application. If the role is shown on the list as a ‘medium-skilled’ job, it must be on either the immigration salary list or the temporary shortage list. The idea here is that the Skilled Worker visa is for those with a higher level of skill, but it can be granted to those in a lesser-skilled role if there is high demand or a shortage.
Which employers can sponsor me to work in the UK?
To sponsor you, an employer must have a sponsor licence from the Home Office. This means they have gone through a lengthy process to ensure compliance with immigration rules and have a genuine need to sponsor overseas nationals. To check if the employer you are applying to is a licensed sponsor, we recommend checking the list of approved employers. If they are not on the list, they will need to apply for a sponsor licence before they can sponsor you. We can help them with all aspects of this process.
What is the minimum income requirement for a Skilled Worker visa?
As standard, you must receive a salary of at least £41,700 per year or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you will be doing. However, you may still qualify with a lower salary if:
- You are under 26, a student, recent graduate, or in professional training, in which case you can be paid 70% of your job’s standard going rate as long as your salary will be at least £33,400 per year.
- You have a PhD – With a STEM qualification, you can earn 80% of your job’s usual rate if your salary is at least £33,400 a year. With a non-STEM qualification, you can earn 90% of your job’s usual rate if your salary is at least £37,500 a year.
- You hold a postdoctoral role in science or higher education. You can earn 70% of your job’s usual rate if you are working in a postdoctoral role in certain science or higher education positions.
How can I prove my English language ability?
You must show that you can read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 on the CEFR scale. From 8th January 2026, new applicants will need to meet level B2.
You can meet the requirement by:
- Passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider.
- Having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Higher, or Advanced Higher in English, gained while studying at a UK school before age 18.
- Holding a degree taught in English. If it was awarded outside the UK, you must apply through Ecctis to confirm that it is equivalent to a UK degree.
You do not need to prove your English ability if you are a national of: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or the USA.
Also, if you are a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife, or vet and have already passed an English language assessment accepted by your regulated professional body, you do not need to prove your English again. Vets may need to show that they passed an assessment approved by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
