When I moved to London in May 2017 there was a lot of things on my checklist I wanted to tick off, but one of the most important ones was to get a work visa. Getting your first job abroad can be quite overwhelming so I have tried to write a comprehensive guide about all the steps you should take and what paperwork you will need. From applying for sponsorships and applying for jobs, to getting your application letter from a University and going through the caseworker interview with Home Office, this blog post will cover it all. There seems to be lots of uncertainty around getting a visa in 2018 so I hope this guide will help you with getting your visa in 2019.Over the last decade, London has come to be one of the most popular cities for overseas workers. Many people flock to London for work and business. Whether you are a highly skilled professional or manager, or have completed a higher degree or qualification in the UK, this article can help you obtain a work visa in London.

Getting A Work Visa In London

There are different types of visas that allow you to legally reside in London, if you enter the country for the purpose of working. The most popular ones are: Tier 2 (General) Visa There are 1,000 visas available every financial year and they need to be applied for outside the UK. The minimum salary that should be offered is £20,500 a year, and the job needs to be on the Tier 2 Shortage Occupation list; EU Blue Card This allows people from non-EU countries who have completed at least three years of tertiary education, or five years with an undergraduate degree or higher qualification. In order to obtain an EU Blue Card, you must apply while already in the UK. Once awarded, it will allow you work and live in any of the 27 European Union countries; Highly Skilled Migrant Programme This offers a two-year visa which is renewable up to a total stay of seven years. It is only open to applicants who can prove that they have a job offer and a future contract of employment that pays at least £140,000 a year; Intra Company Transfer Visa Depending on your company’s size and UK turnover, this can be used for senior managers and specialists coming into the country for more than 12

Overview

A Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer.

This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa.

If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

If you or your family member started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021 for most people. You can still apply if either:

• you have a later deadline – for example, you’re joining a family member in the UK who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
• you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for being unable to apply by 30 June 2021 – for example, you had an illness or were the victim of domestic abuse

Check if you can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Otherwise you need a visa to work in the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Eligibility

Your job

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 role you’ve been offered in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do

The specific eligibility depends on your job.

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.

Knowledge of English

You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.

If you’re not eligible for a Skilled Worker visa

You may be eligible for another type of visa to work in the UK.

How long you can stay

Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.

If you want to stay longer in the UK

You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’). This gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.

How to apply

You must apply online.

How you apply depends on whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

If you want to change your job or employer, you must apply to update your visa.

You can include your partner and children in your application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.

How long it takes

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK

It’s currently taking 6 weeks on average to get a decision on Skilled Worker visas when you apply from outside the UK. Find out visa decision waiting times.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision. How you do this depends on whether you’re outside the UK or inside the UK.

How much it costs

You, your partner or children will each need to:

• pay the application fee
• pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay
• prove you have enough personal savings

Check how much money you’ll need.

If you work in public sector healthcare

If you’re a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It’s cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.

What you can and cannot do

With a Skilled Worker visa you can:

• work in an eligible job
• study
• bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
• take on additional work in certain circumstances
• do voluntary work
• travel abroad 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

You cannot:

• apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
• change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa

If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Skilled Worker visa.