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Work Visas UK

To work in the UK you will need to hold a passport and a current UK work visa or permit. You will need to have this documentation prior to entering the UK for work.

There are a variety of UK work visas, work permits and passports that will enable you to legally work in the UK; each has their own set of eligibility requirements and restrictions and they are summarised below.

To find out more information about any of the visas listed below, and to get the necessary application forms contact your nearest British Consulate or High Commission.

How do you apply for a UK visa? Follow WORKgateways’ easy UK Visa steps…

Visit the links section for official UK Visa Sites, links to sites on UK immigration law, and UK visa agencies that can help with your visa application process.

See answers to common UK Visa questions at Visa FAQ's.

UK Visa Types

It is possible that one or more visa options for working in the UK apply to you. Each option has different validity periods, requirements and restrictions.

UK Working Holiday Visa (to be replaced by Tier 5 — Youth Mobility in November 2008)

Validity: 2 years
Eligibility: you are eligible to apply for a UK working holiday visa if you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and are aged between 17 and 30 years inclusively.

Other requirements:

  • You must be single, or married to someone also eligible for a working holiday visa and plan to take a working holiday with you,
  • You must not have dependent children aged five or over during your stay in the UK,
  • You must show proof of sufficient funds in your bank account. UK Immigration does not specify how much 'sufficient funds' are. However, the idea is to show that you won't get into financial trouble and rely on public funds to support you. You can do this best by having approximately 2500 GBP (AUS$6000) and a return ticket. If you only have a one-way ticket, you will need to have more funds in your bank account.

Restrictions: You are restricted in the duration of your employment in the UK. You must take work that is incidental to your travel only and this work cannot exceed a total of 12 months of your 2 year visa.

Tier 5 — Youth Mobility Visa

The Tier 5 — Youth Mobility Visa will replace the working holiday visa this year. A date is yet to be announced but it is likely to be around November 2008.

Validity: 2 years

Eligibility: You must be aged between 18 and 30, and you must not have previously held a UK working holiday visa. You must be a national of a country which operates a similar working holiday scheme for young British people, and you must be sponsored by your national government (Australians and New Zealanders are likely to be exempt from this requirement).

Other requirements:

  • This is a points–based visa. To be eligible you must accrue 50 points. 30 points will be awarded for a sponsorship certificate from your home country (Australians and New Zealanders are likely to be made exempt from this); 10 points will be awarded for being aged between 18 and 30; and 10 points will be awarded for having £1600 in savings (which you will have to show proof of in the form of bank statements etc).
  • Existing working holiday makers (or those who have previously held a UK working holiday visa) cannot switch to, or apply for, the UK Youth Mobility Visa.

Restrictions: You can work in any lawful job for two years, but cannot work as a professional sportsperson, a doctor in training, or set yourself up in business. You must leave the UK at the end of your two year visa, and if you would like to apply for a Tier 1 (highly skilled) or Tier 2 (sponsorship) visa, you will have to do so from your home country.

Cost: There has been no information released yet as to how much the UK Youth Mobility Visa will cost.

Important note for South Africans: The British government will only let young people from countries with similar working holiday agreements to come to the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme. Unfortunately, South Africa does not have a working holiday scheme for young British people in place, so it is unlikely South Africans will be eligible for the Youth Mobility Visa unless a scheme is introduced.

UK Ancestry Visa/Right of Abode

Validity: 5 years (renewable) for Ancestry Visa, indefinite for Right to Abode
Eligibility: you are eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa or Right to Abode if either of your parents** (Right to Abode) or your grand parents (Ancestry Visa) were born in the UK.
You will need to provide an original, or certified copy, of the birth certificate.
**Note: for Right of Abode 'parent' or 'parents' includes the mother but not the father of an illegitimate child, and the adoptive parents of a child who has been legally adopted. Therefore, any applicant claiming through their father must show evidence that their mother and father were married. Children who are NOT legitimately descended from their UK born father are NOT entitled to a UK Right of Abode.
Restrictions: no restrictions on type or duration of work for the Ancestry visa or for the Right to Abode certificate.

Spouse Visa

If your spouse is a British Citizen, or has an Ancestry Visa or Right to Abode in the UK, or is sponsored to work in the UK, then you are eligible to apply for a UK Spouse Entry Visa. This also entitles you to work in the UK and should be applied for and granted prior to entry into the UK.
Restrictions: Dependent on spouse visa status

 

Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled Workers

Announcement: In June 2008, the new Tier 1 Highly Skilled Visa completely replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. All highly skilled applicants must now apply under the new criteria.

Validity: 3 years, with the ability to extend your stay as a highly skilled worker towards the end of this period.

Eligibility: Tier 1 (General) - Highly Skilled Worker is designed to allow highly skilled people to come to the United Kingdom to look for work or self-employment opportunities.

For Tier 1 self assessment use our Tier 1 Points Calculator

To be eligible for this visa, you must pass a points-based assessment. You are awarded points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, United Kingdom experience, age, English language, and available funds. You must score:

  • 75 points (based on your age, qualifications, previous earnings, and experience in the United Kingdom)
  • 10 points for your English language skills
  • 10 points for available funds (if applying from outside the UK you must have savings of at least £2,400 and if you are applying from within the UK you must have at least £800).

Your application must be supported by the relevant original documentation and evidence to justify the points you are claiming.

You can complete a self-assessment to see if you have enough points, at the UK Border and Immigration website here.

If you have questions about the new points system including extensions to UK visas, Tier 1 – (General) Highly Skilled Worker and highly skilled migrant visas uk you may find our forum can assist you.

Cost: You must include a fee of £750 with your application. Your fee will not be returned if your application is not successful. Any dependents on your application are free of charge.

The new UK points-based immigration system

The new UK immigration system, to be implemented in stages in 2008, combines all the current UK entry visas into five tiers. The five tiers have different conditions and criteria.

  • Tier 1: Highly skilled individuals to contribute to growth and productivity; (implemented 29 February)
  • Tier 2: Skilled workers with a job offer to fill gaps in United Kingdom labour force (being introduced in Autumn of 2008);
  • Tier 3: Limited numbers of low skilled workers needed to fill temporary labour shortages (currently suspended);
  • Tier 4: Students (introduced spring of 2009);
  • Tier 5: Youth mobility and temporary workers: people allowed to work in the United Kingdom for a limited period of time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives.

British or EU Member Passport

If you have a British Passport, Dual Citizenship or a Passport of any EU member country, you are eligible to work in the UK. If you were born in Britain or any EU member country, or your parents were, you MAY be eligible to apply for citizenship of that country and receive a passport, check with the applicable embassy in your country of residence.
Restrictions: no work restrictions for EU passport holders

Sponsorship by a UK employer

If you are told by the British Consulate or Embassy in your country that you will need a UK work permit this usually means that you will need to be sponsored by a UK employer who will apply for the work permit on your behalf. This means that you will usually need to contact UK employers in your industry directly and enquire about overseas sponsored recruitment. Importantly, if you are in certain job industries and professions, there are recruitment agencies that can help you to find an employer in the UK who will sponsor you. These industries currently include: medical, health and nursing, teaching and education, some types of engineering and social work. If you are within these professions and require sponsorship to work in the UK please indicate this when Registering with Agencies online through WORKgateways.

While we do our best, WORKgateways cannot make any guarantee that the UK visa and immigration information provided on our website is either accurate or complete. We provide the above information to the best of our knowledge and experience but strongly recommend you to use it as a guideline only. We suggest you visit the mentioned links for official UK immigration law work visa information.

Also see: UK Visas FAQs

How to apply for your UK Visa

Step 1. Determine the kind of UK Visa or Permit, if any, for which you are eligible to apply. This is an important step and you can find information to help you with this question on the British Government’s official visa and work permit information sites. If you do not seem to be eligible for any of the UK Visas, Certificates or Passports listed, or the consulate or embassy tells you that you need to be sponsored by a UK employer - you will likely need a UK Work Permit.

Step 2. Once you know for what you are eligible to apply, you will need to contact your nearest British High Commission, Consulate or Embassy and ask to have the appropriate application forms sent to you, or you can often download these forms quickly and easily from their websites.

Step 3. Read through the forms carefully to ensure you qualify and to see what documents you will need to supply. Fill out the forms completely and return to the British High Commission or Consulate in your country with all of the information and supporting documentation they have requested. If you have questions about filling out the forms, you should contact the British High Commission or Consulate on the number provided on your UK visa application forms. When should I apply?

Step 4. Wait for receipt of written confirmation of your successful UK Visa application from the British High Commission or Consulate to which you applied. If there are any problems they will contact you, usually by phone.

Step 5. If you are planning to work in the UK and have not already created a UK file online with WORKgateways – you can do so now! Apply for jobs and to agencies to start your UK job search. Be sure to upload your resume and keep your file updated as your travel plans become clear. Have a great time in the UK! If you are just “thinking about going” you can subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Timing: When to apply for your visa

With regards the timing of your application, you should check with the individual UK High Commission or Embassy as they all have different processing times. However in general, be careful not to apply too early (a year ahead) for your UK Visa as they often have a ‘use before’ date. However don’t leave it too late either! Most UK Visa applications (Ancestry, Working Holiday, Right to Abode, Spouse etc) will be processed within six weeks in most Commonwealth countries, but that is not a guarantee. If you are applying for the Tier 1 Highly Skilled Visa, this may take much longer and you should give yourself several months. It is not normally recommended to purchase your airline tickets until you have received your UK visa if this is something that will effect whether you go to the UK or not.

This information should be used as a guideline only. For official information on work visa and permit processing times please contact your nearest British Embassy or Consulate.

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