How Do You Get a UK Work Visa?
Written by: Marcus M. Araz, MBA, PhD · Updated:
The main route to a UK work visa is Skilled Worker, and on that route you need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed employer. Without a sponsor that visa cannot be obtained. There are three exceptions: Global Talent and Innovator Founder, which run on an endorsement from an approved body, and UK Expansion Worker, where the sponsor is your own company.
The routes
| Route | Is a sponsor needed | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | Yes, a licensed employer | People with a job offer from a UK employer |
| Global Talent | No, an endorsement from an approved body | A recognised profile in science, technology, the arts or academia |
| Innovator Founder | No, an endorsement from an approved body | An entrepreneur with an innovative and scalable business idea |
| UK Expansion Worker | Your own company becomes the sponsor | A business moving its overseas company to the UK or opening a branch |
| Graduate | No | Students who have completed a degree in the UK, for a limited period |
We set the route for moving your own company to the UK out in full in our article on UK Expansion Worker .
How the process works
- Choosing the route. Do you have a job offer, will it be your own company, do you hold an academic or professional endorsement? The answer sets the route.
- Sponsorship. On Skilled Worker the employer issues the CoS. On UK Expansion Worker a UK entity is set up first and a sponsor licence obtained.
- English and documents. Depending on the route, an English level, qualifications and proof of funds are required.
- The application and its fees. The application fee and the immigration health surcharge (IHS) are paid at the point of application. The amounts are updated every year, so we do not quote a fixed figure here.
- The decision and the eVisa. Once granted, the status is written to your UKVI account as an eVisa rather than a physical card.
The road to settlement
A work visa is not settled status on its own. On most routes, once the continuous residence period is complete you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and then for citizenship. The periods and the continuous residence condition vary by route; the detail is on our UK residence permit page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a work visa without a sponsor? Not on the Skilled Worker route. Global Talent and Innovator Founder do not need an employer sponsor; they need an endorsement from an approved body instead. On UK Expansion Worker the sponsor is the UK company you set up yourself.
Can I go to the UK and look for work without a job offer? You cannot job hunt or work on a visitor visa. The Graduate route gives those who have completed a degree in the UK a limited period to look for work and to work.
Can I bring my family with me? On most work routes a spouse and children under 18 can be included as dependants. Each one carries a separate fee and health surcharge.
Does owning a home in the UK help my visa application? No. Property ownership is not a criterion in an immigration assessment. For the detail, see our does buying a home give residence page.
Can I get a visa by moving my company to the UK? The UK Expansion Worker route exists for exactly that: an overseas business that is trading setting up its first UK operation.
An important notice
capital.works® is a property consultancy and does not provide immigration advice. Giving immigration advice and services in the United Kingdom is a regulated activity; only advisers authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) and solicitors registered with the SRA may provide it.
For a visa, residence or citizenship application we refer you to our authorised immigration solicitor, and it is essential that they run the visa process. On our side, capital.works® shapes the property and mortgage planning around it. You can check whether an adviser is authorised on the official register on GOV.UK .
The next step
The visa side is run by our authorised immigration solicitor; we shape the property and finance planning around that process. For the property side see our UK Property Guide page, and for the schemes, the listings on the site or write to us.