Long-Term UK Work Visas

There are over 85 UK visa types. To help you understand various UK immigration routes, I’ve divided these visa types into six main categories.

There are visas for:

  1. Visiting the UK
  2. Studying in the UK
  3. Working in the UK
  4. Joining your family in the UK
  5. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
  6. Protecting citizens

 

This article is a part of the ‘UK Immigration and All UK Visa Types in 2021’ article series. Below, I’ll explain the third category – visa types suitable for those who would like to work in the UK.

The topic is very deep. Therefore, today we’ll concentrate on the long-term work-related route only. And in the next article I’ll cover all short-term work-related routes.

Please note that the UK immigration routes, which I explain below, are suitable for those who do not have a right of abode in the UK. Even if your country is not on a visa national list if you intend to work, you still need to apply for a visa before travelling to the UK.

 

UK Work Visas

There are over 29 types of work-related UK visas. We can divide them into 4 main categories:

  1. Long-term work-related routes
  2. Short-term work-related routes
  3. Investor, business and talent routes
  4. Other work-related routes

 

Long-term Work-related Routes

There are 5 five long-term work-related routes:

  1. Skilled worker
  2. Intra-company transfer
  3. Intra-company graduate trainee
  4. T2 Minister of Religion
  5. T2 Sportsperson

Except for 2 intra-company transfer routes, all long-term work-related routes form the new Points-Based UK Immigration system. This means that the applicants will need to score 70 points to qualify.

 

Skilled Worker

Long-Term UK Work Visas
Long-Term UK Work Visas

The Skilled Worker route is for UK employers to recruit people to work in the UK in a specific job. A Skilled Worker will need to have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor.

After holding a Skilled worker visa for 5 years, usually, the applicant becomes eligible to apply for settlement. It is provided they meet the requirements, of course.

To qualify, skilled workers will need to score 50 mandatory and 20 tradable points.

The Home Office will give mandatory points for sponsorship, job at an appropriate skill level and English language skills at level B1.

The applicants can get their 20 tradable points if they can prove that they fall into one of the following 6 categories:

 

Category A

The applicant’s salary equals or exceeds all of the following:

  • £25,600 per year;
  • £10.10 per hour; and
  • the going rate for the occupation code.

You can check the occupation code HERE.

 

Category B

Educational qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds all of the following:

In this entry, 10 points will be awarded for the educational qualification and 10 points will be awarded for the applicant’s salary.

 

Category C

Educational qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds all of the following:

  • £20,480 per year;
  • £10.10 per hour; and
  • 80% of the going rate for the occupation code.

 

Category D

Job in a shortage occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds all of the following:

  • £20,480 per year;
  • £10.10 per hour; and
  • 80% of the going rate for the occupation code.

 

Category E

The applicant is a new entrant to the labour market and their salary equals or exceeds all of the following:

  • £20,480 per year;
  • £10.10 per hour; and
  • 70% of the going rate for the occupation code.

 

Category F

Job in a listed health or education occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both:

  • £20,480 per year; and
  • the going rate for the occupation code.

An applicant with a job in a listed health or education occupation can only be awarded tradeable points from option F.

 

The Intra-Company Transfer and the Intra- Company Graduate Trainee Routes

The first route, the Intra-Company Transfer route, is for established workers transferred by the business they work for to do a skilled role in the UK.

The Intra-Company Graduate Trainee route is for workers who are being transferred by the business they work for to undertake a role in the UK as part of a structured graduate training programme.

The Home Office changed the rules a couple of years ago, and it is no longer possible for the ICT migrants to settle in the UK.

 

T2 Minister of Religion

This route is for a person who has a key leading role within their faith-based organisation or religious order in the UK.

The duration of the successful applicants’ grant will be for a maximum period of 3 years and 1 month. However, it can be less, in line with their contract of employment.

Usually, T2 Ministers or Religion and their family members can apply for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK) after 5 years of living in the UK in this category. To qualify for ILR, they can also combine their category with the following routes:

  1. T2 Sportsperson; or
  2. Skilled Worker; or
  3. Tier 1 Migrant, other than as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur); or
  4. Representative of an Overseas Business; or
  5. Innovator; or
  6. Global Talent

However, their last grant before their ILR application will have to be in the T2 Minister or Religion category.

 

T2 Sportsperson

The final long-term employment category is for an elite sportsperson or qualified coach. They’ll need to provide evidence of being sponsored on a long-term contract to make a significant contribution to the development of sport at the highest level in the UK and who has a Governing Body Endorsement from the appropriate Sports Governing Body.

A long-term contract is a contract for more than 12 months.

This route leads to settlement.

 

Further Help

And finally, if you would like to understand the UK visa rules, you may find it useful to attend one of these online courses:

  1. ‘Three Secrets of a Successful UK Visitor Visa Application’ 
    ’10 Ways to Avoid the Refusal of Your British Citizenship Application.’ 
    3.‘How to Meet the Financial Requirement of Your British Spouse Visa Application when Applying from Outside the UK’ 
    4. ‘How to Avoid the Refusal of Your Adult Dependent Relative UK Visa Application.’ 

For more online courses, check THIS PAGE.

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Long-Term UK Work Visas