Do you know you can get into the UK by simply applying for a Skilled Workers Visa for the UK? In this descriptive article, we teach you all you need to know about the Skilled Worker Visa for the UK. We will also show you how to apply and get a job in the United Kingdom which will allow you to apply for a work visa. This article is a two-in-one guide and you will get all you need to land in the UK as a skilled worker.
Let us get started with this article already if this looks like what you are looking for.
Brief Overview of the UK Skilled Worker Visa
You need to first understand who is a skilled worker according to the UK standard requirement. A person is considered skilled if he understands the tricks of his profession or trade. A skilled worker is any worker with a special skill, training, or knowledge that is directly applied to their work. Also, to qualify as a skilled worker, you need not attend a college or a university. Once you have mastery over what you do, you are considered a skilled worker. In essence, a person who has learned his/her skills on the job and is proficient is considered a skilled worker without a degree.
Recall that the Covid 19 Pandemic had a great effect on the working population of most developed countries and the UK is not exempted. After the Covid, they opened their borders to Work Visa applications to increase their country’s workforce and boost their economy. So, once you are skilled, the UK allows you to live and work in their country as A Skilled Worker. However, the work must be an eligible job and the intended employer must be an approved employer.
See – Live and Work in Canada – Recruitment agencies in Canada recruiting Foreign Workers
Prior to now, the UK does issue what is known as the Tier 2 (General) work visa. But the Skilled worker visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa.
Who is Eligible for the UK Skilled Worker Visa?
Firstly, you should know that everyone is qualified to apply for this Visa so long as you have a job offer. There are two main factors that make you qualify for a skilled worker visa in the United Kingdom. We will list these two factors and then Explain them in detail to you. In the end, you will discover that they are not quite difficult to meet the eligibility requirement.
The two requirements are as follows:
- Job offer
- Knowledge and good use of English
Note however that this is the major requirement. Other requirement falls under the above-mentioned two requirement. However, you don’t need to worry, we will explain the other sub-requirements in detail as well as necessary documents.
1. Job Offer
To become eligible for the Skilled Worker visa, you must have a job offer from an approved employer in the UK. This means you should first search for jobs in the United and apply for them already. I know you are wondering how to get a job offer from a UK employer to qualify you. You don’t need to worry, We will provide you details on how to get a job in the UK using the UK official Find a Job portal.
Also, if you have gotten a Job, you must ensure that you collect the following from your employer.
- A ‘certificate of sponsorship. The certificate must include details of what specific job you are coming to do in their organization.
- That the Job you intend to do is considered in the UK list of eligible jobs. You may also wish to research this on your own before applying.
- Also, your employer must agree to pay you a minimum salary according to the UK standard. Note however that the minimum payment depends on the kind of work you do.
Finally, there are other specific eligibility requirements but it all depends on the particular job you’re seeking in the United Kingdom. It is also good that you confirm that the employer is listed and approved by the UK Home Office to employ a foreigner. This is because if they have not approved employers, your application will be refused.
Another important thing is that you must make sure that the job you are offered is on the list of eligible occupations. So, if you already have a job offer, ask your employer for your occupation code and search to see if your job is eligible using this eligible-occupations checker here.
2. Knowledge and good use of English
As a general requirement, you must know how to read, write, and speak the English Language very well to apply. This is because the UK is an English-speaking country and it’s unlikely that you will communicate in other languages aside from English. Above understanding how to read and speak English, you are also required to prove it.
Below are the ways of proving you can read, write and speak English:
- Write and pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to be provided by your approved provider.
- Have a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English. However, your degree must be verified through Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC). This is to confirm that your degree is equivalent to a UK degree.
- Note also that if you have proven your English language efficiency in a previous successful visa application, you don’t need to prove it again in a new application.
How Do I Apply for the UK Skilled Worker Visa?
Application for the skilled worker visa is done online. Also, the process of applying is dependent on your current location and your status. If you are outside the UK and you are coming to the UK, click on this APPLY NOW BUTTON to begin.
However, we recommend you read about the document you will be needing before applying. Below are the necessary Application Documents: This is very important to make sure you are ready before applying.
Documents needed to apply for UK Skilled Workers Visa
- Certificate of sponsorship with its reference number. This will be provided by your employer so you don’t need to worry. Just ask!
- Proof of English proficiency as discussed earlier
- A valid passport or other relevant documents that proves your identity and nationality.
- Your job occupation code, title, and salary. This information will also be provided by your employer.
- Your employer’s names and their sponsor license number. This is usually written on your sponsorship certificate.
- Proof of personal savings accounts statement. This is necessary to prove that you have reasonable savings to support yourself in the UK.
- Lastly, there is a list of other recommended documents depending on the job requirements. To view a complete list of other documents.
How much does the Visa Processing Cost?
When you apply for a skilled worker visa you will need to have enough money to pay the application fee. The standard fee ranges from 610 to 1408 Pound sterling, depending on your circumstances. However, you can pay a lower application fee if your job is on the shortage occupation list. You will get the information on how much you need to pay when you apply online.
Additionally, you need to pay the healthcare surcharge. This means you have to pay this amount to get medical facilities provided by the NHS which is the medical body of the UK. The cost is usually 624 pounds per year. However, surcharge is free for a few categories like doctors nurses and any health care staff.
How much money do you need in your bank account?
To apply, you must prove that you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK. So you usually need to have at least 1270 pounds available in your bank account unless you are exempt from proving you can support yourself. This money needs to have money available for at least 28 days in a row. However, if you are applying for a dependent visa for your partner and child you will need additional money 285 for your partner and 315 for your child.
How to Get a Job in the UK & be eligible for Skilled Worker Visa
It is quite clear that to get a skilled worker visa in the UK, you must have obtained a job offer from an approved employer in the UK. This creates lots of challenges because most people would never know how to apply and get jobs in the UK to be qualified for the Skilled Work Visa.
However, in this section of the article, we shall be teaching you How to search for jobs in the UK in your host country and secure a job in the UK. Keep reading to learn more about this procedure.
Approved Step to Search for Job in the UK & Get Skilled Worker Visa
As we earlier noted earlier, the Covid 19 pandemic greatly affected the working population of the UK. This and some other reasons are why the United Kingdom opened up its doors to accept skilled immigrants into their country to augment its workforce. To ensure that they achieve their aims, they opened a centralized portal where immigrants can search for full or part-time jobs in England, Scotland and Wales.
Join us as we begin to help you learn how to access job offers from your host country and get a job in the UK.
The government of the UK created a Find a Job portal to help any seeking to work in England, Scotland and Wales. The portal also helps recruiters in the United Kingdom to Advertise a job and connect with their prospective employees. To learn the procedure, kindly follow the guides below
Step One – Connecting to the UK Find a Job Portal
- Visit the official Find A Job portal of the Gov.UK @ https://www.gov.uk/find-a-job.
- Scroll down and click on the <Green Start Now> as shown in the image below to begin finding your job.
- You will be immediately redirected to another page where you will begin your job search immediately.
See Also – Apply for the 2024 U.S Diversity Visa Lottery Program – US Lottery
Step Two – How to Search for a Job in the Portal.
In the Find a Job portal, you can search for jobs without creating an account with the portal. However, before you apply for the job, you must have an account and be signed in. So we recommend that you create your account immediately if you are serious about your application. That being said, let’s proceed with all you need to know about searching for a job in the portal.
- On the redirected page, you will see two white boxes on a blue background with the following tags What? for example job, company, skills & Where? for example city, county, or postcode.
- In the first box as shown in the image above, kindly enter the kind of job you are looking to do in the UK. Then go to the second box and enter the city or country or the postcode of the region you want to work in the United Kingdom.
- Thereafter click on the Search Button to begin searching for the Job offer.
- The portal is designed to match your entries with all job listings related to your entries. So, as soon as you hit the Search button as shown in the image above, you will be presented with lots of jobs offers peculiar to your entries.