UK Skilled Worker visa: your questions answered

The UK Skilled Worker visa

What is the UK Skilled Worker visa and who can apply?

The Skilled Worker visa lets you live and work in the UK doing an eligible job for a UK employer that has been approved (licensed) by the Home Office. To apply you need a confirmed job offer with a certificate of sponsorship from that employer, the job must be on the list of eligible occupations, and you must meet the minimum salary and English language requirements. The visa can last up to 5 years before you need to extend it, and you can extend as long as you still qualify. [source]

What is the minimum salary for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

For most applications the salary must be at least £41,700 per year or the 'going rate' for your occupation, whichever is higher, under rules in force since 22 July 2025. Different minimums apply in some cases: many health and education jobs paid on national pay scales have a £25,000 minimum, and the salary must be at least the national pay scale rate (for example the relevant NHS band) for the job. The exact figure depends on your occupation code and circumstances, so check the current GOV.UK guidance for your role. [source] [source]

How much does a UK Skilled Worker visa cost?

Applying from outside the UK, the standard fee is £819 per person for up to 3 years or £1,618 for more than 3 years (from inside the UK it is £943 or £1,865), plus the immigration health surcharge, usually £1,035 per year of the visa. You must also normally have at least £1,270 available in your bank account to show you can support yourself. Health and Care Worker visa applicants pay reduced fees of £324 or £628 and do not pay the health surcharge. [source] [source]

How long does a UK Skilled Worker visa take to process?

Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you are outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you are inside the UK. Health and Care Worker visa applications also usually receive a decision within 3 weeks. Times can vary with individual circumstances, so check GOV.UK for current guidance. [source] [source]

What is the Health and Care Worker visa and how is it different?

The Health and Care Worker visa is a version of the Skilled Worker route for medical professionals doing an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. It has lower application fees (£324 for up to 3 years, £628 for more than 3 years), neither you nor your partner or children pay the immigration health surcharge, and decisions usually come within 3 weeks. You still need a job offer and certificate of sponsorship from a Home Office licensed sponsor. [source] [source]

What English language level do I need for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

New applicants must prove they can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B2 on the CEFR scale — this applies to applications made since 8 January 2026. If you already held a Skilled Worker visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating it, the B1 level still applies and you do not need to prove your English again. You can prove your level with a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider or a degree taught in English, and nationals of certain majority English-speaking countries are exempt. [source]

Can I bring my family to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa?

Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner and children under 18 can usually apply as your dependants if your occupation is eligible — most higher-skilled Skilled Worker occupations allow this. Restrictions apply to some roles: for example, care workers and people in jobs listed as medium skilled face limits that depend on when they were first sponsored (key dates are 11 March 2024 and 22 July 2025). Each family member completes a separate application and pays their own visa fee, so check the current GOV.UK dependant rules for your occupation. [source]

Can my spouse work in the UK on a Skilled Worker dependant visa?

Yes — a partner or child with dependant permission on the Skilled Worker route can work in the UK, except as a professional sportsperson or coach. They do not need their own employer sponsorship to take a job. They apply separately from you and pay their own application fee. [source]

Can I change jobs or employers on a UK Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, but you must apply to update your visa before starting a job with a different employer, or a job with a different occupation code — your new employer needs to issue a new certificate of sponsorship. You should not start the new job until you have confirmation of your new permission, although you can continue working in your current job while the application is decided if you applied before your visa expired. You can apply up to 3 months before the new job's start date, and you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while it is being decided. [source]

Can I switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK?

People already in the UK on many visa types can apply to switch to the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK if they meet the job, salary and English requirements. Student visa holders can switch if they have completed their course, their job start date is after the course finishes, or they have been studying a full-time PhD for at least 24 months. You cannot switch from a visit visa, short-term student visa, seasonal worker visa and certain other categories — in those cases you must leave the UK and apply from abroad. [source]

Can I get indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 5 years on a Skilled Worker visa?

Under the rules in force, you can apply to settle after living and working in the UK for 5 years on a qualifying visa such as the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa — the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 5 years — and you must meet requirements including the Life in the UK test (ages 18 to 64) and the salary rules. Be aware the government consulted on an 'earned settlement' model that would raise the standard qualifying period to 10 years with reductions for contribution; the consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and no outcome had been published as of late September 2026. Settlement rules may change, so check GOV.UK before relying on any timeline. [source] [source]

How much does indefinite leave to remain (ILR) cost in the UK?

Applying to settle on the Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 route costs £3,226 for each person applying. You will usually get a decision within 6 months of providing your fingerprints and photo; paying an extra £500 (priority) or £1,000 (super priority) can shorten this to 5 working days or the next working day. Fees change periodically, so confirm the current amount on GOV.UK before applying. [source]

Finding a UK job with visa sponsorship

How do I find UK jobs that offer visa sponsorship?

Only employers licensed by the Home Office can sponsor a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa, and the government publishes the full register of licensed sponsors as a free downloadable list showing each organisation and the routes it can sponsor. A practical approach is to search vacancies in your field and check whether the employer appears on that register; some adverts state whether sponsorship is available. Being on the register does not mean an employer will sponsor any particular role — sponsorship is always the employer's decision for a specific job. [source] [source]

Do UK employers sponsor foreign workers?

Yes — organisations across the UK hold sponsor licences, including NHS trusts, care providers and companies in sectors such as engineering and technology, and they are all listed in the public register of licensed sponsors for the Worker and Temporary Worker routes. The register is updated regularly and shows each sponsor's name, the categories of workers it can sponsor and its sponsorship rating. A licence shows an employer is able to sponsor; whether it sponsors a given role and candidate is decided case by case. [source]

What is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A certificate of sponsorship is issued by your licensed sponsor employer for the specific job you have been offered, and you cannot apply for a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa without one. In practice you receive a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer and enter it in your visa application, along with your employer's name and sponsor licence number, your job title, occupation code and salary. Only employers approved by the Home Office can assign one. [source] [source]

Do I have to pay a UK employer for visa sponsorship?

No — Home Office guidance says a Skilled Worker sponsor's licence will normally be revoked if it seeks to recoup any part of the certificate of sponsorship fee from the worker it is sponsoring, and from 9 April 2025 sponsors are prohibited from passing on sponsorship fees and associated administrative costs to sponsored workers across work routes. You do pay your own visa application fee and, on the standard route, the immigration health surcharge. An employer or agent asking you to pay for a certificate of sponsorship or a job offer is a serious warning sign, since only licensed employers can assign a certificate of sponsorship. [source] [source]

How can overseas nurses get jobs in the UK?

Nurses and midwives trained outside the UK must join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register before practising, which involves the two-part Test of Competence — a computer-based test (CBT) and a practical exam (OSCE) — plus evidence of English language knowledge, a face-to-face ID check and health and character declarations. Alongside NMC registration, you need a job offer and certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor such as an NHS trust to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa. Other regulated professions have their own regulators (for example GMC for doctors, HCPC for allied health professionals). [source] [source]

Moving to and settling in the UK

How do I get a National Insurance number in the UK?

You can apply online through GOV.UK once you are in the UK if you have the right to work and are working, looking for work or have a job offer. You can start work before your National Insurance number arrives if you can prove your right to work — for example with your eVisa. It can take up to 4 weeks to receive the number after applying. [source]

Can I open a UK bank account as a new arrival?

Yes — most banks ask for proof of identity, usually a passport or driving licence, and some also ask for proof of UK address, which new arrivals often do not have at first. MoneyHelper, the government-backed money guidance service, suggests taking whatever documents you do have to the bank, and notes some banks and building societies offer simpler routes for people without standard proofs of address. Requirements differ between banks, so it can help to compare what each accepts before applying. [source]

How do I register with a GP in the UK?

Anyone in England can register with a GP surgery, registration is free, and you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register. You can register online with most surgeries by searching your postcode on nhs.uk and completing a form; if you do not have a permanent address you can use a temporary address or the surgery's address. Health and Care Worker and Skilled Worker visa holders can use NHS services (the standard route pays the immigration health surcharge; the Health and Care route is exempt from it). [source] [source]

What do I need to rent a house or flat in the UK?

Before you can rent in England you must prove your 'right to rent' to the landlord — most visa holders do this with an online share code from the government's view and prove your immigration status (eVisa) service, or with their immigration documents. A share code lasts 90 days and can be used as many times as needed before it expires. The right to rent check applies in England only — you do not need to prove it in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. [source] [source]

Can I drive in the UK on my foreign driving licence?

If you hold a licence from outside the UK and Europe (including India), you may drive in Great Britain for a maximum of 12 months from the date you become resident. Before that period ends you must either exchange your licence for a British one — only possible if it was issued by a country designated for licence exchange — or get a British provisional licence and pass the theory and practical driving tests. GOV.UK has an online tool to check what applies to your specific licence. [source] [source]