UK work visa: how to start working in the UK?
The UK is a large country with independent political system, strong economy, fair social welfare system, high standards of living and many opportunities for savvy and hard-working foreigners. It may be the reason why the immigration flow into the country has not decreased after Brexit.
Foreign specialists do not fear strong competition on the British market. If they manage to succeed, they will get useful knowledge and unique expertise. It does not mean, however, that you will need to bring out the big guns to make a good career in the UK; the country lacks qualified specialists in several important spheres. Highly skilled IT-specialists, engineers, architects, researchers, and doctors are always welcome in the UK. The British government regularly updates the list of the most wanted specialties on their official website.
Foreign specialists are also highly motivated by the fact that they can move to the UK with their families and in 5- 6 years obtain permanent residence and then citizenship.
The UK offers safe and comfortable living conditions with high-quality medical services and real government support. Your children will be able to get qualitive modern education in one of the UK’s best universities that have centuries-long history. If you are an entrepreneur, you will get an opportunity to enter an international market.
What is a sponsorship licence?
The UK immigration legislation does not allow foreign citizens to come to the UK for work if they have no contract with a British company. Even if your profession is on a shortage occupation list, you won’t obtain a permit to enter the country without an invitation from a British employer.
Sponsorship licence offers a convenient means for a British company to hire specialists from other countries. Through the sponsorship management system developed by the British government, British companies can issue certificates of sponsorship.
To become a sponsor, the company must fulfil the following requirements:
- The company must provide a foreign employee with a salary above the minimum established for this job and make all the necessary social welfare contributions into the corresponding funds.
- The company must properly monitor the work of its employees to be able to inform immigration authorities if the status of a hired foreign specialist changes. For example, if they are fired or do not come to work.
- The company must maintain sponsorship management system and assign employees who will be responsible for managing the system, issuing certificates and monitoring compliance with the legislation.
What is a certificate of sponsorship?
Certificate of sponsorship is an important electronic document (recorded under a number in the sponsorship management system) that a migrant needs in order to obtain a work visa in the UK. If the company issues a certificate of sponsorship to you, it takes the responsibility for your working status. The company provides you with work, regularly pays you a salary, and informs the authorities about any changes in your status. If you decide to leave the company, you will have to find another sponsor for your work visa to remain valid.
Who does not need a certificate of sponsorship?
After Brexit, almost every migrant needs a certificate of sponsorship to start working in the UK. The only exceptions include:
- Citizens of Ireland.
- EU citizens as well as the citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein who got settled or pre-settled status in Great Britain or Northern Ireland under the EU settlement scheme.
- Permanent residents in the UK.
If you do not fall in any of these categories, you must obtain a certificate of sponsorship to work in the UK.
How can I get a certificate of sponsorship?
For a migrant, the most important thing is to go through the interview process and get a potential employer interested in their skills. In other words, you need sufficient qualification and experience, personal achievements, clean reputation, and good knowledge of English.
Till recently, there was one more requirement: a migrant was able to get a job if the company could not fill the position with a UK permanent resident or UK citizen. Now, British companies do not need to search for employees on the British market before offering a job to a foreigner. Experts underline that this is only a temporary concession, so we suggest that you should not wait for too long if you want to get a job in the UK.
A certificate of sponsorship is issued within several days after the company decides to give you a job and applies through the sponsorship management system. When you get the number of the certificate, you can apply for a work visa in the next 3 months. You cannot apply for visa earlier than 3 months before the date of commencement of employment specified in your certificate of sponsorship.
British work visas
According to the British law, there are 5 long-term and 8 short-term visa categories in the UK. We have intentionally excluded business visas from this list since it is a separate topic that will be covered further on. We have also excluded Exceptional Talent visas and visas for special categories of migrants, for example, visas for Commonwealth citizens.
Long-term work visas
| Category | Duration |
| Skilled worker | 5 years |
| Medical worker | 5 years |
| Intra-company transfer worker | Depends on a case, but is limited to:
|
| Minister of Religion | 3 years and 1 month or any other term defined in the certificate of sponsorship + 14 days |
| Sportsperson | 3 years |
Short-term work visas
| Category | Duration |
| Charity worker | 12 months or any other term defined in the certificate of sponsorship + 14 days |
| Creative or sporting worker | 12 months or any other term defined in the certificate of sponsorship + 28 days |
| Government authorised exchange worker | 12 months, 24 months, or any other term defined in the certificate of sponsorship + 14 days |
| International agreement worker | Depends on the agreement |
| Religious worker | 24 months or any other term defined in the certificate of sponsorship + 28 days |
| Seasonal workers | Not more than 6 months |
| Migrants under youth mobility program | Up to 2 years |
| Graduates | 2–3 years |
Who can a work visa applicant add to their application?
If you are a seasonal worker or take part in a youth mobility program, you cannot add anyone to your application. All other immigration categories can include the following family members into their application:
- Spouses or unregistered civil partners.
- Minor children and even unmarried children over 18 years of age, if they were already in the UK at the time of application and are dependent on the main applicant.
For more information about each work visa category, you can visit our official website or contact Imperial & Legal advisors.
Business visas to the UK
If you are an entrepreneur and no work visa suits you, you can apply for any of the following business visas.
| Visa | Applicant |
| Sole representative visa | Co-owner or top manager of a successful foreign company |
| Start-up visa | Starting entrepreneur with a promising business idea |
| Innovator visa | Experienced entrepreneur who can invest into their company and innovative business idea |
| Investor visa | Investors who are ready to buy shares of British companies |
On our website, you can find more information about each of these visa categories. This prestigious status of a business migrant will obviously require more efforts, costs, and responsibilities on your part. For example, to get an Innovator, Sole Representative, or Start-up visa, you must register your company in the UK. To obtain an Investor visa, you must contribute at least £2,000,000 to a real sector of British economy.
However, if you get legal support from Imperial & Legal advisors, you will be able to successfully apply for work and business visas. We will help you through the whole process: from obtaining a certificate of sponsorship to registering and managing your company.
Contact our specialists to get an initial consultation. Imperial & Legal advisors adopt a complex approach to each client to make your immigration to the UK quick and comfortable.
