Skilled Worker visa
One of the few remaining ways to get a British work visa, which in most cases leads to Indefinite Leave to Remain in the country by both the employee and family members.
The category allows British employers to hire foreign specialists.
To apply for a visa, the prospective employee must receive a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from a British employer. In this certificate, the employer indicates information about the position, duration of employment, salary, employee data, etc. As a prerequisite the employer must have a sponsorship license issued by the Home Office, which gives him the right to hire foreign workers.
Specialists at Westland Mark Limited assist employers in obtaining a sponsorship licence.
An indispensable condition for issuing a CoS is a certain level of salaries of future employee and the position offered. There are many eligible occupations listed here.
Minimal annual salary for a worker at the moment is £26200. All benefits such as accommodation and bonuses should be paid on top of this amount. In some cases worker can be paid less, for example, if the job title is listed in the shortage occupation list which can be found here.
When the license is granted, then an employer can start hiring people.
The price for the Skilled Worker visa application is:
Home Office fees (as of August 2021):
Visa up to 3 years – £610 per person
Visa for more than 3 years – £1,220 per person
In addition, each applicant will need to pay IHS insurance – £624 per year per applicant (depending of the length of the skilled work visa) for example if the COS is given for 3 years, then each applicant will pay £624×3 = £1872
Please note that each worker you sponsor can bring their family to the UK as dependents. Employer is not affected by this anyway, employer will not have any additional costs or responsibilities in this regard. This is up to the worker but can be additional benefit for those who would like to bring their spouse and children to the UK. Dependents will have full right to work in the UK and children can attend state schools for free.
Maintenance funds:
Applicant must have at least £1,270 in his bank account to show they can support themselves in the UK.
Applicant will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.
Applicant usually needs to show proof of this when apply, unless either:
Applicant has been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months or an employer can and will cover these costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270.
Requirements for the level of English:
General requirement for the level of English is B1 (IELTS 4 in each module).
You do not need to take English language test if you are a citizen of a country in which English is the official language. The requirement is also not applicable if the applicant has a degree obtained in a British university or in another country if the degree was taught in English.
Settlement:
The visa will allow you to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) in the UK in 5 years, both to the main applicant and to his family members (children who are under 18 years of age at the date of the initial application and to the spouse) and leads to British citizenship.
We draw attention to the requirement for the days of absence in the UK to be qualified for Indefinite leave to Remain (ILR): both the skilled visa holder and his family members must not be absent from the UK for more than 180 days each during any consecutive 12 months.
Obtaining British citizenship is possible after 6 years of residence in the country. Requirements for days of absence when applying for naturalization (British citizenship) differ from the requirements for obtaining ILR. All applicants can spend no more than 450 days outside the UK during 5 years, including no more than 90 days each during the last 12 months before application.
