UK Work Visa and Immigration Rules: Everything You Need to Know

There is a huge diversity in the culture of the UK and the most notable reason behind this is immigration. Every year, thousands of people come to the United Kingdom to take their career to a new hike or simply to join their dream job. There are certain reasons that attract people from all over the globe to come and work in the UK. One of the main reasons is the UK economy which is presently ranking sixth in the world.

Some of the other reasons are a great working environment, longest paid holidays, good minimum wage, an assortment of modern as well as traditional entertainment and activities. Another attractive reason to work in the UK is the transport facility. London offers the best transport links around Europe.

Working in the UK has been a very attractive opportunity for science lovers as this country has always been at the forefront when it comes to technical developments. People of London are worldwide known for their inventions and advancements. This expands the opportunity for people working there to get in touch with globally acclaimed technologies.

But, all these could be only possible when you get a work visa to the UK. The government of the United Kingdom offers different types of work Visas for people all over the world, who are interested in working in the nation. So let’s check out what are the different kinds of work visas available to work in the UK.

Types of Work Visas in the United Kingdom

The UK government offers work visas for four types of main categories.

Long-term work visas:General work visa (Tier 2)Health and Care visa (Tier 2)Intra-company Transfer visa (Tier 2)Minister of Religion visa (Tier 2)Sportsperson visa (Tier 2)Short-term work visas:Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa (Tier 5)Temporary Worker – Creative and Sporting visa (Tier 5)Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa (Tier 5)Temporary Worker – International Agreement visa (Tier 5)Temporary Worker – Religious Worker visa (Tier 5)Temporary Worker – Seasonal Worker Visa (Tier 5)Youth Mobility Scheme visa (Tier 5)Investor, business development and talent visas:Innovator visaStart-up visaEntrepreneur visa (Tier 1)Apply for the Global Talent visaExceptional Talent visa (Tier 1)Graduate Entrepreneur visa (Tier 1)The investor visa (Tier 1)Other work visas and exemptions:UK Ancestry visaGet an exempt vignetteDomestic Workers in a Private Household visaA Representative of an Overseas Business visaTurkish Businessperson visaTurkish Worker visa

Long-term Work Visas

Under this main category, comes five subcategories. Let’s check the details of each one.

General Work Visa Tier 2

Who can apply?

A person who has been offered a skilled job in London.
People not belonging to the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Employer-Sponsored:

To apply to live in London, the person has to be employed by a licensed sponsor.

As per the latest notice from the Home Office of the UK, there are a total 31,446 number of sponsors on register licensed under tier 2 and 5. Under Tier 2 are a total 29,461 sponsors and under Tier 5 are a total 3,953 sponsors.

There is a limit of the number of available restricted certificates of sponsorship under Tier 2 general work visa category. This makes getting sponsorship a bit difficult for people willing to come and work in the UK. But, there are some Tier 2 general applications which do not get affected by this annual sponsorship limit. Some of those applicants are those associated with inward investment provision, or who have been offered to fill a vacancy with a fixed salary of £159, 600 or higher.

Migrants holding visas as the dependents of Tier 4 migrants and willing to switch into the Tier 2 category are subject to the annual limit of the Restricted Certificates of Sponsorships.

Time Required

At the earliest, one can apply three months before the working date which should be listed on the certificate of sponsorship. If a person is applying from outside London, generally within three weeks he/ she should get a decision on the visa.

Fees

The fee amount depends on the type of visa and on where the person is.

Up to 3 years:Who you’re applying forApply (outside the UK)Extend or switch (in the UK)You£610£704If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia£555£649All dependants£610 each person£704 each personUp to 3 years – shortage occupationWho you’re applying forApply (outside the UK)Extend or switch (in the UK)You£464£464You – as a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia£409£409All dependants£464 each person£464 each personMore than 3 yearsWho you’re applying forApply (outside the UK)Extend or switch (in the UK)You£1,220£1,408You – as a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia£1,165£1,353All dependants£1,220 for each person£1,408 for each personMore than 3 years – shortage occupation

Who you’re applying for

Apply (outside the UK)

Extend or switch (in the UK)

You

£928

You – as a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia

£873

All dependants

£928 each person

There is also a healthcare surcharge that one has to pay as a part of the application.
People willing to extend or switch in the UK have to pay £19.20 in order to provide biometric information. By paying £500 extra, one can get a faster decision on the visa within 5 working days and also avail super priority service if £800 is paid.
After receiving the decision letter, it will take up to 10 working days (Monday to Friday) to get the biometric residence permit.

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