Tier 2 – Visa for Skilled Workers

If you are looking to work in the UK and you have a particular qualification or skillset, you will need a Tier 2 Work Visa to come to take an employment, usually paying a salary of at least £20,800 per annum.

You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if:

• you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

If you are planning to apply for a Tier 2 (General) Visa in the UK, you will need to be employed by a licensed sponsor. The sponsor checks that you can do the job they’re hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They’ll assign you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this.

Here is a list of Tier 2 (General) visa requirements:

• have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job
• show you’re being paid an appropriate salary for your job
• prove your knowledge of English
• have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK
• show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years
• have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country
• provide a criminal record certificate from any country you’ve lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years if you’ll be working with vulnerable people

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you’re due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship. You should get a decision on your Tier 2 (General) visa application within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

How much you pay for a Tier 2 (General) visa application depends on your situation, where you are and how you apply. Please contact our immigration solicitors today for more information.

• Up to 3 years – from £587
• Up to 3 years – shortage occupation – from £446
• More than to 3 years – from £1,174
• More than 3 years – shortage occupation – from £892

You can come to the UK with a Tier 2 (General) visa for a maximum of 5 years and 14 days, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 1 month, whichever is shorter.