How to Get a Work Visa in the United Kingdom

The UK labor market offers a huge variety of job opportunities. Migrants have every chance to find employment in almost any sector. The shortage of workers is especially acute in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and the service sector. The main requirement is that a foreign applicant must have a work visa.

This document grants permission to work. In this article, we explain how to obtain a UK work visa, where to apply, and what documents are needed. Earlier, we wrote about obtaining a work visa in France.

There are several types of work visas in the UK. The type depends on the specific work the migrant plans to do:

The UK government website has a special tool to check if a migrant needs a visa. You need to specify your nationality, the purpose and duration of your trip, and the intended type of activity. The system will analyze your answers and provide the result: what type of visa you qualify for, the conditions for obtaining it, and whether it gives you the right to apply for permanent residence in the future.

The Skilled Worker visa is suitable for most migrants. With a Skilled Worker visa, you can work as a laborer, mechanic, or construction worker — the full list of eligible professions is published on the UK government website. Until 2020, this type of permit had a different name — Tier 2. The Tier 2 visa for the UK had strict requirements: a high minimum salary threshold and a limited period of stay in the country.

An employee who has worked for 5 years on a Skilled Worker visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

Migrants often travel to the UK to work as household staff. For this purpose, there is a separate visa — Domestic Workers. With this permit, you can work as a cleaner, personal driver, gardener, or nanny. The maximum period of stay in the country is 6 months. After this period, the migrant must return to their home country; the permit cannot be extended or renewed. During this time, you can change employers and travel in and out of the country. It is prohibited to work in positions not related to domestic help.

A UK work visa for citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other migrants is issued under the following conditions:

We explain, step by step, how a work visa to England is issued:

If an in-person interview at the visa centre is required, specialists will contact you and schedule an appointment. A decision on the visa is made within 3 weeks. In some cases, the process can be expedited by paying an additional fee (as of November 2024, the amount is 500 pounds sterling). The service is then upgraded to priority and takes 5 working days. If it is a family visa, expedited processing takes 30 days.

After your documents are reviewed, you will receive a decision on your application: it will explain what to do next (check not only your inbox but also your spam folder in your email). If the decision is positive, you will be issued a paper or electronic visa. A paper work visa to England is a sticker in your passport with information about the visa type and validity period. An electronic visa — an e‑Visa — is an online record of the migrant’s status. Both types of visas have the same legal force.

Additional conditions may also be specified in the visa. For example, it may state that the migrant has the right to work for only one employer, or it may note that the worker is not eligible for state benefits and allowances.

If the decision on the application is negative, the email from the authority will state the reason for the refusal. You will also learn whether you have the right to an administrative review and whether you are permitted to lodge an appeal.

The list of documents for a UK work visa is as follows:

Sometimes, to issue a work visa to the UK, the authorities need to study the applicant’s situation in more detail. They may request additional documents, such as a tax payment certificate or a police clearance certificate. Those planning to move with their family must provide proof of marital status and birth certificates of children.

When applying for a visa, a migrant should be prepared to pay:

You must also prove your financial solvency. There must be at least £1,270 in your bank account (as of November 2024). Some employers are willing to cover the full living expenses of the employee. In that case, a bank statement is not required, but the Certificate of Sponsorship must include the corresponding note.

The final amount payable will be announced after the application is submitted. Consulate staff will review the circumstances of your relocation and check whether your salary is on the list of eligible migrant incomes (if so, you will receive a discount on the application fee). Each region has its own separate list.

A residence permit grants the right to stay in the country without time restrictions. It allows you to live, change jobs, and receive state benefits. Any migrant who has worked in the UK for at least 5 years on a Skilled Worker visa can apply for permanent residence. There is one condition: your application will be considered if you have not been outside the country for more than 180 days in a year.

To obtain permanent residence, you must prove that you have a permanent source of income. The amount of income is confirmed with payslips (these are electronic salary statements). You may also include your spouse and children in the application.

A migrant who successfully obtains permanent residence can apply for citizenship after one year. To do this, you must prove your knowledge of the English language (at level B1 or higher) and pass an online test.

A migrant applying for citizenship should be prepared for government authorities to check their records. It is important that the person has not been involved in crimes, has paid taxes on time, and has not violated immigration laws.

Applying for citizenship is a paid service. In addition to the application fee, the migrant must provide biometric data. Two people who have known the applicant for at least 3 years must act as referees. Citizenship applications are reviewed over several months.

Migrants working in the UK regularly send money transfers to their home countries. Some choose to transfer money through a bank, but most use dedicated mobile money transfer services. The Korona app is one such service. It allows you to send money from the UK or receive money transfers from other countries.

The advantages of the system include: low fees, a favorable exchange rate, a simple application process, and minimal delivery times for the funds.