UK Work Visas – IMB Immigration Law : If you aspire to work in the UK, there are a variety of short and long term work visas depending upon various factors like type of profession, permanence of job, intra company transfer etc.
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Let us today learn about different types of UK work visa with valuable inputs from her.
TYPES OF UK WORK VISA
As mentioned above, the UK work visas are broadly classified as short and long term visas. These have the following categories:
Long-Term Work Visas | Short-Term Work Visas |
Skilled Worker visa | Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa (T5) |
Health and Care Worker visa | Temporary Worker – Creative and Sporting visa (T5) |
Intra-company visas | Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa (T5) |
Minister of Religion visa (T2) | Temporary Worker – International Agreement Worker visa (T5) |
Sportsperson visa (T2) | Temporary Worker – Religious Worker visa (T5) |
Temporary Worker – Seasonal Worker visa (T5) |
As is clear by the classification, short-term visas are suitable for someone who intends to live and work in the UK for a limited duration, which is capped between 6 to 24 months depending on the category you apply under. On the other hand, long-term work visa will usually allow the visa holder to live and work in the UK for a duration ranging between 3 to 5 years.
Once your existing work visa expires, you can apply for an extension, provided you meet the eligibility criteria and applicable conditions. Different types of work visa offer extension for varying durations.
Under Brexit, many rules have been relaxed or beneficial changes made. Applications can be filed from inside the UK for many categories (which was not allows previously). So, unless the applicant is a visitor, or has permission in certain short-term categories or outside the immigration rules, they will be able to apply in the UK. For example anyone in the UK holding a dependent partner, youth mobility or Tier 2 ICT visa, will avoid the considerable cost and inconvenience of having to travel back to their home country for visa processing.
ICT applicants will not be required to show English language skills. applicants for Skilled Worker, Start-up, Innovator or Student visas (only) have been exempted to meet the English language requirement if they have a GCSE, A-Level or equivalent Scottish qualification in English language or English literature awarded by a UK school or awarding body while they were under 18.
ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) is called Settlement.
Skilled Worker
Tier 2 General visa has been renamed as the Skilled Worker visa. It requires the UK employer to hold a sponsor license granted by the Home Office, so it can sponsor a skilled worker to work at the sponsoring entity. Existing Tier 2 General licenses will be converted to a Skilled Worker licenses and existing Tier 2 General visas will continue to be valid.
Employers that are not already sponsors listed with Home Office, will need to apply for a sponsor licence to be able to sponsor visas for non-British and non-Irish citizens moving to the UK to work from January 2021.
In several areas, the sponsorship rules have been relaxed for Skilled Worker Visas:
APPLICATION PROCESS
IMB Immigration Law, The application process also varies according to the visa category. In general, different types of work visa will require the applicant to secure a sponsorship certificate from the employer that intends to sponsor them to the UK.
The application must be submitted online after gathering the supporting documents, of which – a sponsorship certificate for an eligible occupation from an eligible employer in the UK and an English language test result from an approved testing agency are often the key documents among others.
Skilled Worker Visa application process can be summarised as below:
In certain circumstances, it can take longer to get a decision. For example – supporting documents submitted with the application requiring verification.
SPOUSE/ CIVIL PARTNER AND CHILDREN
The spouse / civil partner and children of a work visa applicant can also immigrate with them as dependants, provided they meet the dependant eligibility criteria while the applicant also has the minimum required funds to sponsor them.
PROCESSING TIMES AND FEE
Take a look at the tables below to understand the applicable fee and processing times for different types of UK work visa.
Long-Term Work Visa Category | Description | Application Fee | Processing Time | Maximum Stay |
Skilled Worker visa | Allows the visa holder to come and work in the UK in an eligible occupation with an employer approved by the UK Home Office. | Between £610 – £1408 for up to 3 years of stay. If the job offered is on the shortage occupation list, the fee will be £464 for up to three years of stay. Also, an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 5 years |
Health and Care Worker visa | Allows a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional to work with the National Health Service (NHS), an NHS supplier or in adult social care. | £232 for up to 3 years of stay. | 3 Weeks | 5 years |
Intra-company visas | Allows the existing overseas employee to live and work in the UK to do an eligible job at their employer’s UK branch. | Between £610 – £1408 for up to 3 years of stay depending on the circumstances. Also, an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 5 years for an applicant with an annual income of less than £73,900 9 years for an applicant with an annual income of £73,900 or more |
Minister of Religion visa (T2) | Allows the visa holder applicant with a job offer in the UK in a faith community, such as a minister of religion, member of a religious order or a missionary to live and work in the UK. | £610 plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay | 3 Weeks | 3 years and 1 month |
Sportsperson visa (T2) | Allows an elite sportsperson or qualified coach, recognised by the sport’s governing body as being at the highest level of the profession internationally to live and work in the UK. | £610 plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay | 3 Weeks | 3 years |
Now take a look at the short-term work visa categories.
Short-Term Work Visa Category | Description | Application Fee | Processing Time | Maximum Stay |
Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa (T5) | Allows the visa holder to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity in the UK. | £244, plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 12 months |
Temporary Worker – Creative and Sporting visa (T5) | Allows someone with a job offer as a sports person or creative worker to work in the UK. Actors, dancers, musicians, film crew members, etc. are identified as creative workers. | £244, plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 12 months |
Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa (T5) | Allows the visa holder to come to the UK for a short time for work experience/ training/ an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme. . | £244, plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 12 or 24 months (depending on the scheme the applicant is applying for) |
Temporary Worker – International Agreement Worker visa (T5) | Allows the visa holder to work for a foreign government/ as a private servant in a diplomatic household/ provide a service under contract as a contractual service supplier or independent professional. | £244, plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 24 months |
Temporary Worker – Religious Worker visa (T5) | Allows the visa holder to do religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order. | £244, plus an additional amount of £624 as the healthcare surcharge for each year of the stay. | 3 Weeks | 24 months |
Temporary Worker – Seasonal Worker visa (T5) | Allows the visa holder to do farm work in the UK. | £244 | 3 Weeks | 6 months |
Note: If you intend to stay in the UK for up to six months, you don’t need to pay any health surcharge.
IMB IMMIGRATION LAW
With so many options to choose from for your UK Immigration on a work visa, you can get confused. However, we can help you get clarity on what will be the best option for you. For this, contact IMB Immigration Law at info@imbimmigrationlaw.com that specialises in UK, US and Canada immigration.