Work Visa

If you’re looking to work in the UK from overseas you may need to apply for a work visa. The type of visa you’ll need will depend on the type of job you’re applying for.

Read more to find out the different types of work visas available below.

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Work visa

If you’re applying for jobs in the UK but are not a British Citizen, you must have a work visa to prove that you have the right to work in the UK.

Deciding which work visa to apply for will depend on how long you want to work in the UK for and what it is you want to do. Below we’ve summarised the various work visa options. For more information about each visa's requirements and to see the most up to date visa costs please visit the UK Government website. 

There are 4 types of UK employment visas:

• Long-term work visas
• Investor, business development and talent visas
• Other work visas
• Short-term work visas

Long term work visas

Skilled Worker visa

A Skilled Worker visa gives you permission to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must: 

• Work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• Be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa. You must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually have to prove your knowledge of English when you apply by taking a Secure English Language exam (SELT).

How long can you stay in the UK?
Your Skilled Worker visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.

Health and Care Worker visa

A Health and Care Worker visa allows medical professionals to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, you must:

• Be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
• Work in an eligible health or social care job
• Work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• Be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your Health and Care Worker visa. You must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually have to prove your knowledge of English when you apply by taking a Secure English Language exam (SELT).

How long can you stay in the UK?
Your Health and Care Worker visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.

Senior or Specialist Worker visa

A Senior or Specialist Worker visa gives you permission to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at your employer’s UK branch. To qualify for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, you must: 

• Be an existing employee of an organisation that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work you will do in the UK
• Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• Be paid at least £42,400 per year

How long can you stay in the UK?
You can stay in the UK with a Senior or Specialist Worker visa for either the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days or 5 years, whichever is shorter. You can apply to extend your visa or apply for another one as many times as you like up to the maximum total stay. The maximum total stay allowed for a Senior and Specialist Worker visa is 5 years in any 6 year period if you’re paid less than £73,900 a year or 9 years in any 10 year period if you’re paid £73,900 a year or more.

Minister of Religion visa

You can apply for a Minister of Religion visa if you’ve been offered a job within a faith community (for example as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order) in the UK and you meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website.

Under the Minister of Religion visa you’ll need to be employed by a licensed sponsor to apply to live in the UK. Your sponsor checks that you can do the job they’re hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They’ll give you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this.

How long can you stay in the UK?
You can come to the UK with a Minister of Religion visa for a maximum of up to 3 years and 1 month, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.

International Sportsperson visa

An International Sportsperson visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You’re an elite sportsperson or qualified coach, who’s recognised by your sport’s governing body as being at the highest level of your profession internationally
• Your sport’s governing body is endorsing your application
• Your employment will develop your sport in the UK at the highest level
• You meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website

Your sponsor is your employer. They’ll give you a certificate of sponsorship to prove they’re sponsoring you.

How long can you stay in the UK?
Your visa can last for up to 3 years. You can extend it as long as you’re still eligible. After 5 years, you may be able to settle permanently in the UK.

Scale-up Worker visa

A Scale-up Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business (sometimes called a ‘scale-up business’). To qualify for a Scale-up Worker visa, you must:

• Have a confirmed job offer to work for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• Have a job offer to do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• Be paid a minimum salary in your new job

Your UK employer must meet specific eligibility criteria to sponsor scale-up workers. To check if your job is eligible please go to the UK Government website.

How long can you stay in the UK?
You can stay in the UK with a Scale-up Worker visa for 2 years. You’ll need to apply to extend your visa when it expires. 

Investor, Business Development and Talent visas

Innovator visa

An Innovator visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK
• Your business or business idea has been endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body
• You meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website

In order to apply for the Innovator visa you must be able to show that your business idea is:

• New - you cannot join a business that is already trading
• Innovative - you must have an original business idea which is different from anything else on the market
• Viable, with potential for growth

How long can you stay in the UK?
With an Innovator visa you can normally stay in the UK for 3 years.

Start-up visa

If you want to set up an innovative business in the UK you can apply for a Start-up visa. In order to do this your start-up must be something that’s different from anything else on the market and you must meet the other eligibility requirements.

For the Start-up visa you must be endorsed by an authorised body that is either:

• A UK higher education institution
• A business organisation with a history of supporting UK entrepreneurs

Similar to the Innovator visa, for the Start-up visa you must be able to show that your business idea is:

• A new idea - you cannot join in a business that is already trading
• Innovative - you must have an original business idea which is different from anything else on the market
• Viable, with potential for growth

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a Start-up visa you can normally stay in the UK for 2 years.

Global Talent visa

A Global Talent visa allows you to come to the UK to work if you’re a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

You can only apply for a Global Talent visa if you are at least 18 years old and you’ve successfully applied for an endorsement to prove that you are a leader or potential leader. You can apply for the visa without an endorsement if you’ve won an eligible award. To find out which awards are eligible visit the UK Government website.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a Global Talent visa you can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time.

Other work visas

Representative of an Overseas visa

A Representative of an Overseas Business visa allows you to come to the UK to work if you’re an employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation posted on a long-term assignment to the UK. You must also meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website.

If you’re a representative of an overseas business planning to set up its first UK branch, apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) instead.

How long can you stay in the UK?
The representative of an overseas business visa lets you stay in the UK for an initial period of 3 years. You may be able to extend your visa for another 2 years.

Short-term work visas

Charity Worker visa

A Charity Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity
• You meet the other eligibility requirements

You must have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer before you can apply to come to the UK to work and the work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a charity worker visa you can stay for up to 12 months or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.

Creative and Sporting Worker visa

A Creative Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You've been offered work in the UK as a creative worker
• You meet the other eligibility requirements

A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industries, for example an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member. For a creative worker visa you need to have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor before you can apply to come to the UK to work. The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a creative worker visa you can come to the UK for a maximum of up to 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus up to 28 days, whichever is shorter.

Government Authorised Exchange visa

A Government Authorised Exchange visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme
• You have a sponsor
• You meet the other eligibility requirements

You need to have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor before you can apply for a Government Authorised Exchange visa. Your work, training or research in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation. Your sponsor can be any of the following:

• An organisation running an approved exchange scheme
• A higher education institution (if you are a sponsored researcher, visiting academic or examiner)
• A government department or agency

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a Government Authorised Exchange visa you can stay in the UK for up to 12 or 24 months (depending on the scheme you’re applying for) or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.

International Agreement visa

An International Agreement visa allows you to come to the UK to work if you’ll be contracted to do work covered by international law or treaty while in the UK. This includes working:

• For an overseas government or international organisation
• As a private servant in a diplomatic household
• As an employee in the household of someone who works for a ‘recognised international organisation’

You’ll need to be sponsored (have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer) before you can apply to come to the UK. The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With an international agreement visa you can stay for 2 years, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus up to 28 days, whichever is shorter.

Religious Worker visa

A Religious Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to work if:

• You want to do religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order
• You meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website

For a religious worker you must have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor before you can apply to come to the UK to work. The work you do in the UK must relate to your sponsor organisation’s work.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With a religious worker visa you’ll be given a visa to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months, or up to 28 days more than the time on your certificate of sponsorship. You may be sponsored for a shorter period. You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.

Seasonal Worker visa

A Seasonal Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to work if you want to work in horticulture for up to 6 months - for example, picking fruit and vegetables or flowers. You’ll need to have a sponsor and meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website.

How long can you stay in the UK?
With the seasonal worker visa you only can stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

Youth Mobility Scheme visa

A Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows you to come to the UK to work if you:

• Want to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years
• Are aged 18 to 30
• Have £2,530 in savings
• Have certain types of British Nationality or are from certain countries or territories
• Meet the other eligibility requirements listed on the UK Government website 

How long can you stay in the UK?
With the youth mobility scheme you’ll be allowed to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months. You can enter the UK at any time while your visa is valid, and leave and come back at any time during your stay.