Who is eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa UK?

Nationwide Visas
[Published 31 Aug, 2024 | 11:38 AM]
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The UK Skilled Worker Visa authorizes overseas workers who have the required skills to work in the UK for employers with a license. The required skills are Level 3 RFQ (which is equivalent to Level in the UK) or higher in a qualified occupation.

The following are the eligibility requirements to be fulfilled by the applicants:

Possess an offer of a job from an employer in the UK

To file an application for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a job offer from an employer in the UK that has the license. It must be from a business included in the licensed sponsors' list having an A rating for an occupation present on the eligible occupations list. The job offer must also fulfil the minimum salary criteria and you must have an authentic COS from the UK employer.

The employer must have a license from the UK Home Office

You must have a job offer from an employer in the UK who is included in the list of licensed sponsors of the UK Home Office. It is also crucial to confirm that your employer has the license to recruit overseas employees through the Skilled Worker Route. The employer must also have an A-rating.

Employers with a B-rating will not be able to offer COS till they fulfill the compliance criteria of the Home Office and upgrade to an A-rating. You must confirm this before filing an application to avoid prospective delay or rejection.

You must have authentic COS from a UK employer

To file an application for the UK Skilled Worker Visa, you must possess an authentic COS from your employer in the UK.

The COS - Certificate of Sponsorship is a digitized document that includes details regarding the role for which you have received sponsorship. This includes your job role and category, the date of commencement and conclusion of work, and gross salary.

The date of expiry of the COS and sponsor license number are also included.

The job has to be included in the eligible occupations list

The Skilled Worker Visa will only be approved by the UK Visas and Immigration for those roles that are included on the eligible occupations list. You must also possess the required skills and/or experience for fulfilling the role for which you are being recruited in the UK.

To confirm if your occupation is eligible, you can request your employer to provide the SOC - Standard Occupation Code.

Fulfill the skill level criteria

You have to possess the skills that are a minimum on par with Level 3 RFQ which corresponds to qualification at Level A in the UK. It does not imply that you have to possess a specific level of qualification. You need to only possess skills that are equivalent to or higher than Level 3 RFQ.

Minimum Salary Criteria

The standard salary for a UK Skilled Worker Visa is £38,700. It implies that your job has to offer a minimum wage of £38,700 or the “Going Rate” for the job, whichever is higher.  

Consider the example of a worker who has received a job offer from an employer in the UK with an annual salary of £39,000. However, the yearly going rate for the job as per the list of eligible occupations is £40,000. This means that the worker does not fulfil the criteria for the Skilled Worker Visa. Every occupation code has a specific yearly going rate.

However, there are specific exceptions under which an applicant can fulfil the minimum salary criteria for the Skilled Worker Visa with even a salary lesser than £38,700.

Minimum Funds Criteria

You must have a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account to demonstrate that you can take care of yourself in the UK.

English Language Proficiency

You will have to demonstrate proficiency in the English language through any of the 4 options:

• Passing an authorized test for English Language
• Having eligible academic qualifications
• Having exemption through Citizenship of listed nations
• Passing an assessment for the English Language authorized by the applicable regulated processional authority in your work domain

To assess your eligibility for the Skilled Worker Visa or your score on the UK Points Calculator, contact the Best UK Immigration Consultants in India Nationwide Visas.

Read more:- Top 5 Industries in the UK Job Market for Indians