The UK Skilled Worker visa was introduced to bring in highly skilled overseas workers into the UK labor market and subsequently take up permanent residence in the UK.
With this visa, skilled workers from other countries can be selected based on the shortage occupation list and they will be eligible to get an offer letter without the labor market test and stay in the UK for up to 5 years.
In this year, there will be major opportunities for UK immigration. The country plans new routes such as Global Business Mobility and Scale-up. It will introduce new visa categories and consolidate or modify some existing offerings. The new High Potential Individual visa would provide user-friendly access.
Simplifying the Innovator route: Introduction of a fast-track program for businesses with growth potential
Allowing more flexible options for funding and an opportunity for the applicant to work outside the primary business
The UK government has laid out all these plans as it aims to make the UK a global innovation hub by 2035. The introduction of this new fast-track visa for recruiting overseas talent would be “very important or vital” for the growth of its economy and employment.
Apart from these, the country is also facing labor shortages in many areas and hence it will rely on UK immigration for highly skilled foreign nationals.
With profound knowledge of UK immigration policies, XYLEM offers you expert guidance and counsels you on all necessary procedures and requirements to increase your chances of migrating to the UK from India.
Though there are many pathways for UK immigration, the most trusted and successful paths include:
The UK government urges skilled professionals to work in the UK under the Tier 2 visa program to gain a competitive edge. This program allows job seekers to check the occupations in the Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List and apply for them based on their eligibility criteria.
The most in-demand sectors include:
To apply for the skilled workers’ program in the UK, the applicant must gain a UK work permit.
Later, they need to apply for the Skilled Worker Visas if the candidates are offered skilled jobs in the UK. They should earn a minimum wage of £25,600 to apply for Skilled Worker Visas, or based on the occupations or the ‘ongoing rate.’
The UK launched the new UK immigration points-based system in January 2021. The eligibility criteria for the UK skilled migration depend on the ‘new points-based UK Visa system.’ It measures eligibility by taking into consideration various factors to assess candidates’ skills for the UK work visa.
The points scored based on the UK New Points-based System decide the eligibility for the work visa.
To qualify for the UK work visa, the candidate should score a minimum of 70 points. If the candidate has an approved job offer for a skilled job and can speak fluent English, she/he will be awarded 50 points.
The candidate can gain the remaining 20 points if the salary being offered is at least £25,600 per year. The candidates can earn extra points if they have higher qualifications:
UK Skilled Worker Visa
The UK Skilled Worker Visa is what you need if you are a non-EU national as well as a skilled professional wanting to reside and be employed in the UK. This visa has replaced the earlier Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.
It has to be noted that if an EU national who is your relative has started to live in the UK before December 31, 2020, such a person can lodge an application to the free EU Settlement Scheme.
The following documents will be required at the time of applying for a UK Skilled Worker visa:
If a candidate has their job on the SOL, they can be paid 80% of the “going rate” for their job in order to qualify for the UK Skilled Worker visa.
|
Occupation code |
Job types included on the shortage occupations list |
|
1181 |
Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobs |
|
1242 |
Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobs |
|
2111 |
Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry |
|
2112 |
Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobs |
|
2113 |
Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry: engineering geologist, hydrogeologist, geophysicist |
|
2113 |
Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry: geophysicist, geoscientist, geologist, geochemist technical services manager in the decommissioning and waste areas of the nuclear industry senior resource geologist and staff geologist in the mining sector |
|
2114 |
Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists |
|
2121 |
Civil engineers – all jobs |
|
2122 |
Mechanical engineers – all jobs |
|
2123 |
Electrical engineers – all jobs |
|
2124 |
Electronics engineers – all jobs |
|
2126 |
Design and development engineers – all jobs |
|
2127 |
Production and process engineers – all jobs |
|
2129 |
Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs |
|
2135 |
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobs |
|
2136 |
Programmers and software development professionals – all jobs |
|
2137 |
Web design and development professionals – all jobs |
|
2139 |
Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialists |
|
2216 |
Veterinarians – all jobs |
|
2425 |
Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bio-informaticians and informaticians |
|
2431 |
Architects – all jobs |
|
2461 |
Quality control and planning engineers – all jobs |
|
3111 |
Laboratory technicians – all jobs |
|
3411 |
Artists – all jobs |
|
3414 |
Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales). |
|
3415 |
Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras. The orchestra must a full member of the Association of British Orchestras. |
|
3416 |
Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs |
|
3421 |
Graphic designers – all jobs |
|
5215 |
Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through illegal working. |
|
6145 |
Care workers and home carers – private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants |
|
6146 |
Senior care workers – all jobs |