The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in the world, and different industries drive its growth. Due to its blossoming economy, many foreigners have moved and are still immigrating to the UK to the UK for better employment opportunities. While the UK is a great place to build your career, it is also essential to get familiar with the different types of work visas in the UK. Let's get into these visas to find out what they offer and which of them is right for you.
Temporary Work Visas
These allow its holders to stay in the UK temporarily and the following are temporary visa options for temporary workers:
1. Seasonal Worker Visas
For foreign nationals looking to work in the UK's agricultural sector, this temporary work visa will be a perfect option. You can work in the poultry sector, usually from October to December of the same year. You can also work in horticulture for 6 months. The application fee for this temporary work visa is £298. Since it's a temporary work visa, you can't take up a permanent job offer during your stay. Also, you can't take up other jobs aside from the one stated in your certificate of sponsorship. To apply for this seasonal worker visa, you must be at least 18 years of age. Also, you must have a licensed sponsor who will give you a certificate of sponsorship showing your job role and personal details.
2. Creative Worker Visa
Actors, musicians, dancers, film crew, or anyone working in the creative sector who needs to work in the UK, can apply for the creative worker visa. With this visa, you can perform more than one job within the creative sector. Being renowned in your field is essential in getting your creative worker visa approved, and you must have a certificate of sponsorship from the person bringing you in. Also, you need a minimum of £1,270 to support yourself during your stay in the UK.
3. Charity Work Visa
If you're into charity and you want to extend your charity work to the UK, this visa category will help you do just that. Before going to the UK for charity work, you must have a sponsorship certificate from a UK employer who is licensed to do charity work. Also, you can take on other jobs within the charity sector aside from the main charity work you applied for. This temporary work visa can last up to 12 months or for the duration specified on your sponsorship certificate.
To apply for this visa you must be at least 18 years old. You should also note that you won't be able to apply for this visa if you applied for a charity or religious work visa within the last one year. Also, you cannot receive payment for any charity job you do in the UK. Likewise, you can't take up permanent job roles.
4. Religious Worker Visa
The religious worker visa is quite similar to the charity work visa, and it has almost the same eligibility requirements. It's for foreign nationals who want to do religious work in a non-pastoral role at any religious organization in the UK. The application fee costs £298, and you can stay for up to 24 months. You can pick up a job in the same sector for up to 20 hours per week outside the main religious job that brought you to the UK.
You can also take up jobs on the skilled worker immigration salary lists for up to 20 hours. Just make sure any of these jobs do not affect your primary job. Also, like the charity worker visa, you must have not been issued a religious or charity work visa in the past 1 year. You must be 18 and above and must have a sponsorship certificate from your UK sponsor.
Skilled Worker Visa
The skilled worker visa is a visa that allows highly skilled foreign workers to stay in the UK. It usually lasts for a longer duration compared to the temporary work visa. Here is the type of skilled work visa in the UK.
1. Health and Care Worker Visa
Among the types of work visas in the UK, the healthcare worker visa is one of the most famous work visa types. This is due to the high rate of foreign medical professionals trooping to the UK for better job offers. If you're a doctor, nurse, or adult-care worker or have any healthcare educational background, this visa might be the right one for you. Most of the time, health and care workers hoping to secure a spot in the UK often work at the National Health Service (NHS) or in adult social care.
This visa is a long-term visa which usually lasts up to 5 years. However, in a case where your employer still needs your services after expiration, you can apply for an extension. To go on with your visa application, you must have gotten a job offer from the UK from an employer approved by the Home office. You must have gotten a certificate of sponsorship stating your job role. Must be proficient in the English language. Also, your potential employer must be registered with the Care Quality Commission for care workers in England.
2. Skilled Worker Visa
This is probably the most common visa type you will come across as a foreign worker. The skilled worker visa is a channel that gives skilled foreign workers the privilege to work in the UK. With the skilled worker visa, your employer is responsible for your visa application. You must have a legitimate job offer from the UK that the Home Office has approved. Meeting the English language requirements of at least a B1 is important. Also, your job role must be on the list of UK's eligible occupations and must have a certificate of sponsorship from your employer.
Job Offer-Based Work Visas
Foreigners who meet the laid down criteria by the UK immigration can apply for a job offer-based work visa. For this work visa, you need a job offer from a licensed employer in the UK. These are the types of Job offer-based work visas in the UK.
1. Senior or Specialist Visa
The senior or specialist visa allows foreign nationals to stay and work in the UK at their employer's UK branch. Foreign workers entering the UK via this route have permission to stay for 5 years in the UK. If your employer still needs your service at their UK branch after your service has expired, then you can apply for an extension of stay.
However, you should know that if you've been in the UK before on a similar work visa, it will reduce the maximum stay on this particular visa. With this visa, you can bring immediate family to the UK. An important eligibility criterion is that you must be an existing worker of a company in the UK approved by the Home Office. Also, you need a certificate of sponsorship stating your job role in the UK. Having your Job role on the eligible occupation list is essential and must earn at least £48,500 per year is essential.
2. Overseas Domestic Worker
With the different types of work visas in the UK, this visa category is for foreign nationals who want to visit the UK with their employer as private domestic workers. One of the essential eligibility criteria for the overseas domestic worker visa is that you must have worked with your employer for a minimum of one year. Being 19 years or older is important to be qualified for this visa. You can come in as a cleaner, chef, driver, care provider, or nanny for your employer and their family.
The cost of the visa is just £637, and it is valid for up to 6 months. Note that as a foreign worker in this category, even if your employer stays beyond 6 months you have to leave the UK without them. You will be violating UK immigration laws if you don't leave when you’re supposed to. However, if your employer didn't use up to 6 months, you can work for another employer in another private household until your 6-month duration is up.
3. UK Expansion Worker Visa
This type of visa is quite similar to the senior or specialist work visa. After a successful visa approval, this visa route gives applicants permission to come to the UK and expand or set up an overseas business branch. The UK expansion visa is usually for senior employees who have worked with the overseas company over the years.
For this type of visa, your employer is responsible for your certificate of sponsorship. The visa allows you to stay up to 12 months, which you can extend by 12 months for the next 5 years. However, if you've already been to the UK on this visa or a similar visa like the specialist worker visa, you might not be able to stay on this particular visa for the full-time allowed.
UK Work Visas Without Job Offers
It is very possible to work in the UK without a job offer. You just have to meet certain criteria to do so. The following are do not require a work visa:
1. Graduate Visa
As an international student who has completed their studies at any university in the UK, you have the opportunity to stay back to work for at least 2 years. However, for PhD and other doctorate holders, it's three years. Applying for a UK graduate visa costs £822, and you need to pay an immigration health surcharge of £1,035 annually for the duration of your stay in the UK.
If your course of study is healthcare-related, you can opt for the health and care worker visa because it is cheaper. Also, you don't have to pay the annual healthcare charge. To apply for this, you must currently be in the UK and must have your student visa. Your university or educational institutions in the UK must have informed the Home Office that you've fulfilled all your education requirements and have finished the course you put in for.
2. High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa
Talk about the opportunity for international students who are recent graduates to explore the UK's academic and employment fields. This new visa, introduced in 2022, is open to recent graduates from approved top international universities. You don't need a job offer, as holders can work in the jobs of their choice and even become self-employed. People with this visa can also study in the UK; so far, their chosen course is not eligible for a regular student visa.
The High potential individual visa allows its holder to stay in the UK for a minimum of 2 years and 3 years for PhD and other doctorate positions. However, this visa type is non-renewable, but you can change to a different kind, like the skilled worker visa. You must have a qualification awarded by an eligible university to be able to apply for this visa. Your Proficiency in the English language is also required. You must be in the UK with a Doctorate extension student scheme and must have gotten a UK graduate visa.
3. Global Talent Visa
This global Talent visa is one of the top-rated types of work visas in UK. It's one of the UK work visas that doesn't need a job offer from a UK employer, but an endorsement is required to apply for this Visa. On the bright side, applicants who have been offered an eligible award in the UK don't need an endorsement to apply. If you're a highly skilled professional in your field, then you should not miss out on the Global Talent Visa. People who apply for these visas are usually professionals or leaders in academia, tech, research, or arts and culture.
The global visa can last from 1 year to 5 years, it's renewable, and there's no limit to how long you can stay. This visa enables you to work and study in the UK as long as you like. With a fee of £524 endorsements fee and £192, you can apply for a global talent visa, which is a total of £716. For this visa type, there is no need for a salary minimum or English language requirements. To apply for this visa category, you must be at least 18 years old, a recognized talent and potential leader, and have been endorsed by a recognized UK endorsing body.
Other UK Work Visa
The following are other UK work visas you can apply for:
1. Scale Up Worker Visa
If you have a job offer from a fast-growing business in the UK, you should go for this visa. It’s one of the new additions to the types of work visas in UK. The scale-up visa gives its holder permission to come into the UK to work for a scale-up business. Your employer also has a role to play in getting your scale-up visa approval, as they must meet the scale-up business requirements.
The scale-up visa is valid for 2 years and is very much renewable after expiration. Also, this is one of the few visas that can make you a permanent resident in the UK, which you can apply for after 5 years of staying in the United Kingdom. The cost of this visa application is £822, and you must also pay the annual health surcharge fee for the duration of your stay. Your certificate of Sponsorship from your employer is an important criterion, as well as meeting the financial requirements.
Not only can you study on this visa, you can also bring in your immediate family as dependents, and you can travel and return to the UK anytime you want. You can even start your business and become self-employed. Proficiency in the English language is one of the eligibility criteria for this visa as a foreign national. Likewise, your job role must be on the list of eligible occupations, and you must be paid at least the minimum wage as salary.
2. Innovator Visa
If you're interested in setting up a business in the UK, the innovator visa might be the way to go. However, you must ensure that if you're bringing a company to the UK, then it must be something exceptional and refreshing. Also, you must go through the proper endorsing body to approve your business idea. Getting an endorsement for your business idea costs about £1,000 per application which must be paid directly to the endorsing body.
The endorsement process is not enough as you must keep up with the business idea presented to the endorsing body. Even though the innovator visa can last up to 3 years, your endorsing body can withdraw your visa if they notice you're not meeting up to standards. To show that you’re really engaging in what brings you to the UK, you must meet up with your endorsing body after the 1st and 2nd 12 months to carry them along with your progress.
Conclusion
There are different types of work visas in the UK, and the list above highlights the standard types. Whether you're a skilled professional, an aspiring entrepreneur, or fresh out of university, there's likely a visa that fits your goal. All you need to do is figure out the correct visa type that suits your needs and make sure you meet the requirements. If you need a Sponsor you should check Companies that Sponsor Work Visas in the United Kingdom.
