Work Visas

Skilled Worker Visa

For eligible people with a sponsored job in the UK.

For workers applying from overseas or switching inside the UK, and for the employers sponsoring them.

A Skilled Worker application usually needs an eligible job with a licensed sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship, the required skill level, the correct salary for the role and the required level of English.

Recent changes to know about

Since 22 July 2025, new sponsorship is generally limited to jobs at degree level (RQF 6) and above, with transitional arrangements for some people already on the route.
Since 8 January 2026, new applicants on the route need English at level B2.
Salary requirements were raised in 2025 and are the higher of a general threshold and the going rate for the occupation, subject to transitional provisions. Check the current figures on GOV.UK.

What we will check

Is the employer licensed for the Skilled Worker route?
Is the occupation code accurate for the real duties?
Does the job meet the skill requirement?
Does the salary meet the requirement that applies to this role and this applicant?
Does the applicant meet the English requirement?
Are there maintenance, criminal-record or tuberculosis requirements?
Is the person applying from overseas, extending, switching or changing employer?

Changing employer or role

A worker needs a new Certificate of Sponsorship and a new application before starting work for a new sponsor, and may need one before a significant change of role.

Settlement

Under the current rules, the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement after five years. The Government has consulted on an "earned settlement" model with longer qualifying periods for many people. Those proposals were not in the Immigration Rules when this page was written, so check the current position before planning around a date.

How WLIS can help

1 We check that the route suits your plans and that the matter is a straightforward one within our IAA Level 1 authorisation.
2 We review your eligibility and your documents, and explain plainly anything that needs attention.
3 We give you a document checklist written for your circumstances rather than a generic one.
4 We prepare the application form and supporting documents, and you check and approve the final information before anything is submitted.
5 We help with submission, biometrics or identity steps, and your eVisa and UKVI account after the decision.

What we can and cannot help with

We provide advice and application assistance for straightforward immigration matters within our IAA Level 1 Immigration authorisation. Where a matter falls outside that authorisation — for example because it involves adverse immigration history, a discretionary or human-rights claim, an administrative review, an appeal or tribunal work — we will tell you and signpost or refer you to an adviser authorised at the appropriate level.

If an application is refused, we will explain the decision and whether any further work remains within our Level 1 authorisation. Where an administrative review, an appeal or other higher-level casework is needed, we will signpost or refer you to an appropriately authorised adviser. We do not provide appeal or tribunal representation.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) makes the final decision on every application. No immigration adviser can guarantee that an application will be approved.

Our IAA regulation How we work Fees

Questions clients often ask

What is a Certificate of Sponsorship?

It is an electronic record assigned to you by a licensed sponsor, containing the job details, the occupation code and the salary. It is not a document you hold; you use its reference number in the application. If the details on it do not match the role you actually do, that is a problem for both you and the employer.

Can I change employer on a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, but not simply by resigning. Your new employer must hold a licence and assign a new Certificate of Sponsorship, and you must apply to update your permission before starting the new job. Working for an employer who does not sponsor you puts your permission and any future settlement application at risk.

Does the Skilled Worker route lead to settlement?

Under the current rules it can lead to indefinite leave to remain after a continuous qualifying period, subject to the salary, absence and English language requirements at the time you apply. The Government has consulted on changing settlement periods, so check the current position before planning around a date.

Official sources we check

We check what we publish against the Home Office's own guidance. These are the GOV.UK pages behind the advice on this site — use them to confirm anything you read here, because the rules change and the official page is always the current one.

GOV.UK content is published by the UK government and is not part of this website.

Talk to us about skilled worker visa

Tell us what you want to apply for, the status you hold now and when your current permission ends. We will confirm whether the matter is within our Level 1 authorisation and offer a suitable appointment.

Start an enquiry See how we work

The enquiry button opens the secure WLIS enquiry form on enquiry.wlisuk.com in a new tab. Please do not send identity documents until we ask for them.