British Work VISA 2023 – The UK is not only famous for its educational institutions and tourist destinations; it is also an ideal place to work. Its developed economy and better working conditions than most other countries make it highly desirable for foreign workers. If you are a non-UK citizen, you need a work visa in order to work in the UK. There are several types of work visas and you need to apply for the most appropriate one depending on your qualifications and the job.
UK Work Visa | Do You Need One?
Citizens of countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, the US, and the EEA can enter the UK without a visa and are allowed to stay there for up to six months. But, with the conclusion of Brexit and the free movement, anybody who is not a UK citizen, will need a work visa for commencing their work in the UK.
Types of UK Work Visa in 2023:
Work visas in the UK are divided into two main categories; long-term and short-term. With a long-term visa, you can stay and work in the UK for 3 to 5 years while with a short-term visa; you can work in the UK for 6 to 12 months. Most long-term visas are renewable indefinitely so long as you keep meeting the eligibility requirements. The long and short-term visas are further subdivided into several types.
Types of British Long-Term work visa:
- International Sportsperson Visa is for distinguished sportspersons or expert coaches. This visa will help them develop their sportsmanship in the UK.
- Healthcare Worker Visa is for doctors, nurses, and certified adult care professionals who want to work with the British NHS.
- Specialist/Senior Worker Visa is for certain specialist workers who have worked outside of the UK for at least 12 months. This visa allows them to travel to the UK with the utmost ease.
- Ministry of Religion Visa is issued to people who have gotten a job within a religious organization such as a member of the clergy.
- A skilled Worker Visa is for workers who have sponsorship from a British employer. They should be paid a minimum salary which would depend upon the type of job that they do.
- Scale-up Worker Visa is given to individuals to take up certain jobs in the UK for rapidly growing UK-based businesses. The employer in the UK must meet the eligibility requirement to apply for scale-up workers.
Types of British Short-Term work visa:
- Charity Worker Visa is a temporary form of visa issued to individuals who intend to take up voluntary or charity work in the UK. The work undertaken would be unpaid.
- International Agreement Visa is for persons who are working in a position that is covered by any international law like members of a consulate or diplomats.
- Religious Worker Visa is a temporary visa offered for religious and non-pastoral work. With this visa, individuals can stay in the UK for up to 24 months.
- Graduate Visa is for students who want to work in the UK post their study programs. This visa is given for a maximum of two years and is renewable.
- Seasonal Worker Visa is for workers who work during a particular season like harvesting, farm picking, truck driving, etc.
- Youth Mobility Scheme Visa is given to young individuals between the ages of 18 to 30, who have the nationality of one of the listed countries and want to live and work in the UK. The visa validity is two years.
- Graduate Trainee Visa is for those British companies that have their operations expanded overseas and who want to train graduates in order to prepare them for the British job market.
- A creative Worker Visa is given to people in the creative fields like performing arts, painting, writing, etc.
Some other types of work visas are; Global Talent Visas, Start-up Visas, and Innovator Visas. Most foreign nationals, who have gotten a job offer in the UK, apply for the Skilled Worker Visa as most individuals qualify for this type of visa.
UK Work Visas | Eligibility Criteria:
The Home Office of the UK has now introduced a point-based immigration system to attract and invite only the most skillful talent in the UK. You are eligible to apply for your desired UK work visa if you score a minimum number of points set for that particular type of visa. The points are based on your job type, salary level, sponsorship offer, educational qualifications, language skills, and whether or not your profession is in demand in the UK. For example, there is a high demand for healthcare workers in the UK so the Healthcare worker visa is the easiest to get if you are a licensed medical professional.
UK Work Visas | Application Process:
You can apply online for your desired work visa or through one of the UK visa application centers in your home country. Submit all the required documents along with the visa application. You can apply online for the visa but for the biometric verification, you will need to visit the visa application center.
UK Work Visa Application | How long does it take to process?
You can apply for the UK work visa three months before your intended travel date and not before that. The applications usually take 3 to 11 weeks to process depending upon the type of visa that you applied to, the workload of the visa application center, and which country you are from.
Documents Required for UK Work Visa:
Here is a list of documents that you will need to submit along with the visa application.
- Sponsorship certificate from your British employer.
- A valid passport
- The details of your salary. This should meet the minimum salary requirements for your job type or profession. If your paid salary falls below the eligibility criteria, you won’t be eligible to apply for a work visa.
- English language proficiency scores.
- Medical certificate indicating that you are in good health
- Name of the sponsor/employer and his/her license number
- A police certificate indicating a clean criminal record (for certain types of jobs only)
- Job title and occupation code.
- Financial or bank statements as proof of your savings.
- Proof of investment funds.
- Test results of tuberculosis if you belong to a country where you have to take the test to apply for a British work visa.
- A valid photo ID.
British (UK) Work VISA Application Cost:
The cost of applying for a British work visa is different for long and short-term visas. The long-term visa costs from £232 to £1,418 while most short-term visas cost £259 except for the Graduate Visa which costs £715. You also have to pay £20 for the Biometric Residence Permit or BRP. The variance in costs of long-term visas depends upon which kind of work visa you are applying for and the length of it.
In addition to the visa application costs, you also have to pay a sum of £624 in terms of health surcharge per year to utilize NHS services in the UK. The cheapest kind of long-term work visa is Healthcare Worker Visa costing somewhere between £232 and £464.
