Skilled Workers

To be eligible you must satisfy a series of requirements to score the necessary points to be granted the status. The combination of points to reach the required total is complex, as it allows people with different qualifications, salaries and skills to meet the necessary points total to be granted the status.

Generally, you must demonstrate that you are sponsored by an authorised sponsor, which you can do by possessing a valid certificate of sponsorship. You must ensure the employment meets the skill and earnings levels set out in the Home Office document called the Standard Occupational Code. This is a list of occupations, job descriptions, skills and salaries that the Home Office expects to be met to permit the vacancy to be filled by a foreign worker. Although this is the responsibility of the employer, you want to ensure that the requirements set out in this code are met because the outcome of your application depends on it. You must also demonstrate that you meet the required level of English knowledge. This process becomes more complex because these requirements can be traded or exchanged by meeting alternative requirements. For example, holding a PHD or a higher salary than the minimum set out in the code may earn you points in different ways, giving you alternative routes to reaching the overall points total. It is flexible but it is also complex, so be familiar with the policy guidance for this category of status before making your application.

In some cases you will need to prove that you can maintain yourself. This means you need to evidence £1,270 of funds held in a bank account for at least 28 days at the date of your application. This maintenance can be met by the employer, if the employer is willing to meet it. If you are applying to stay in the UK for more than 12 months you do not need to evidence maintenance.

The Skilled Worker route also permits “new entrants” to obtain this status if they are under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training. This does not mean someone applying for their first skilled worker status but refers to the less stringent criteria that can be applied to certain persons. The idea of the new entrant category is to allow younger people or those at the start of their career the ability to come to the UK even though they may not yet possess the necessary skills of a Skilled Worker or be able to meet the higher salary levels. This means those under the age of 26 might have more favourable requirements to be met.

You will need to extend or update your status before it expires or if you change jobs or employer. You can extend your status as many times as you like so long as you still meet the relevant requirements. You may be eligible to apply for settlement after 5 years of being in the UK as a Skilled Worker if you meet all the conditions. To be granted indefinite leave to remain the applicant must still be required by the employer and must be earning the going rate unless their job is in shortage occupation at which stage the minimum salary is £20,480. So, make sure you understand the requirements leading up to settlement so that when you are ready to apply for it, you can do so successfully.