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United Kingdom - Skilled Worker Visa Application Procedures and Fees

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United Kingdom - Skilled Worker Visa

Application Procedures and Fees

From 1 January 2021, all foreign citizens coming to the UK to work must apply for permission in advance using the Skilled Worker route, regardless of where they are from. Visas will be awarded to applicants who meet a specific set of criteria for which they will score points. A minimum of 70 points is required to be granted entry under this route.

The United Kingdom Skilled Worker Visa is under a points-based system. The applicant must have been offered a job at a UK company which holds a sponsorship licence, and they must score at least 70 points on the points-based system.

The rules and specificities around Skilled Worker Visa entirely depend on the applicant’s individual circumstances and the nature of the job they have been offered.

The Skilled Worker route can lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years of residency in the UK.

Note: The application must be submitted up to 3 months before assume duty.

Handling and Application Fee

Our fees for handling an UK Skilled Worker visa application is GBP2,800. An extra GBP1,000 will be charged for each dependent visa. In particular, our fees cover the following services:

Continuous advice regarding the application for UK Skilled Worker visa;
Assistance with the preparation of supporting documentation;
Review of application documents prepared by the applicant(s) and employing company;
Preparation of authorization letter(s), statements and application form(s);
Submission of the Skilled Worker visa application to the UK Home Office;
Liaison with UK Home Office regarding the application;
Application status reporting to the applicant and relevant parties;
Coordinating the payment of fees and collection of the approved visa;
Forwarding of the UK Skilled Worker visa to the address specified by the applicant.

Note:

The fees quoted are exclusive of the government fees.
Priority service is available for an extra fee charged by the UK Home Officer varying from £240 to £800 depending on your location (5 or 1 working day(s) processing time available).
The fees stated are exclusive of delivery charges, if any.
The fees stated exclude the preparation of the business plan, where applicable. Please contact us for a quotation.
The fees stated exclude document translation fee. Please contact us for a quotation.

For your information and subject to change, the charge refer to the payment when submitting the application and the annual surcharge as at Nov 2021 as follow:

Immigration health surcharge: £624 annually
Translation fees and English language test fees (if applicable)

Visa fees vary depending on the circumstances of the applicant and their application. (see below)

Apply outside the UK

Apply inside the UK

Apply job on SOL

(Apply location is irrelevant)

Application of up to 3 years

£610

£704

£464

Application of more than 3 years

£1,220

£1,408

Applicant from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey can reduce application fee by £55.

Payment Term and Method

Upon receipt of confirmation of engagement, we will issue an invoice and email it together with detailed wire instructions to you. Because of the nature of services, we require full payment in advance. In addition, once service is commenced, no service fees will be refunded. We currently only accept check, cash or TT and credit card payment through PayPal. If invoice is settled by PayPal, an extra 5% service fee will be charged.

If Taiwan uniform invoice is required, a Business Tax at 5% of the invoiced amount will be charged and collected.

Eligibility Criteria

The following eligibility criteria must be fulfilled for the UK Skilled Worker Visa:

For Applicant

Have been offered an job on the list of eligible occupation (check here) ;
The job offer must be a “genuine vacancy” and at an appropriate skill level;
Have been given a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the employer, which details information about the job being offered in the UK;
The job must offer a certain minimum salary, which differs depending on the job role;
Must be able to prove that your English language ability is to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale;
Have enough funds to support themselves and any family members in the UK.
Provide criminal record and valid TB certificate (if applicable)

Note:

Evidence to prove the English ability is NOT required for applicant(s) from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA.
The absolute minimum possible salary to be eligible for the UK Skilled Worker Visa is £20,480. The minimum salary for the type of work is whichever the highest out of the following 3 options as at Nov 2021 as follow:
- £25,600 per year
- £10.10 per hour
- the “going rate” for the type of work you’ll be doing (check here)
Once the application is approved, applicant can obtain a visa to stay in the UK for up to five years under this immigration permission.
The minimum salary threshold could be reduced if the job offered is on the shortage occupation list (SOL).
An application is needed to extend or update the visa when it expires, change jobs or employer.
After 5 years, Skilled Worker visa holder may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as “indefinite leave to remain”).

For UK Employer

Offering job role must be skilled to at least RQF level 3 (roughly equivalent to A-levels)
Holding a valid sponsorship license issued no more than 3 months before applicant apply for Skilled Worker Visa date
Assign Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for each foreign employee(s)

Pay the Immigration Skills Charge:

Period	Small or charitable sponsors	Medium or large sponsors
First 12 months	£364	£1,000
Each additional 6 months	£182	£500

Points-Based Immigration System

The UK’s Points-based immigration system is what the new Skilled Worker Visa is based on. There is a score of 70 points, which applicants must meet to be eligible for the visa. Applicants can get these points through a shortage occupation position and their level of education.

Mandatory points

The applicant holds a confirmed job offer from an approved sponsor
The job is at an appropriate skill level
English-language ability at B1 level
If the salary offered is either at least £25,600 per year, or the “going rate” for this job (whichever is higher), the applicant will accrue the 20 points left to reach the required 70 points.

Tradeable points
All applicants will be able to trade characteristics, such as their qualifications, against a lower salary to get the required number of points. If the job offer is less than the minimum salary requirement, but no less than £20,480, an applicant may still be eligible if they have:

For a job in a shortage occupation
PhD in a subject relevant to the job
In a STEM subject relevant to the job

Characteristics	Mandatory/Tradeable	Points
Offer of job by approved sponsor	Mandatory	20
Job at appropriate skill level	Mandatory	20
Speaks English at required level	Mandatory	10
Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	0
Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	10
Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)	Tradeable	20
Job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee	Tradeable	20
Education qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job	Tradeable	10
Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job	Tradeable	20

Documents Required Skilled Worker Visa Application

The following information and documents are required for the purpose of applying an UK Skilled Worker Visa application:

Certificate of Sponsorship reference number (provided by employer);
A valid passport or other document that shows the identity and nationality of the employee(s);
Proof of English language ability (unless exempt)
Evidence of the employee(s) job title, occupation code and salary
The name of the employer and their sponsorship license number
Evidence of the applicant can fulfill the genuine vacancy
Proof of having enough funds to support yourself and any family members in the UK (e.g. Bank statements with at least £1,270 for individual, etc., unless your certificate of sponsorship shows the hiring entity can support the visa beneficiary. For more detail, please check here )
Documents to Establish Relationship with the Beneficiary (e.g. partner or children) if they’re applying with the applicant(s)
A tuberculosis test results is required if applicant is transferred from a listed country (Check here)

Criminal record certificate
(1) Must be provide for applicant who apply for jobs in healthcare, education and therapy and social services sectors;
(2) If applicant(s) has lived in more than one country, a criminal record certificate is required depending on the age and the stay duration.

- For applicant age under 28, a certificate is needed from any country that have stayed in for a total of 12 months or more since 18;
- For applicant age 28 or over, a certificate is need from any country that have stayed in over the last 10 years.

A valid ATAS certificate if applicants’ job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher (if capable)
UK PhD certificate, or unique Ecctis reference number (for degree obtained outside UK)

Note:
All documents must be in English or Welsh. If not, a certified translation is required. Both the translations and the original documents are required to be submitted to the home office.

Application Process

You must apply online for the Skilled Worker Visa. If you are switching from an eligible visa or extending a current work visa, you can either apply for the visa from outside the UK, or inside the UK.

You will need proof of your identity as part of your application process. You will have to provide either your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo) or use the “UK Immigration: ID Check” App to scan your identity document. When you complete the application, you will be informed of what you need to do next.

You have up to 3 months before the day you are due to start your job role to apply for the visa. You can expect a decision within 3 weeks if you apply from outside of the UK. There will be a wait for up to 8 weeks to receive a decision on your application if you apply from inside the UK.

However, the processing time of the Home Office is largely depending on the complexities of the personal situation of the beneficiary and whether the initial application contained the relevant and sufficient level of supporting documentation. If the documents and the information that you provide is insufficient, the application process may take longer. You may also get asked to verify some specific documents.

Priority service is available for an extra fee charged by the UK Home Officer varying from £240 to £800 depending on your location (5 or 1 working day(s) processing time available).

United Kingdom - Skilled Worker Visa Application Procedures and Fees

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