Why apply for UK Skilled Worker Visa?

The most frequently used method for people from outside the United Kingdom to work and live legally there is the UK Skilled Worker Visa. Qualified professionals gain the opportunity to accept positions through authorized UK employers and receive benefits that include extended residency rights.

• The visa allows up to 5 years of stay.
• UK Home Office issued more than 226,300 Skilled Worker visas during 2024.
• The typical annual earnings for skilled workers in the United Kingdom amount to at least £33,000.
• Individuals can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) two years after completing their 5-year period
• Dependents such as spouses and children qualify for entry under the visa holder's sponsorship
   

*Want to apply for UK Skilled Worker Visa? Y-Axis is here to assist you with the process.
 

What is the UK Skilled Worker Visa (New Tier 2 Visa)?

The UK Skilled Worker Visa functions as a points-based immigration pathway serving qualified professionals who receive job offers from licensed UK sponsors. The Skilled Worker Visa is a new visa category which has replaced the previous Tier 2 (General) Work Visa program and allows holders to work in healthcare, IT, engineering, education and other approved fields.
 

The visa requires applicants to achieve 70 points by combining their job offer details with salary information and their language proficiency and sponsorship. The visa duration spans 5 years as a standard period and allows applicants to either renew their visa or seek Indefinite Leave to Remain status.
 

*Looking for guidance with the UK work visa? Let Y-Axis guide you with the process.
 

Top Benefits of Working in the UK 

The United Kingdom provides professionals with numerous benefits when they decide to work in the country. The benefits include:
 

• Public healthcare services through the National Health Service become available to workers who choose the United Kingdom.
• An individual who fulfills particular criteria can work for many different employers while maintaining their status in the United Kingdom.
• Pathway to permanent residency through UK ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) and citizenship serves as an open opportunity for people who work in the United Kingdom.
• The UK workplace environment features various cultures and allows workers to connect with people from different nations across the world.
• Workers in the United Kingdom can use their right to obtain UK Dependent Visa for bringing their family members to the country.
   

The United Kingdom presents career advancement prospects along with exceptional living conditions and an open society which appeals to professionals
 

*Want assistance with UK immigration? Y-Axis is here to assist you with the process.
 

UK Immigration Points-based Assessment System

The UK uses a points-based immigration system to distribute Skilled Worker Visas. The 70-point requirement consists of three main elements.

Detailed information about the points-distribution system is given below.

Criteria	Points
Job offer from a UK-licensed sponsor in an eligible occupation	50 Points
English language proficiency (B1 level or higher)	10 Points
Salary meets the minimum threshold (usually £26,200 or £10.75 per hour)	20 Points

The UK immigration system grants additional points to applicants who work in occupations facing shortages and to new entrants and those who hold relevant PhD qualifications. All mandatory criteria need to be satisfied by applicants in order to achieve qualification.

Shortage Occupation List

Occupation code	Job types included on the temporary shortage list	Standard rate	Lower rate
1243	Managers in logistics	£44,900 (£23.03 per hour)	£37,300 (£19.13 per hour)
1258	Directors in consultancy services	£70,100 (£35.95 per hour)	£44,600 (£22.87 per hour)
3111	Laboratory technicians	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
3112	Electrical and electronics technicians	£39,300 (£20.15 per hour)	£30,800 (£15.79 per hour)
3113	Engineering technicians	£42,500 (£21.79 per hour)	£34,700 (£17.79 per hour)
3114	Building and civil engineering technicians	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,900 (£14.31 per hour)
3115	Quality assurance technicians	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£26,500 (£13.59 per hour)
3116	Planning, process and production technicians	£34,800 (£17.85 per hour)	£28,700 (£14.72 per hour)
3120	CAD, drawing and architectural technicians	£33,800 (£17.33 per hour)	£28,700 (£14.72 per hour)
3131	IT operations technicians	£35,200 (£18.05 per hour)	£27,700 (£14.21 per hour)
3132	IT user support technicians	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,700 (£14.21 per hour)
3133	Database administrators and web content technicians	£34,600 (£17.74 per hour)	£29,200 (£14.97 per hour)
3412	Authors, writers and translators	£36,100 (£18.51 per hour)	£29,800 (£15.28 per hour)
3414	Dancers and choreographers	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£28,500 (£14.62 per hour)
3417	Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,400 (£13.03 per hour)
3422	Clothing, fashion and accessories designers	£36,500 (£18.72 per hour)	£29,100 (£14.92 per hour)
3429	Design occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:	£39,300 (£20.15 per hour)	£29,800 (£15.28 per hour)
	- Industrial and product designers
	- Packaging designers
	- Performance make-up artists
	- Set designers
	- Visual merchandising managers and designers
3512	Ship and hovercraft officers	£58,300 (£29.90 per hour)	£39,100 (£20.05 per hour)
3520	Legal associate professionals	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£26,400 (£13.54 per hour)
3532	Insurance underwriters	£36,500 (£18.72 per hour)	£29,800 (£15.28 per hour)
3533	Financial and accounting technicians	£48,700 (£24.97 per hour)	£32,900 (£16.87 per hour)
3541	Estimators, valuers and assessors	£35,300 (£18.10 per hour)	£28,600 (£14.67 per hour)
3544	Data analysts	£34,900 (£17.90 per hour)	£28,600 (£14.67 per hour)
3549	Business associate professionals not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,500 (£13.08 per hour)
	- Business support officers
	- Business systems analysts
	- Contract administrators
	- Clinical coders
	- Clinical trials administrators
	- Research coordinators
3552	Business sales executives	£36,700 (£18.82 per hour)	£29,300 (£15.03 per hour)
3554	Advertising and marketing associate professionals	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£26,300 (£13.49 per hour)
3571	Human resources and industrial relations officers	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,100 (£13.90 per hour)
3573	Information technology trainers	£40,000 (£20.51 per hour)	£32,100 (£16.46 per hour)
4121	Credit controllers	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,200 (£12.92 per hour)
4122	Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,400 (£13.03 per hour)
4129	Financial administrative occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
	- Box office assistants
	- Grants officers
	- Mortgage administrators
	- Revenue assistants (excludes National and Local government revenue occupations)
	- Treasury assistants
4132	Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
5213	Welding trades	£34,900 (£17.90 per hour)	£29,500 (£15.13 per hour)
5214	Pipe fitters	£46,000 (£23.59 per hour)	£40,400 (£20.72 per hour)
5223	Metal working production and maintenance fitters	£39,300 (£20.15 per hour)	£29,900 (£15.33 per hour)
5225	Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers	£41,100 (£21.08 per hour)	£35,500 (£18.21 per hour)
5231	Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians	£35,500 (£18.21 per hour)	£27,900 (£14.31 per hour)
5232	Vehicle body builders and repairers	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,600 (£14.15 per hour)
5233	Vehicle paint technicians	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£29,600 (£15.18 per hour)
5235	Boat and ship builders and repairers	£33,700 (£17.28 per hour)	£29,600 (£15.18 per hour)
5241	Electricians and electrical fitters	£38,800 (£19.90 per hour)	£31,500 (£16.15 per hour)
5242	Telecoms and related network installers and repairers	£36,700 (£18.82 per hour)	£31,700 (£16.26 per hour)
5244	Computer system and equipment installers and servicers	£35,100 (£18.00 per hour)	£26,700 (£13.69 per hour)
5245	Security system installers and repairers	£36,300 (£18.62 per hour)	£28,800 (£14.77 per hour)
5249	Electrical and electronic trades not elsewhere classified	£45,800 (£23.49 per hour)	£35,600 (£18.26 per hour)
5311	Steel erectors	£35,000 (£17.95 per hour)	£29,500 (£15.13 per hour)
5315	Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers	£38,100 (£19.54 per hour)	£31,400 (£16.10 per hour)
5319	Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,300 (£14.00 per hour)
	- Builders
	- Divers
	- Fence erectors
	- Industrial climbers
	- Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operators
	- Steel fixers and underpinners
5322	Floorers and wall tilers	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£25,400 (£13.03 per hour)
5323	Painters and decorators	£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)	£27,800 (£14.26 per hour)
5330	Construction and building trades supervisors	£41,800 (£21.44 per hour)	£34,600 (£17.74 per hour)
8133	Energy plant operatives	£41,500 (£21.28 per hour)	£30,100 (£15.44 per hour)

Eligibility Criteria for UK Skilled Worker Visa

You must meet all of the following:

• Job Offer: A confirmed job offer from a UK Home Office–approved licensed sponsor.
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): Issued by your UK employer, detailing your role, salary, and contract.
• Salary Threshold: At least £26,200/year (£10.10/hour) or lower thresholds for shortage occupations, health/education roles, or new entrants.
• English Proficiency: Meet the English language requirement via an approved test, qualification, or nationality exemption.
• Eligible Occupation: Role must be on the list of eligible skilled occupations published by the UK Home Office.
• Maintenance Funds: Proof you can support yourself unless your employer certifies maintenance on your CoS.
• Health & Character: Pass health checks and provide a criminal record certificate where required.

UK Skilled Worker Visa Requirements from UAE

All candidates need to satisfy the established criteria:

• Passport with current validity
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) obtained from United Kingdom employer
• Proof of English language proficiency through IELTS or UK NARIC
• Employment title along with salary information
• UAE residents need to provide tuberculosis test outcomes
• Documents should include either bank statements or employer verification of maintenance funds
• Healthcare and education workers need to submit criminal record certificates

All documentation must be in English language or official translations.
 

Documents required to apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa

An applicant’s essential document checklist contains the required items as follows:

• The applicant must have a valid passport that will last for at least half a year.
• The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number.
• To prove their English language skills, applicants need to provide either IELTS UKVI. results or NARIC equivalence or evidence of their nationality exemption.
• Salary and occupation documentation should be submitted with the application.
• Regulated positions in the healthcare sector demand applicants to obtain police clearance certificates.
• All United Arab Emirates (UAE) candidates must provide TB test certificates.
• Documentation submission requires either proof of funds or an employer guarantee.
   

Applicants who apply digitally should submit genuine documents during their biometric appointment process.

Step-by-Step UK Skilled Worker Visa Application Process

Step 1: Find a role with a Home Office–approved sponsor from the official licensed sponsors list.

Step 2: Your employer issues a CoS with a unique reference number for your visa application.

Step 3: Gather your passport, proof of English, CoS details, job offer, salary evidence, proof of funds (if applicable), TB test (if required), and criminal record certificate.

Step 4: Submit your application form online, upload documents, and pay the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

Step 5: Attend a visa application centre for biometrics or use the UK Immigration: ID Check app. Most decisions are made within 3 weeks from outside the UK or 8 weeks from inside the UK.

Top in-demand occupations in the UK

Detailed information about the most in-demand jobs in the UK is given below.

Occupation	Annual Salary (in British Pounds)
IT	£39,897
Marketing & Sales	£38,065
Engineering	£39,539
Hospitality	£29,826
Healthcare	£46,522
Accounting & Finance	£34,080
Human Resources	£39,500
STEM	£35,706
Nursing	£37,474
Teaching	£35,750

UK Skilled Worker Visa Fees

The breakdown of fees for UK Skilled Worker Visa is given in the table below:

Visa Type	Duration	Application Fee
Regular job	Up to 3 years	£719
Regular job	Over 3 years	£1,420
Shortage Occupation	Up to 3 years	£551
Shortage Occupation	Over 3 years	£1,084

Additional Costs:

• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £624 annually
• Priority or Super Priority Service (if applicable)

Pathway to ILR after 5 Years

After 5 continuous years on the Skilled Worker Visa, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you:

• Still work for a licensed sponsor in an eligible role
• Meet salary thresholds for settlement
• Pass the Life in the UK Test
• Meet continuous residence and absence requirements
• ILR grants the right to live and work in the UK without time limits, and you may be eligible for British citizenship after holding ILR for 12 months.

How can Y-Axis assist you?

Y-Axis serves as a leading authority in worldwide immigration solutions for the UAE. Our team delivers professional assistance to guide you through the application process for your UK Skilled Worker Visa:

• We determine your eligibility status while verifying your occupation details
• We provide support for IELTS coaching and document preparation
• Our team provides complete assistance for the entire visa application procedure
• We help you find jobs through our established UK connections
• After your move we provide support for securing housing and creating bank accounts while helping you register for NHS services