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Tier 2 Sponsored Skilled Workers
This is the most common vehicle for foreign nationals (non-EU citizens) planning to work in the United Kingdom to make an application. There are five types of skilled workers: General, Intracompany Transfer, Minister of Religion, Sportsperson, or work permits for Bulgarians or Romanians. There must be a proper employer/employee relationship and therefore this type of permission is not suitable for situations where the individual will effectively be self-employed. The most important thing to understand is that in the UK the employer sponsors this application, and thus must hold a sponsor license in order to do so. The application is granted for a particular employee performing a particular role for a particular employer. If you are an individual hoping to work in the UK, you cannot apply for a Tier 2. If you have been given permission under the Tier 2, you cannot change jobs without submitting a new application.

The first step is to ensure that the employer has a valid sponsor license. Secondly, the employee must hold a certificate of sponsorship to work for that particular employer. Then, finally, the applicant must apply under the Tier 2 scheme either from within the UK or outside the UK to gain entry clearance.

We can advise on the appropriate steps to be taken for a successful application.

Tier 1 General Highly Skilled Worker

In 2002, the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) was created for skilled individuals wishing to remain or to come to the United Kingdom to work as employed or self-employed persons. It is different from the Tier 2 scheme because you do not need a specific job offer in the UK to apply. Now, the UK has created a Five-Tier immigration system, where Tier 1 (General) visa for general highly skilled migrants has replaced the HSMP.

This scheme is different from business routes such as the Entrepreneur and Investor (which also fall under Tier 1) because you do not need a detailed business plan; you do not need to create jobs; and you do not need to invest in the UK. In order to be successful under this application, a certain number of points must be achieved under a points-based immigration scheme where points are scored in certain areas: educational qualifications; past earnings; prior UK experience; English language proficiency; and maintenance.

You can use our Tier 1 General Highly Skilled Workers points calculator to assess your chances of being granted a Tier 1 visa under this sub-category. In order to succeed under this program, you must be able to satisfy the basic requirements and achieve the current required pass mark of 75 points. We can advise you on how to maximize your chances of success. Please take our calculator test to see whether you qualify.

Indefinite Leave to Remain
Many UK immigration categories lead, after a period of time, to indefinite leave to remain ("ILR"), also known as "settlement". In the case of most employment-based categories, the applicant needs to demonstrate five continuous years of time spent in that category. For those married to UK citizens, or other persons already 'settled' in the UK, the period is two years.