Visas & Customs Requirements

Employment:

To work in the UK you will need to hold a passport and a current UK work visa or permit. You will need to have this documentation prior to entering the UK for work.

There are a variety of UK work visas, work permits and passports that will enable you to legally work in the UK; each has their own set of eligibility requirements and restrictions and they are summarised below.

UK Visa Types

In 2008, the UK revamped its immigration system to consolidate the many existing visas into five tiers. Each tier represents a points-based category through which you can gain a visa to work in the UK.

• Tier 1: Highly skilled individuals that can contribute to growth and productivity in the UK (this tier replaced the highly skilled migrant programme)
• Tier 2: Skilled workers with a job offer to fill gaps in United Kingdom labour force (also known as sponsorship)
• Tier 3: Limited numbers of low skilled workers needed to fill temporary labour shortages
• Tier 4: Students
Tier 5: Youth Mobility and temporary workers: people allowed to work in the United Kingdom for a limited period of time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives. (this tier replaced the working holiday visa scheme).

Tier 5 — Youth Mobility Visa

Validity: 2 years, with permission to work for the full time of your stay in the UK.

Eligibility: you are eligible to apply for a UK Youth Mobility visa if you are a citizen of Australia, New Zealand, Canada or Japan and are aged between 18 and 30 years inclusively.

Other requirements:

• You must not have previously held a UK working holidaymaker visa.
• You must not have dependent children under the age of 18.
• You must show that you can support yourself for the duration of your stay in the UK. You will need to show proof of at least £1600 in your personal bank account at the time of application.
• As with all visas for the UK, you will need to get your biometric details recorded at a UK consulate.
• You must leave the UK at the end of your two-year visa. You cannot switch into another UK immigration category from within the UK.

UK Ancestry Visa

Validity: 5 years (renewable) for Ancestry Visa

Eligibility: you are eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa if:

• you are a Commonwealth citizen
• you are aged 17 or over
• you have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Mann
• you have a grandparent that was born in what is now the Republic of Ireland prior to 31 March 1922
• you can show proof that you intend to work in the UK
• you can support yourself and any dependants, without recourse to public funds

Tier 1 (general) — Highly Skilled Workers

In 2008, the Tier 1 (general) Highly Skilled Visa replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. It is a common UK visa for applicants who don't qualify for the Youth Mobility Visa, who have already used their working holiday visa or who are looking for a route to UK migration.

Validity: 3 years, with the ability to extend your stay as a highly skilled worker towards the end of this period and eventually qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Eligibility: Tier 1 (General) — Highly Skilled Worker is designed to allow highly skilled people to come to the United Kingdom for work or self-employment opportunities.

To be eligible for this visa, you must pass a points-based assessment. You are awarded points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, United Kingdom experience, age, English language, and available funds. You must score:

• 75 points (based on your age, qualifications, previous earnings, and experience in the United Kingdom)
• 10 points for your English language skills
• 10 points for available funds (if applying from outside the UK you must have savings of at least £2,400 and if you are applying from within the UK you must have at least £800).

Your application must be supported by the relevant original documentation and evidence to justify the points you are claiming.

Cost: You must include a fee of £750 with your application. Your fee will not be returned if your application is not successful.

Tier 2 (general) - Sponsorship by a UK employer

In 2008, Tier 2 replaced the work permit sponsorship system in the UK. The visa is for skilled workers that have a job offer from a UK-based employer.

Validity: Valid for as long as you are employed by your sponsor.

Eligibility: You must have a job offer from a UK employer that is registered as a licensed sponsor. Your sponsor will need to assign a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ before you can apply for UK entry under Tier 2. A certificate of sponsorship is a virtual document that contains information about the job you are being sponsored for and your personal details.

To qualify for a Tier 2 visa, you must score enough points based on your qualifications, prospective earnings, English language skills and maintenance.

Unless your job is on the UK shortage skills occupation list, your employer will have to conduct a ‘resident labour market’ test before issuing your certificate of sponsorship. This means that you can only work in the UK under a Tier 2 visa if your employer has prove that there is no UK or EU worker that can fill the job.

Importantly, if you are in certain job industries and professions, there are recruitment agencies that can help you to find an employer in the UK who will sponsor you. These industries currently include: medical, health and nursing, teaching and education, some types of engineering and social work. If you are within these professions and require sponsorship to work in the UK please indicate this when Registering with Agencies online through WORKgateways.

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