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The United Kingdom, or the UK, is an island country situated on the Northwestern coast of Europe. London, also the UK's capital city, is one of the leading global commercial, financial, and cultural hubs. The UK has approximately 781,000 work opportunities, with an average annual salary ranging from.
International professionals can work in the UK by applying for a UK work visa. Individuals with advanced skills and expertise can apply for the UK Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK.
Some interesting facts about the UK are given below.
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The benefits of working in the UK are given below.
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The most in-demand jobs in the UK are given below.
| Occupation | Annual Salary (in British Pounds) |
| IT | £41,124 |
| Marketing & Sales | £36,040 |
| Engineering | £40,931 |
| Hospitality | £30,355 |
| Healthcare | £45,961 |
| Accounting & Finance | £32,767 |
| Human Resources | £30,000 |
| STEM | £39,793 |
| Nursing | £34,125 |
| Teaching | £34,616 |
The UK offers various work visas for different skills and durations of stay. The visas are categorized depending on the type of work and the required skills. Some of the popular UK work visas are the UK Skilled Worker Visas, UK Health and Care Worker Visas, and Global Talent Visas. Foreign workers can also apply for temporary work through visas such as the Seasonal Worker Visa or the High Potential Individual Visa.
The UK long-term work visas facilitate international professionals' extended stays in the UK. Eligible individuals can also apply for permanent residency in the UK after five years. Individuals can also apply for UK ILR for an indefinite stay in the UK.
The UK Skilled Worker visa is for international professionals who want to move to the UK and work for an approved UK-based employer. It replaced the Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.
The eligibility conditions for the Skilled Worker Visa are given below. You must have:
The UK Skilled Worker Visa is valid for 5 years. It can be extended after its expiration, and you can also apply for a UK ILR after 5 years.
With the Health and Care Worker Visa of the UK, medical professionals can enter, reside, and work in the UK. The occupations must be deemed eligible by the UK’s NHS or National Health Service. International healthcare professionals can also apply for this visa if they are a valid supplier for the NHS or work in adult social care.
To be eligible for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you must fulfill the criteria given below. You must:
To apply for this visa, you must secure a job offer in the UK. It is valid for 5 years, after which you can apply for an extension. The visa also acts as a pathway for UK ILR.
The UK Intra-Company Transfer visa facilitates multinational companies' transfers of employees from their overseas locations to a UK branch for work assignments. This visa is now known as the Senior or Specialist Worker visa. It is part of the Global Business Mobility route and is aimed at individuals in managerial or specialist roles.
This visa is further sub-categorized into two types.
The eligibility criteria for the UK Intra-Company Transfer visa are given below. You must:
Detailed information about the validity of the UK Intra-Company Transfer Visa is given below.
| Type | Specification | Validity |
| Senior or Specialist Worker | Earning 120,000 Euros or above per year | 9 to 10 years |
| Earning less than 120,000 Euros annually. | 5 to 6 years | |
| Graduate Trainee | 12 months | |
Individuals with the visa can enter the UK 14 days before the certificate of sponsorship starts. The date would be mentioned in the certificate of sponsorship.
UK short-term work visas, or Temporary Worker visas, allow skilled foreign workers to work in the UK for a specific period, usually up to 2 years. Foreign nationals can work for specific roles or purposes, such as seasonal work, charity work, or exchange programs.
The UK Temporary Work—Charity Worker Visa is issued to international individuals who want to work as temporary and unpaid volunteers for charities or UK-based NGOs. The visa is valid for 12 months.
The applicants must obtain sponsorship from a licensed charity organization in the UK to apply for this visa.
The UK Temporary Work—Creative Worker visa is issued to international individuals who have a short-term job offer in the creative sector. It allows individuals such as actors, musicians, dancers, and entertainers to work in the UK for up to 12 months.
The visa is not a pathway to UK ILR but can be extended in certain cases through the same employer.
The UK Temporary Work – Government Authorized Exchange visa facilitates international individuals to come to the UK to take part in programs such as training, internships, gain work experience, or research under a government-authorized exchange program.
The eligibility criteria for the UK Temporary Work – Government Authorized Exchange visa are given below. You must:
The validity of the visa ranges from 12 to 24 months.
The UK Temporary Work—International Agreement Visa is issued to international individuals who want to perform a service in the UK under international law, including personal household help in diplomatic households or employees of international governments and organizations. The visa is valid for a maximum of two years.
The UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa facilitates young international individuals aged between 18 and 35 from specific countries. The visa lets you live and work in the UK for a maximum of 2 years and is formulated to offer opportunities for cultural exchange.
The applicant's home country sets the eligibility criteria. You can apply for this visa if you are a citizen of the country given below.
The participants can work in various jobs, with certain restrictions. They can study and be self-employed.
The UK Graduate Route is a visa pathway aimed at international students who have graduated from the UK. It facilitates their staying back in the UK to search for employment opportunities.
Detailed information about the validity of the UK Graduate Visa is given below.
| Type | Validity |
| Bachelor's or Master's | 2 years |
| PhD Holders | 3 years |
Key Features of the UK Graduate Visa:
The UK work permit is a legal document authorized by the UKVI or UK Visas and Immigration to facilitate the entry of international professionals to the UK for a specific time and in a particular job role.
Your employer in the UK must apply for a work permit on your behalf. The validity of the permit depends on the type of work and the specific UK work visa granted.
To be eligible for a work permit, you must fulfill the conditions given below. You must:
The primary differences between the UK work visa and the UK work permit are given below.
| UK Work Visa | UK Work Permit |
| It allows you to enter, leave, or travel to the UK for various reasons, such as work or training. | It authorizes you to work legally in the UK. |
| It is a document or stamp on the passport. | It is a card or a document. |
| The application has to be submitted before entering the UK | The application can be submitted after coming to the UK. |
| The UK embassy or consulate | issues it. The UK immigration service issues it. |
The general documents required to apply for a UK work visa are given below. You must have:
Detailed information about the UK work visa fee is given below.
| Type | Fee |
| Work Visa for up to 3 years | £769 per person |
| Work Visa for more than 3 years | £1,519 per person |
| Healthcare surcharge | £1,035 per year |
The processing time for the UK work visa ranges from 3 to 8 weeks.
The step-by-step procedure to apply for a UK work visa is given below.
Step 1: Secure a job in the UK.
Step 2: Check if you meet the eligible conditions for the UK work visa.
Step 3: Arrange the required documents to apply for the UK work visa.
Step 4: Submit the duly filled UK work visa application form.
Step 5: Obtain the UK work visa.
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The UK Post-Study Work Visa, or the Graduate Route, facilitates international students' extending their stay in the UK after completing their program and looking for employment in the country. It permits graduates to work in any sector and at any skill level for a certain period.
Detailed information about the validity of the UK Post-Study Work Visa is given below,
| Type | Validity |
| Bachelor's and Master's degree graduates | 2 years |
| PhD graduates | 2 years |
The detailed procedure to apply for a UK work visa from Canada is given below.
Step 1: Secure a job in the UK.
Step 2: Check if you meet the eligibility requirements for the UK Work Visa.
Step 3: Ensure that you have all the documents required for the work visa application.
Step 4: Submit the duly filled UK work visa application form.
Step 5: Receive the UK work visa.
Yes, you can apply for a UK work visa without a job offer. The work visas of the UK, which do not require a prior job offer, include the following.
Detailed information about the funds required for the UK work visa is given below.
| Type | Fee |
| Work Visa for up to 3 years | £769 per person |
| Work Visa for more than 3 years | £1,519 per person |
| Healthcare surcharge | £1,035 per year |
| Minimum funds required to support yourself in the UK | £1,270 |
There are 12 types of UK work visas. They are:
Here’s a list of the top demanding jobs, along with their average salaries in the UK:
| Job Occupation | Average starting salaries |
| Programmers and Software Developers | £26,000 |
| Cyber Security Specialists | £25,000 |
| Architects | £28,000 |
| Health Services and Residential Care | £21,000 – £30,000 |
| Graphic Designers | £18,800 |
| Physical Scientists | £29,000 |
| Sales Assistant | £16,977 |
| Customer Service Advisor | £18,801 |
| Operations Manager | £42,500 |
| Business Analyst | £42,000 |
Acquiring some of the UK work permits can be tricky based on visa requirements. Candidates who fulfill the eligibility criteria with proper submission of the requirements can get their visas processed within the due time. The candidate must have an offer letter for a job that meets a licensed employer’s minimum salary and skill requirements. To make the work permit process easy, it is suggested that the candidate applies at least three months before the travel date.
The processing time for a UK work visa ranges from 3 to 8 weeks, depending on where you are applying from.
The processing time for work visas from outside the UK is below.
| Type | Processing Time |
| Skilled worker visa | 3 weeks |
| Health and Care worker | 3 weeks |
| Global Talent | 3 weeks |
| Scale-up worker | 3 weeks |
| High Potential Individual (HPI) | 3 weeks |
| Temporary work visa | 3 weeks |
| Innovator Founder | 3 weeks |
The processing time for work visas applied from inside the UK is below.
| Type | Processing Time |
| Skilled Worker | 8 weeks |
| Health and Care Workers | 8 weeks |
| Global Business Mobility visas | 8 weeks |
| Temporary Work visas (selected categories) | 8 weeks |
| Innovator Founder | 8 weeks |
| Global Talent | 8 weeks |
| High Potential Individual (HPI) | 8 weeks |
| Scale-up Worker | 8 weeks |
The different UK work permit categories or Tiers are mentioned below:
Tier 1 visa: The Tier 1 visa, or the Entrepreneur or UK Innovator visa, is specifically for highly skilled individuals like investors or business people. The Tier 1 visa is a special category visa for Non-EU candidates that are exceptionally talented and are willing to invest at least £200,000 in the UK.
Tier 2 visa: The Tier 2 visa is a work visa that allows transfers of skilled immigrants with a job offer or sponsorship to the UK. The candidate with a Tier 2 visa must score at least 60 points and is required to have an employment offer in the country.
Tier 3 visa: The Tier 3 visa is for low-skilled workers to fill job vacancies when there is a demand.
Tier 4 visa: The Tier 4 visa is a type of student visa for international students who wish to pursue higher education in the UK with two years to look for jobs in the country.
Tier 5 visa: The Tier 5 visa, also known as the Temporary Worker visa, is for individuals who can work in the UK temporarily. Charity workers, sportspersons, or Government exchange schemes are eligible for the Tier 5 visa.
Candidates applying for a UK work visa must show minimum proof of funds as a requirement. The individual must have at least £1,270 as evidence of funds to support their stay in the UK. The money in the account must be left unused for 28 consecutive days. The 28 days will be calculated as a part of 31 days from the date of applying for the visa.
The Skilled Worker Visa was introduced in place of Tier 2 (General) Sponsored Worker visa. This UK work visa is for businesses in the country that can sponsor both European and non-European nationals to work from January 1, 2021, in the UK.
A Global Talent visa allows you to work in the UK as a skilled employee if you are currently in the capacity of leader or prospectively going to be one shortly in the domain of digital technology.
Digital technology includes sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, financial technology (fintech), etc. You are allowed to apply if you have earned an eligible award.
You can work in the UK on both long-term and short-term work visas. The type of work visa you choose depends on several factors. The main factors include:
There are certain jobs in the UK which do not require any work experience. These include menial jobs, including cleaning and driving occupations. Employers want work experience of a minimum of one year in most such jobs. There are instances where employers are not inclined to waste time training employees. Obtaining work experience is possible. Instead of waiting for a job advertisement, you need to walk into the companies directly and ask for jobs.
You can try such organizations by telling them that you intend to provide your services on an experimental basis. The places where you can try are advertising agencies, hairdressers, and factories, among others.
Yes. Usually, you would require a sponsor who invites you to work in the UK. You must have the work experience, necessary qualifications, and skills for the jobs you get through sponsorship and an invitation to the UK. Employers who would sponsor you will provide a sponsorship certificate.
Providing a sponsorship certificate is to support overseas workers’ applications. With this certificate, it will be ensured by the authorities that the employer will shoulder all the employees’ responsibilities during their employment tenure in the UK.
