Specialist Worker Visa
Are you looking to travel to the UK to work for your overseas employer’s UK branch? Then the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa may be right for you.
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa allows you to live in the UK to work (and study) on a sponsorship from your employer.
Your employer has to be approved by the Home Office to become a sponsor. This will generate a ‘certificate of sponsorship’, which is one of the main requirements to be able to live and work in the UK on this visa.
Once approved, you can stay in the UK for the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days or 5 years (whichever is the shortest).
To be eligible for the Senior or Specialist Worker visa, you will need to be able to meet the following requirements:
- Be paid a minimum salary of £45,800 (this amount may be subject to change)
- Be employed by a Home Office-approved organisation that is able to provide you with a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ describing what you will be doing in the UK
- If you are earning less than £73,900 per year, you must have worked for the organisation for a minimum of 12 months. If you earn more than £73,900, this requirement does not apply.
- Hold a job which is on the Home Office’s list of eligible positions for visas within the Global Business Mobility category
- Prove that you have at least £1,270 in your bank account to support yourself whilst in the UK (unless you are exempt – e.g. you have written proof from your employer that they will cover your first month’s expenses up to at least the same amount)
- If you need to provide evidence of personal savings, you will need a bank statement showing that these monies have been available for at least 28 days in a row within 31 days of applying for this visa.
- Provide evidence of your relationship with any dependants (partner and/or children) you want to bring with you
- They will also need to lodge their own application to come to the UK with you
You can apply for a Senior or Specialist visa from inside or outside the UK. If applying from outside the UK, you can usually expect to receive a decision within 3 weeks. If you apply from outside the UK, you may have to wait for up to 8 weeks.
You must apply within 3 months of the day that you intend to commence your new role in the UK.
The fee for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa is £625 to £1,423 depending on your circumstances (these amounts may be subject to change).
If you want to stay in the UK for less than 3 years, the fee is £625 per person, whereas a stay for more than 3 years will incur a fee of £1,235.
If you are applying to extend your visa from within the UK for up to 3 years, the fee is £719, whereas an extension for more than 3 years will incur an application fee of £1,423.
You will also have to pay a healthcare surcharge for each year that your visa will be valid for.
If you’re unsure if this visa is right for you or how to apply, or have any other questions, you can seek advice from one of our qualified migration agents below.