Those who wish to come to the United Kingdom in order to work will require some form of sponsorship. The nature of that sponsorship varies according to the category of visa sought.
This note is designed for those who are looking to come to the United Kingdom on the basis of employment.
Do you have the skills ?
If you are looking for employment in the United Kingdom, the first item you must assess is whether you have the required expertise for a post that can be sponsored for a visa. To find the type of post that can be sponsored for a visa you must consult the Immigration Rules here: -
Once you have identified whether your competence lies within one of the categories you can then identify relevant vacancies.
Is the potential employer permitted to sponsor you?
Once you have found a job opportunity you will then need to identify if that employer has the authority to sponsor workers from overseas. For this reason you will need to consult the Home Office register of approved sponsors for skilled workers. This can be found here:
There are specific requirements within the scheme that make it less simple:
Firstly the post itself must be paid above a de minimis rate and a going rate as set out under the Rules and should not include lesser duties. Certain jobs preclude any criminal convictions.
That the employer has a licence to sponsor overseas nationals is itself insufficient. They must obtain a certificate of sponsorship to employ you in that particular category, the grant of which itself is subject to shifting policy considerations.
Once the employer has a Certificate of Sponsorship to engage you , in essence a reference number he will relay this to you, for you to submit with your visa application.
In addition to considering the factors outlined above the Immigration Officer will also assess whether the job is genuine, whether you have the skills for the post, and your general suitability under the Immigration Rules.
There are additional requirements , such as;
That in addition to the skills for the post you must also pass an English language test to the level of B1 of the Common European Framework from providers approved by the Home Office.
The list of approved providers can be found here;-
That you meet the maintenance and accommodation provisions to the Immigration Rules.
If successful you will be granted permission to enter according to the length of time permitted under the Certificate of Sponsorship. After five years continuous and lawful residence as a Skilled Worker you would be eligible to apply for settlement.
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