Today many scholars from far and wide and in many regions of the world would always jump up for a good scholarship and a work visa outside their country of residence, therefore this article offers to you a complete pack of ways to apply for UK work visa and its requirements so that it will be easier for you during application. However, getting a work visa is not really easy especially when it comes to work visa in UK but I must tell you that the application and visa is worth it.

UK is a good study destination country, the country has also succeeded in luring a large share of world’s abroad workers.

The country (UK) offers to employees not only vacant jobs and high salaries. One of the main components of being able to work in the UK is getting the right kind of work visa. However, there are several work visas for UK, depending on your profession and qualifications.

Yes in UK opening up positions to people around the world, you need to know about the United Kingdom’s work permits and visas.

There are a lot of procedures that one needs to complete and conditions to meet in order to be able to work in the UK.

What does a UK work visa cost?

Getting a UK work visa depends on the type of visa and the length of time you are staying. A Tier 2 (General) visa valid for 3 years currently costs £575.

Applying for a Biometric residence permit (Apply for UK Work Visa)

Citizens from non-EU/EFTA countries who want to stay in the UK for longer than six months need to apply for a UK biometric residence permit (BRP). BRP is valid for the duration of your stay in the UK, up to a maximum of 10 years.

You can apply for a UK biometric residence permit from inside the UK at a post office or visa premium service center.

Residents can apply for a permanent residence permit or for full UK citizenship after living in the UK for 5 years.

Types of UK work visa

Below are the various types of UK visas:

Tier 1 Visa: Exceptional Talent

This visa is for those recognized as leaders in science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology, and the arts. This needs to be endorsed by the UK Home Office and is valid for up to five years and can be extended for another five years.

Tier 2 Visa: General (Apply for UK Work Visa)

The general visa is for those who have been offered a skilled job (annual salary at least £25,000). It is however been sponsored by a licensed organization related to their employment. It is valid for up to six years.

Tier 2 Visa: Intra-company Transfer

This visa for those whose overseas employer has offered them a transfer to a UK branch, on condition of sponsorship. The visa can be valid for between six months and nine years, depending on the position offered.

Tier 2 Visa: Minister of Religion

A visa for those who have been offered a job within a faith community, on condition of sponsorship. The visa is valid for up to three years and can be extended.

Tier 2 Visa: Sportsperson

This visa is for elite sportspeople or qualified coaches endorsed by their sport’s national governing body. The visa is valid for up to three years and can be extended for a further three years.

Tier 5 Visa: Temporary Worker (Apply for UK Work Visa)

A visa for those engaging in temporary work as a charity volunteer, sports person or creative worker, religious worker etc. The temporary work visa is valid for between 1 and 2 years.

Tier 5 Visa: Youth Mobility Scheme

A visa for those aged 18-30 from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, or Taiwan who have at least £1,890 in savings. The visa is valid for up to two years.

Requirements to Obtain UK Work Visas

The requirements for a United Kingdom working visa vary based on which tier and visa your employees need. The tier two general UK work visa is the most common for companies expanding.

• An application form
• Two color photographs taken within the past six months
• A valid passport
• Proof of financial means to cover UK living costs
• Proof of accommodation
• Detailed travel itinerary
• Tuberculosis test results
• Biometric information
• A visa invitation letter if the individual is staying with a friend or family member
• Paid UK visa fees
• Certified translations of any document that’s not in English or Welsh

 Exemptions for UK work visa requirements (Apply for UK Work Visa)

• diplomats who were outside of the UK when offered the post
• overseas government ministers on official business
• members of Commonwealth or Overseas Territories armed forces posted to the UK
• officials working for a head of state

UK Work Visa Categories

The UK Employment Visas are categorized in four main groups, as follows:

• Short-term work visas.
• Long-term work visas.
• Investor, business development and talent visas.
• Alternative work visas.

Short-term work visas for the UK

The UK short-term work visas are all part of the Tier 5 Visas. The main categories of these visas, also known as the UK Temporary Workers Visas, are as follows:

• UK Charity Worker visa (Tier 5): Persons who want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity in the UK can apply for this visa. A certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer is required.
• UK Creative and Sporting visa (Tier 5): Persons who have been offered work in the UK as a sports person or creative worker can apply for this visa. The main criteria includes the possession of a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer in UK.
• The UK Government Authorized Exchange visa (Tier 5): You can apply for this visa if you want to come to the UK for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Program, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorized exchange scheme.

Again

• UK International Agreement visa (Tier 5): This visa is for persons who are contracted to work for a foreign government or as a private servant in a diplomatic household in the UK.
• UK Religious Worker visa (Tier 5): If you want to move to the UK for a short-term in order to do religious work, such as preaching or working in a religious order, you can apply for this visa.
• The UK Seasonal Worker Visa (Tier 5): You can apply for a Seasonal work visa is you want to travel to the UK and do farm work for up to 6 months.
• UK Youth Mobility Scheme visa (Tier 5): A visa for persons who have certain types of British Nationality or are from certain countries, between the age of 18 to 30.

Long-term work visas for the UK (Apply for UK Work Visa)

The main categories of the UK long-term work visas are as follows:

• Tier 2 General UK work visa: This visa is for persons from outside the EEA and Switzerland who have gotten a job offer in the UK. The applicant must be employed by a licensed sponsor in order to be able to apply.
• Tier 2 UK Intra-company Transfer visa: Persons whose overseas employer has offered a role in a UK branch of the organization can apply for this UK work visa.
• The Tier 2 UK Minister of Religion visa: A visa for non-EEA and Switzerland nationals who have been offered a job in the UK within a faith community.
• Tier 2 UK Sportsperson visa: Elite sportsperson or qualified coach, who has been recognized by their sport’s governing body as being at the highest level of their profession internationally, can apply for this visa.

Investor, business development and talent visas

There are several UK visa types for these categories, as listed below:

• UK Innovator visa: This is a visa for foreigners who want to set up or run a business in the UK.
• UK Start-up visa: This is a visa for persons who want to set up a business in the United Kingdom. Endorsement by an authorized body is a must.
• The UK Global Talent Visa: Persons who work in a qualifying field and have been endorsed as a recognized leader or an emerging leader, can apply for this visa.
• UK Graduate Entrepreneur visa (Tier 1): Graduates officially endorsed of having a genuine and credible business idea should apply for this UK work visa.
• UK Investor visa (Tier 1): This is a visa for investors that want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK.

Alternative Types of UK Work Visas

Other United Kingdom work visas are as follows:

• UK Ancestry visa: You can apply for this visa, which permits you to get a job in the UK, if you are a Commonwealth citizen applying from outside the UK.
• Domestic Workers in a Private Household UK visa: Domestic worker in a private household that wish to visit the UK with their employer can apply for this visa.
• Representative of an Overseas Business UK visa: You can apply for this visa if you are the sole representative of an overseas company planning to set up a UK branch or a wholly owned subsidiary for an overseas parent company.
• Turkish Businessperson UK visa: This visa is for Turkish nationals who want to move to the UK to start a new business or to help run an already established business.
• Turkish Worker UK visa: This visa is for Turkish nationals who have worked in the UK for at least one year as the spouse of a Briton or a settled person.

Note: (Apply for UK Work Visa)

The UK Visas and Immigration offers information on managing your application. It contains information on getting documents back and reporting changes in your circumstances.

When you arrive in the UK, you may need to register your visa with the police. You’ll receive information about this in your UK visa sticker or letter from the UK Home Office.

Your work visa length depends on the length of your employment contract. You may extend it if you don’t exceed the maximum length for your visa type.

Application Process

Employees should apply for a UK visa three months before they want to begin working for you.
Visa application processing can take up to three weeks, so it’s important to apply early at an application center. Apply through the UK Home Office Visas and Immigration Services website.