United Kingdom work permit: Skilled Worker visa
Sponsoring a Skilled Worker visa in United Kingdom: salary threshold, licence, processing 3 weeks outside the UK, 8 weeks inside and right-to-work duties.
Employer facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Skilled Worker visa |
| Salary threshold | £41,700 or the going rate |
| Licence | Sponsor licence required (8 weeks, £611 to £1,682) |
| Processing | 3 weeks outside the UK, 8 weeks inside |
| Right to work | Online right-to-work check with share code; keep evidence for 2 years after employment ends. |
- Immigration Skills Charge £480 to £1,320 per year
- Certificate of Sponsorship £525
- Healthcare surcharge £1,035 per year
Sponsoring a hire in United Kingdom, step by step
- Check the role. Confirm the occupation is eligible and the salary meets £41,700 or the going rate before the offer is made.
- Employer standing. Sponsor licence required (8 weeks, £611 to £1,682). Gather the registration, financial and HR evidence the authority asks for.
- Petition and documents. The candidate's passport, qualifications, experience letters and police or medical checks are validated against the published list.
- Filing and biometrics. The petition is lodged, biometrics are booked and the decision window of 3 weeks outside the UK, 8 weeks inside starts; the guaranteed date is quoted to HR and the candidate.
- Start date and compliance. Online right-to-work check with share code; keep evidence for 2 years after employment ends.. Reporting duties, address changes and expiry dates are tracked for the life of the permit.
Questions, answered
What salary must an employer pay for a Skilled Worker visa in United Kingdom?
The current threshold is £41,700 or the going rate. Offers below it are refused or need an exemption, so check the figure against the role before the offer letter is issued.
Does the employer need a licence to sponsor in United Kingdom?
Sponsor licence required (8 weeks, £611 to £1,682). Vistolane checks the employer's standing before a petition is started and records the evidence on the case file.
How long does a United Kingdom work permit take?
Typically 3 weeks outside the UK, 8 weeks inside from a complete filing. Vistolane quotes a guaranteed filing date from the published window and the earliest biometrics slot.
What right-to-work evidence must be kept?
Online right-to-work check with share code; keep evidence for 2 years after employment ends.. Expiry dates and renewals are tracked on the employee record so the sponsor's duties are met.
Sponsoring a Skilled Worker in the United Kingdom
The Skilled Worker visa is the main route for a UK employer hiring from outside the country. The employer needs a sponsor licence first, decided in about eight weeks for a fee of £611 for small sponsors and £1,682 for medium and large ones, and the role must be in an eligible occupation code and pay at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. Once the licence is in place the employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship, pays the Immigration Skills Charge of £480 to £1,320 per sponsored year and the candidate applies with the certificate, English at level B2 and, where required, a criminal record certificate.
Decisions take about three weeks for applications made outside the UK and eight weeks from inside, with priority services available at extra cost. The candidate also pays the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 per year up front, so a five-year visa means a significant cash outlay that employers often reimburse. The visa is tied to the sponsor: a change of employer needs a new certificate and a new application, and the sponsor must report the end of employment within ten working days.
After the hire the sponsor completes an online right-to-work check with the employee's share code, keeps the evidence for two years after employment ends, reports absences and changes of role or salary, and keeps contact details current on the sponsor management system. Vistolane tracks each of these duties with its deadline on the employee's record.