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Skilled Worker visa (United Kingdom)

✓ Checked against GOV.UK on 2026-07-13

The Skilled Worker visa is a UK immigration route for people who have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer holding a Home Office sponsor licence. The official guidance states that applicants need a certificate of sponsorship, need to work in an eligible occupation, and need to meet minimum salary and English language requirements. The official guidance also states that partners and children may apply as dependants, and that the visa can be extended multiple times as long as eligibility requirements continue to be met.

Key requirements, as officially published

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must: work for a UK employer that's been approved by the Home Office; have a 'certificate of sponsorship' (CoS) from your employer with information about the role you've been offered in the UK; do a job that's on the list of eligible occupations; be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do and the date you got your CoS.Source: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.Source: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You'll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.Source: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Your partner and children may be able to apply to join you or stay in the UK as your 'dependants'.Source: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You'll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer. You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.Source: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Documents, as listed in the official guidance

your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this
proof of your knowledge of English
a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
your job title and annual salary
your job's occupation code
the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number - this will be on your certificate of sponsorship
Depending on your circumstances, you might be asked to provide: evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer can support you); proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they're applying with you; your tuberculosis test results if you're from a listed country; a criminal record certificate - if you're working in certain jobs; a valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher; your UK PhD certificate, or your unique Ecctis reference number if your qualification is from outside the UK - you'll need to apply through Ecctis.
If your documents are not in English or Welsh you'll also need to provide a certified translation.
You'll need to provide a criminal record certificate if you're applying from outside the UK and you work in: education, for example teachers, education advisers and school inspectors, childminders, teaching assistants; healthcare, for example nurses, doctors, paramedics, managers, pharmacists, dentists and dental nurses, ophthalmic opticians; therapy, for example psychologists, speech and language therapists, counsellors; social services, for example social workers, managers, probation officers, welfare and housing officers.
If you've lived in more than one country you might need to provide a certificate from each country you've lived in, depending on your age and how long you stayed in each country. If you're under 28, you'll need a certificate from any country you've stayed in for a total of 12 months or more since you turned 18. If you're 28 or over, you'll need a certificate from any country you've stayed in over the last 10 years.

Process steps, as officially published

You must apply online.
How you apply depends on whether you're: outside the UK and are coming to the UK; inside the UK and extending your current visa; inside the UK and switching from a different visa.
If you want to change your job or employer, you must apply to update your visa.
As part of your application, you'll need to prove your identity and provide your documents. You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You'll find out if you need one when you start your application.
You can apply online once your documents are ready.
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
Once you've applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you'll usually get a decision on your visa within: 3 weeks, if you're outside the UK; 8 weeks, if you're inside the UK.

Official sources

Skilled Worker visa - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Skilled Worker visa: documents you must provide - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Information checked against the official pages linked above on 2026-07-13. Requirements can change. Check the official links for the current version.

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