A Skilled Worker Visa lets you enter or remain in the UK to work for an approved employer in an eligible job. This visa replaced the Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.

To be eligible, you need to meet the following requirements: 

• Work for a home office-approved employer in the UK.
• Get from the employer a 'certificate of sponsorship'. It should provide detail about the position offered to you in the UK.
• Do employment which is on the list of the eligible occupation. 
• You will be paid a minimum wage based on your job type.

The specific eligibility depends on your job. You need a job offer before applying for your visa.

You need to be able to read, speak, write and understand English. You may need to prove your English. Suppose you are not eligible for this visa. In that case, you may qualify for any other type of UK work visa.

You need to provide the following documents. 

• A valid passport or other document proving your identity and nationality.
• A certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will provide you with this proof of your knowledge of English.
• Your title and yearly salary.
• The occupation code for your job.
• Your employer's name and sponsor licence number - will appear on your sponsorship certificate.

If you received your certificate of sponsorship before December 1, 2020, it would need to be updated because it was issued before the Tier 2 (General) Work Visa was changed by the Skilled Worker Visa. In the UK, visa sponsorship management system request that your employer update the 'sponsor notes' section.

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need other documents.

Financial 
Bank statements, for example, can demonstrate that you have sufficient personal savings to support yourself in the UK. Unless your certificate of sponsorship shows that your employer can support you.

Criminal Records
You give a  criminal record certificate if you are applying from outside the UK and you work in:

• Healthcare includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, dentists, managers, ophthalmic opticians, pharmacists, and dental nurses. 
• Education includes school inspectors, teachers, childminders, education advisers, and teaching assistants. 
• Therapy, such as speech and language therapists, psychologists, and counsellors.
• Social services, such as social workers and managers.

Inform if you have lived in more than one country
You may require to provide a certificate from each country depending on your age and duration of stay.

Other documents that you could be asked for include:

• Proof your relationship with your children or partner if they apply.
• Result of tuberculosis test if you are from one of the listed countries.
• Your ATAS certificate must be valid if your job requires you need it. Your job role is about researching a sensitive subject at a PhD or higher level. 
• Your UK PhD certificate or unique  Ecctis reference number (formerly as unique UK NARIC reference number) if you have a qualification from somewhere other than the UK, you must apply through Ecctis.

Apply for the Skilled Worker Visa online. Further, you need to prove your identity as part of your application. It is determined by where you are from and the type of passport. When you apply, you'll be told what you need to do. 

When to Apply
You may apply for a visa three months before your start date in the UK. This start date is printed on the sponsorship certificate which you receive. 

Visa Processing Time
After you've applied online, verified your identity, and submitted your documents, you should receive a decision on your visa within:

• Suppose you are outside of the UK; it will take 3 weeks.
• It takes 8 weeks if you are inside the UK.

You may get a faster decision after paying for it. Further, how you do this depends if you are inside or outside the UK.

How to Apply
How do you apply depends on whether you are: 

• outside of the UK and intend to visit the UK.
• inside the UK and prolonging your current visa.
• or outside of the UK and switch from another visa.

Duration
This visa can be valid for five years before it needs to be extended. When this visa expires or if you switch jobs or employers, you must apply to extend or update it. 

You may be eligible to apply after five years for permanent residence in the UK. It is also known as 'indefinite leave to remain. Thus, it gives you the right to live, study and work in the country as much as you want. Also, you can apply for benefits if you qualify.

Fees
When applying for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have enough money to: 

• pay the application fee - depending on your circumstances. The standard fee ranges from £610 to £1,408. 
• pay the healthcare surcharge (normally £624 per year) 
• you'll need at least £1,270 to support yourself once you show up in the UK (unless you're exempt). 

There will be a low application fee if your job is on the list of shortage occupations. When applying, they tell you how much you need to pay.

Fee when you are outside the UK
At the time of applying, if you are outside the UK, then the standard fee is determined by how long you will be in the UK. In this case, the standard fee will be as follows.

• Till 3 years -  Fee: £610 per person
• For more than 3 years - Fee: £1,220 per person

Fee when you are outside the UK
In case you are inside the UK at the time of applying to switch, extend or update your visa, then the standard fee will depend on whether you will be in the UK for:

• Till 3 years - Fee: £704 per person
• More than 3 years - Fee: £1,408 per person

If all of the following conditions are met, you can generally apply for extending a Skilled Worker Visa or Tier 2 (General) Work Visa: 

• You have the same job as you did when you were granted previous permission to enter or remain in the UK. 
• Your occupation is the same as when you were granted previous permission to enter or stay in the UK. 
• The company that issued your current sponsorship certificate, you are still employed by them. 

To extend their visa, your partner or children must apply separately. They can apply at the very same time as you or whenever their current visa expires.

Multi-entry
You can travel abroad and return to the UK.

Study
With a skilled worker visa, you are allowed to study.

Work
You can do the extra paid job on this visa as long as you're willing to continue the job for which you are being sponsored. You can also perform unpaid volunteer work.

Extension
As long you meet the eligibility requirements, you can keep on extending your visa. 

Dependants
You can bring your partner and children with you as your 'dependants' if they're eligible.

Residence
You can apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as 'indefinite leave to remain') if you have lived in the UK for five years and meet the other eligibility requirements.