UK

ABOUT THE UK

Some interesting features about the UK- the country.

• The UK, in fact, is a collection of four countries, namely England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
• England is the largest country in the UK.
• London’s Heathrow is the biggest airport on the European continent.
• London, which is the capital of the UK, is its biggest city.
• The world’s largest inhabited castle is the Windsor Castle which is in the UK.
• Stonehenge, one of the oldest monuments on Planet Earth, is located in the UK.
• The UK has a cosmopolitan culture with a diverse population of people from all over the world congregating.
• The UK houses over 130 universities, with Cambridge and Oxford being the most prestigious ones.
• The currency of the UK, the Pound Sterling, is one of the strongest currencies in the world.
• After Germany and France, the United Kingdom is Europe’s third-largest economy.
• The biggest companies in the UK are AstraZeneca, British Petroleum, HSBC, and Unilever.

BENEFITS OF WORKING IN THE UK

It’s a major decision to live in the UK and relocate to it. Before you apply for a work visa in the UK, know the reasons why a UK work visa is valuable.

Access NHS (National Health Scheme), UK’s high-standard healthcare system, which will provide you with free or highly subsidized medication.

• In the UK, public schools provide free education. All legal residents in the UK can send their children to a public school in the country.
• Because of the lengthy history of UK immigration and the hordes of immigrants who have entered the country, the diversity of the UK population is its major characteristic.
• The UK gets skilled foreign nationals to offer them work visas in large numbers.
• All UK full-time workers are eligible to get a minimum annual leave of 20 days per year. The country makes sure that all employees’ interests are protected.
• It’s convenient to travel to the rest of Europe from the UK, particularly with budget airlines to take you around.
• Capable workers won’t find it difficult to relocate to the UK. If you have a niche skill, you can migrate to the UK easily.

MAJOR CITIES IN THE UK

Before you shift to the UK on a work visa, know the most prominent cities in the country. They are as follows:

• London – It’s the capital city of England as well as the UK, which is home to attractions like Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and Trafalgar Square.
• Birmingham – Thesecond-largest city in England. It’s also one of the top destinations in the UK for shopping and conventions.
• Manchester –The third-biggest city in the UK. It’s renowned for football, music, and cultural activities.
• Leeds –A city renowned as the heart of higher education and business. It’s a city where you can witness classic Victorian architecture at its best.
• Oxford –It’s the famed university town of England which houses the celebrated University of Oxford.

LONG-TERM UK WORK VISAS

SKILLED WORKER VISA

A Skilled Worker visa is for people intending to move to the UK and working in a job considered eligible by an approved employer there. This visa is a substitute for the earlier Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.

TO GAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS WORK VISA, YOU NEED TO

• work for a UK-based employer who receives approval from the UK Home Office.
• get from your UK employer a sponsorship certificate with details about the job role that you have been offered
• be working in a job that’s on the eligible occupations list
• be earning a minimum salary appropriate to the type of work you are performing
• be able to speak, read, write, and understand English on the CEFR scale at a B1 level

The visa is valid for five years, after which it can be extended. You can even apply to settle permanently in the UK.

HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA

With this visa, medical professionals can enter and stay in the UK and work in occupations deemed eligible by the NHS or by being a supplier for it, or in adult social care.

TO GAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS WORK VISA, YOU NEED TO:

• be a trained nurse, health professional, adult social care professional, or doctor
• work for a UK-based employer that has got approval from the Home Office
• work in a health or a social care job counted by the UK government as eligible
• have a certificate of sponsorship from your UK employer with the job profile you have got in the UK
• be paid a minimum salary appropriate to the kind of work you are doing
• You need to get a confirmed job offer before you apply for the visa. The visa is valid for five years, after which you can extend it. You may even apply to settle permanently in the UK.

INTRA-COMPANY VISAS

This work visa is convenient if you are planning to stay in the UK and are employed in a job your employer deems eligible. This visa could be either of the two given below:

• Intra-company Transfer visa –It’s for those who arrive in the UK after being transferred to a role by their employers.
• Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa –It’s for those who enter the UK intending to take part in a graduate training program for a role as a specialist or manager.

TO GAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS VISA CATEGORY, YOU HAVE TO:

• be a company’s existing employee that’s got approval as a sponsor from the Home Office
• have from your employer a sponsorship certificate with the job profile offered to you in the UK
• be working in a job that is on the eligible occupations list
• get a minimum salary of £41,500 for an Intra-company Transfer visa or a minimum of £23,000 if it is an Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa

THE SHORTEST DURATION OF THE INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFER VISA IS AS FOLLOWS:

• Five years
• 14 days more than the time specified on your sponsorship certificate
• the period of time that allows you the maximum total stay

THE SHORTEST DURATION OF AN INTRA-COMPANY GRADUATE TRAINEE VISA IS AS FOLLOWS:

• 12 months
• 14 days more than the time specified on your sponsorship certificate
• the time you are allowed the maximum total stay

SHORT-TERM UK WORK VISAS

TEMPORARY WORK – CHARITY WORKER VISA

You get this visa if you intend to do unpaid work of a voluntary nature for a charitable trust.

TEMPORARY WORK – CREATIVE WORKER VISA

This visa is given to you if you have in hand a job offer as a creative worker in the UK.

TEMPORARY WORK – GOVERNMENT AUTHORISED EXCHANGE VISA

• Have a sponsor
• Want to enter the UK for a short duration to obtain work experience/training, for the Overseas Government Language Program, for research, or a fellowship through an approved authorized exchange scheme of the government
• Fulfil other eligibility requirements

TEMPORARY WORK – INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT VISA

• You are qualified to apply for this work visa if you are available for a contract to work in a job-protected by international law/accord while staying in the UK. E.g., you will be
• Employed in a diplomatic household as a private servant
• Employed for an overseas government
• Performing a service in a contract as an independent professional or a service supplier

YOUTH MOBILITY SCHEME VISA

• Are aged in the range of 18 to 30
• Are intending to stay and work in the UK for up to two years
• Are a native of specific countries, including Australia, or have a specific type of British nationality fulfil other criteria
• This visa allows you to stay and work in the UK for a period not exceeding 24 months.

GRADUATE VISA

This visa allows you to stay and work in the UK for a minimum of two years after successfully concluding a course in the country.

You need to be in the UK to apply for this work visa. Apart from that, it would help if you met the following conditions:

• you are the current holder of a student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa
• you have obtained a bachelor’s/master’s/other qualified degrees from the UK for a time equivalent to your student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
• the provider of your education (university/college) has confirmed that you have successfully completed your course of study

The visa is eligible for two years. It will be valid for three years if you have a Ph.D. or any other doctoral qualifications. These visas are not extensible. To increase your stay, you need to switch to another visa type.