United Kingdom Work visa
A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by a Home Office–licensed sponsor is the single most important document in any UK work-visa file, and the published 21–30 day processing window starts from biometric enrolment after the CoS has been assigned. The 628 GBP base fee is one component of the cost picture; the Immigration Health Surcharge calculated per year of leave granted, biometric-appointment charges, and optional priority services sit alongside it. Skilled Worker is the principal route, with Health and Care, Senior or Specialist Worker, and Scale-up routes covering specific occupational profiles. English-language ability is demonstrated either through an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), a UK degree, or an Ecctis statement of comparability for a degree taught in English. Dependants — partners and children under 18 — apply at the same time with their own forms, fees, and IHS payments.
| Visa required | Varies — verify on the official source |
|---|---|
| e-Visa available | Varies — verify on the official source |
| Processing time | 15–21 days (source) |
| Visa fee | 819 GBP (source) |
Official resources
Requirements
Eligibility for the UK Skilled Worker (and related) routes
- A confirmed offer from a Home Office–licensed sponsor that has issued a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the role
- The offered job sits at SOC code level eligible for the route, as published in the eligible-occupations table
- Salary that meets both the headline threshold and the going rate for the specific occupation code (the higher of the two applies)
- English-language ability demonstrated through an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), a UK degree, or an Ecctis statement of comparability for a degree taught in English
- Maintenance funds — typically £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days before application — unless the sponsor has certified maintenance on the CoS
- Tuberculosis test certificate from an approved clinic for applicants from countries on the TB-test list
- Police clearance certificate where required for specific occupations (education, healthcare, social care)
- For regulated occupations, registration with the relevant UK professional body (Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Medical Council, Teaching Regulation Agency)
- No previous breaches of UK immigration rules; the CoS must be used within three months of its assigned start date
- Payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge calculated per year of leave granted, paid up-front at submission
Documents checklist
- Passport with at least one blank page and validity covering the requested period of leave
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number issued by a Home Office–licensed sponsor, with the assigned start date no more than three months in the future
- Online Skilled Worker (or relevant) application form, fully completed, with the printable confirmation page
- Confirmation of the UKVCAS appointment for biometric enrolment
- Recent biometric-style photograph meeting UKVI specifications
- Evidence of English-language ability: an approved SELT certificate, a UK degree, or an Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) statement of comparability for a degree taught in English
- Tuberculosis test certificate from an approved clinic if applying from a country on the TB-test list
- Police clearance certificate where required for the specific occupation (e.g., regulated roles in education, healthcare, or social care)
- Bank statements covering the relevant maintenance period, unless the sponsor has certified maintenance on the CoS
- Original or notarised copies of the qualification documents listed on the CoS (degree certificate, transcripts, professional registration where applicable)
- Immigration Health Surcharge payment receipt covering the full period of leave
- Translations into English of any non-English supporting documents
- Evidence of any dependants applying at the same time, including their own application forms, photographs, and supporting documents
Application steps
- Secure a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a Home Office–licensed sponsor, with the assigned start date no more than three months in the future; this is the gateway document for any UK work-visa application.
- Verify that the offered SOC code appears on the eligible-occupations table and that the salary meets both the headline threshold and the going rate for that specific occupation code.
- Compile the documentary file: passport, qualification documents (degree, transcripts, professional registration), English-language evidence (SELT, UK degree, or Ecctis statement), TB test certificate where required, and police clearance for regulated occupations.
- Complete the online application form at gov.uk under the appropriate work-visa stream (Skilled Worker, Health and Care, Senior or Specialist Worker, Scale-up).
- Pay the 628 GBP base fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge calculated per year of leave granted; both are paid up-front through the Home Office portal at the moment of submission.
- Book a UKVCAS biometric-enrolment appointment and attend with the printed confirmation, passport, and documents not yet uploaded; biometric enrolment starts the 21–30 day processing clock.
- Wait for the decision email and, where required, attend any additional sponsor or compliance interview that the Home Office requests.
- Collect the passport once the decision arrives; if approved, the vignette must be used to enter the UK within its 90-day collection window and the BRP collected within the period set out in the decision letter.
Processing time
15–21 days (source) (typical). Processing times may vary.
Visa cost
Fee (from our data): 819 GBP (source) . Fees are subject to change; check the official source before applying.
The 628 GBP fee for the UK work visa category covers the Home Office decision and issuance of leave, but the headline figure is rarely the largest component of the total cost picture.
The Immigration Health Surcharge is calculated separately for each year of leave granted and is paid up-front at the time of application, frequently exceeding the visa fee itself. Biometric enrolment at UKVCAS, optional priority or super-priority processing, and the employer-side Certificate of Sponsorship and Immigration Skills Charge are all additional. Card payment in local currency is processed at submission, with the exchange rate fixed at that moment.
The 628 GBP indicator is reviewed periodically and the published rate at the time of payment is the one that applies — keep proof of every payment for the duration of the leave granted, since the Home Office occasionally requests evidence during compliance checks.
Common mistakes to avoid
Skilled Worker and other UK work routes carry a 21–30 day processing window and a 628 GBP fee tier, but the avoidable errors usually start long before the application form opens.
- Accepting a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for a role whose SOC code does not actually appear on the eligible-occupations list — verify the four-digit code against the published table before paying any fees, because a mismatch voids the entire application.
- Budgeting only for the 628 GBP visa fee while overlooking the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is charged per year of leave granted and frequently exceeds the visa fee several times over.
- Submitting a salary figure that meets the headline threshold on paper but falls below the going rate for the specific occupation code; the lower of the two is what counts, and the going rate is what catches most refusals.
- Letting the CoS go unused for more than three months from its assigned start date, which automatically expires the certificate and forces the sponsor to issue and pay for a new one.
- Travelling to the UK before the vignette’s validity start date or after its 90-day collection window — either error voids the entry stamp and requires a transfer-of-conditions application from outside the country.
- Treating English-language proof as optional when the worker holds a degree taught in English; the degree must be assessed by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) for the qualification to count, otherwise an approved SELT test is mandatory.
- Forgetting that dependants need their own applications, fees, and IHS payments at the same time — family members who try to join later face longer processing and the risk of missing the principal’s start date with the employer.
Country context & recent trends
Recent rule changes
UK work-route policy has tightened around salary thresholds and going-rate calculations, with the Skilled Worker general threshold raised in the most recent statement of changes and the Health and Care visa carved out separately to manage workforce pressures in regulated occupations. The 21–30 day processing window applies once a Certificate of Sponsorship has been assigned and the applicant has completed biometrics; sponsor-licence checks and employer-side compliance reviews can extend cases that fall outside the routine path.
Peak-season patterns
Work-visa caseload spikes in late summer and through the academic-recruitment cycle in autumn, when university and NHS-bridge sponsors push large cohorts of CoS issuances simultaneously. Priority-service availability is the lever most applicants use to meet a fixed start date with the employer, and slot availability for priority decision is typically tighter at posts in South Asia, the Philippines, and Nigeria during these peaks.
How it compares to nearby destinations
Skilled-migration regimes across the English-speaking world differ widely on speed, fee level, and employer-side burden. The table below compares the UK figure shown for this category with indicative figures for nearby alternatives.
| Destination | Visa required | Typical processing | Indicative fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (Skilled Worker) | Yes | 21–30 days | 628 GBP |
| Ireland (General Employment Permit) | Yes | ~6–10 weeks | ~1,000 EUR |
| Germany (Blue Card) | Yes | ~8–12 weeks | ~100 EUR |
| Netherlands (Highly Skilled Migrant) | Yes | ~2–4 weeks for recognised sponsors | ~380 EUR |
The UK Skilled Worker route is faster than most continental work-visa streams but its overall cost to the worker is dominated by the Immigration Health Surcharge calculated per year of leave granted, while the EU streams typically carry no separate health charge.
Frequently asked questions
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How long does the UK work visa take to process?
The published service standard for this category is 21–30 days from biometric enrolment, and most cases with a clean Certificate of Sponsorship and complete supporting documents clear inside that window. Sponsor-licence checks and complex compliance reviews can push individual cases beyond the upper bound.
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How much does the visa fee cost?
The base fee shown for this category is 628 GBP, payable in local currency at the moment of submission. The Immigration Health Surcharge is calculated separately for each year of leave granted and is paid up-front, frequently exceeding the base visa fee itself.
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Can I apply online for a UK work visa?
Yes — the application form is completed at gov.uk, with biometric enrolment scheduled at a UKVCAS centre. The Certificate of Sponsorship reference number from a Home Office–licensed sponsor is required at the form stage and cannot be substituted with an offer letter.
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Can dependants apply at the same time as the principal worker?
Yes — partners and children under 18 can apply on the same date with their own application forms, photographs, biometric appointments, and IHS payments. Dependants who try to join later face longer separate processing and risk missing the principal’s start date with the employer.
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What happens if my Certificate of Sponsorship expires before I apply?
An assigned CoS must be used within three months of the start date written on it; once that window closes the certificate is automatically void and the sponsor has to issue and pay for a new one. Travelling to the UK before the vignette’s validity start date or after its 90-day collection window similarly invalidates the entry stamp.
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What can cause a UK work visa refusal?
Common refusal grounds include a mismatch between the SOC code on the CoS and the eligible-occupations table, salary below the going rate for the specific occupation code, undeclared prior refusals from any major regime, and English-language evidence that does not meet the approved-test or Ecctis-statement standard. Each refusal letter lists the specific paragraph of the Immigration Rules that grounds the decision.
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Is priority service available for the UK work visa?
Priority decision (typically targeting around five working days) and super-priority decision (typically targeting next working day) are paid add-ons subject to slot availability at the chosen UKVCAS centre. Both shift the case ahead of the standard queue but do not guarantee a specific turnaround on cases that require additional checks.