Skilled Worker visa in UK from Bangladesh

Skilled Worker Visa in UK in 2023

What is a Visa for Skilled Worker?

The Tier 2 (General) work visa has been changed to the Skilled Worker visa. This permit lets people who are eligible stay in the UK to work for a sponsor or employer who has been approved.

You can apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme if you or a close family member are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and moved to the UK before January 1, 2021. This means that you wouldn’t need a visa to work in the UK. Irish people don’t have to fill out an application for the EU Settlement Scheme or a visa.

Tahmidur Rahman Remura Wahid TRW immigration lawyers can help you get into the UK to do a specialized job if you are a skilled worker. You can reach our team at 01779127165.

Skilled Worker Visa Requirements

To get a Skilled Worker Visa, you must be sponsored by an employer in the UK. Also, you must meet the following rules to be eligible:

• You must be at least 18 years old. The job you want to do requires a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
• Your job is a genuine vacancy
• Your job is at the right level.
• You will be paid a salary that is at or above the general salary threshold and the “going rate” for your job. Your sponsor has paid the required Immigration Skills Charge.
• You can show how good your English skills are (at least CEFR Level B1)
• You don’t have to get money from the government to support yourself and your family.
• You can provide a criminal record certificate
• You can provide a valid TB certificate (if needed)
• Job eligibility

For a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a job offer from a UK employer that meets all of the following criteria:

Under the new Skilled Worker Visa route, your job must be skilled to at least RQF level 3 to qualify for the visa (roughly equivalent to A-levels).

• You must be paid at least the “going rate” or minimum wage for the kind of work you will be doing. At least £25,600 per year is the minimum salary.
• Your employer must have a Certificate of Sponsorship and be approved by the Home Office.
• You must have a code for your job. If you’ve already been offered a job, you’ll need to ask your employer for your code.
• Also, you must be able to show that the employer is paying for you to fill a real job opening. If the Home Office thinks that the job was made just for you to get the Skilled Worker visa or that it is a fake job, your application will be denied.

The need to speak English

To get a Skilled Worker Visa, you must show that you can speak English well. This must be at level B1 or higher (intermediate). You can meet this requirement in one of two ways:

Be a citizen of a country where most people speak English. Pass a Secure English Language Test. Get a GCSE/A Level or Scottish Highers in English while you were in school in the UK.
Have a degree taught in English Have already met this requirement as part of a previous application for entry clearance
Financial requirements

Under the Skilled Worker Visa, the general salary limit is £25,600 a year. This means that your salary must be at least this amount or 100% of the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. The assessment will be based on basic gross pay that is guaranteed.

Some workers could be paid less than the above amount if they get more “tradable points” for things like:

• Having a PhD in a STEM field related to the job or in a field related to the job
• Accepting an offer for a job on the list of jobs that are in short supply
• Applicants who are just starting out on the job market
• Jobs in health or education get the most applications.
• You will need to meet other financial requirements as well as the minimum salary threshold. You must have at least £1,270 in cash on hand to take care of yourself in the UK. This money needs to be in your bank account for at least 28 days straight before you apply.

What does a Skilled Worker Visa cost?

Depending on your situation, the fees for applying for a Skilled Worker visa range from £610 to £1,408.

When you apply for your visa, you also need to think about the following costs:

• Surcharge for health care: £624 per year
• You must have at least £1,270 on hand to show that you will be able to take care of yourself in the UK. You might not have to pay if you’ve been in the UK for at least 12 months with a valid visa or if your employer pays for your first month there.
• Getting a job with your family

Your partner and children can apply to move to the UK with you as your dependents if they are eligible. You can put on your application the following members of your family:

• Your spouse, civil partner, or partner who is not married
• Your children under 18
• Your children who are over 18 and living with you in the UK as long as they are not married.
• You must show proof of your relationship when you send in your application.

How to apply for a visa for a skilled worker

Online forms are used to apply for a Skilled Worker visa.

After you fill out your application, you must show that you are who you say you are. You can either go to a visa application center and give your biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) or use the “UK Immigration: ID Check” app to scan your identity document.

You will also have to pay the application fees and send in the documents.

You can only follow the steps above if you are outside of the UK. If you are already in the UK, you will have to apply to switch from the visa you use to stay there to a Skilled Worker visa. If you have any of the following visas, you cannot switch:

• Visitor visa
• Short-term student visa
• Parent of a Student Child Visa
• Seasonal worker visa
• Visa for a domestic worker in a private home
• Bail for immigrants
• Permission to stay in a country without following the rules
• If you have any of the above visas, you will have to leave the UK and apply from outside the UK.

How long does it take to get a skilled worker visa?

You can apply for a UK visa up to three months before you plan to start working there. This date can be found on your sponsorship certificate.

Depending on your situation, the Home Office may need more time to look over your documents and make sure you are who you say you are. Because of this, you should always give yourself more time and get your application in on time.

If you are outside the UK, it usually takes about 3 weeks to hear back from the Home Office. You may have to wait up to 8 weeks if you already live in this country.

How to get a Skilled Worker visa extension

Depending on your situation, your Skilled Worker visa will end after a certain number of years. You can ask to have your permit extended if you meet the following:

• You still do the same job you did when you first got your visa.
• When you were given permission to come to the UK, your job was in the same occupation code.
• You still work for the same company that paid for this application.
• Your family can also ask for a visa extension, but they need to do it on their own.

Those with a Tier 2 Visa

Those who got CoS before November 24, 2016

If you have already applied to extend your visa before May 24, 2023, your minimum salary requirement is set at a lower rate. This means that you need to make at least £20,800 a year.

If you got your Certificate of Status on or after November 24, 2016

You must meet the new salary requirements if you want to extend your visa before December 1, 2026. Allowances may also be part of your salary if they are guaranteed for the whole time you are there.

If you need help with your Skilled Worker Visa application, you can call our offices in London, Manchester, or Birmingham, or use our office finder to find the office closest to you.

Skilled Worker Visa refusal

Your application for a Skilled Worker Visa could be turned down for a number of reasons. Here are some of the most likely reasons:

• Not filling out the form all the way
• Not paying the full application fee or other costs
• Not including a correct certificate of sponsorship reference number or job code
• Not sending in the right, relevant documents to back up your application that show you are eligible.
• Not getting the required 70 points on the point system
• Not having a clean record with immigration and crime
• You could also get a Skilled Worker refusal if your employer doesn’t have the right sponsor license or the right paperwork.

What can you do if you don’t get your Skilled Worker Visa?

If your application for a Skilled Worker Visa is turned down, you can do a number of things, depending on your situation. Administrative review is the most common choice.

The following are some reasons why an application might be turned down:

• Application for the Skilled Worker Visa for the first time
• Getting a Skilled Worker Visa instead
• Getting the visa renewed or made longer
• If your application is denied, you only have a certain amount of time to ask for an administrative review of the decision. If you applied outside the UK, you have 28 days to file the request. If you applied inside the UK, you have 14 days.

The Home Office (UKVI) will let you know what they think about your request within 28 days. If you don’t like how this decision turned out, you may be able to file a pre-action protocol for judicial review. If you don’t agree with this decision, you might be able to ask the court to look at it again.

If your Skilled Worker Visa is denied, you should talk to an experienced immigration lawyer as soon as you can to find out what other options you have. We can help you send in the form for administrative review, write up the case grounds, and stand in your place until the problem is solved.

How to extend your Skilled Worker visa

Your Skilled Worker visa is due to expire after a certain number of years, depending on your circumstances. You can apply to extend your permit if you meet the following requirements:

• You have the same job as when you were first granted your visa
• Your job is in the same occupation code as when you were given permission to enter the UK
• You are still working for the same employer who sponsored your current application.

Your family can apply for a visa extension, but they will need to submit a separate application.

If you hold a Tier 2 Visa

If you got CoS before 24^th November 2016

If you have already applied to extend your visa before 24 May 2023, your minimum salary requirement is fixed at a lower rate. This means that you need to be paid at least £20,800 per year.

If you got your CoS on or after 24^th November 2016

If you apply to extend your visa before 1^st December 2026, you need to meet the new salary requirements. Your salary may also include allowances, if they are guaranteed for the length of your stay.

Skilled Worker Visa refusal

There are a number of reasons why your Skilled Worker Visa application may be refused. Some of the most likely reasons include:

• Not fully completing the application form
• Not fully paying the application fee or other associated costs
• Not including an accurate certificate of sponsorship reference number or job code
• Not submitting the appropriate, relevant supporting documents to accompany your application demonstrating your eligibility
• Not meeting the 70 points requirements on the points-based system
• Not having a clean immigration and criminal history

Alternatively, you may experience a Skilled Worker refusal if your employer does not have the correct sponsor licence and necessary documentation.

What can you do if your Skilled Worker Visa is refused?

If your Skilled Worker Visa application is refused, you have a number of options available, depending on your circumstances. The most common option is administrative review.

Applications may be refused in the following situations:

• Initial application for the Skilled Worker Visa
• Switching to the Skilled Worker Visa
• Renewing or extending the visa

If you receive a notice of refusal on your application, you have a limited period of time to apply for an administrative review of the decision. You have 28 days to file the request if you applied outside the UK, or alternatively, 14 days if you applied inside the UK.

The Home Office (UKVI) will respond to your request within 28 days with a decision. If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of this decision, you may have the option to file a pre-action protocol for judicial review. You may be eligible to submit a request for a judicial review if you are unsatisfied with this decision.

If your Skilled Worker Visa is refused, we recommend speaking to an experienced immigration lawyer as soon as possible to explore the available options. We can assist you with submitting the form for administrative review, preparing the case grounds, and representing you until the matter is resolved.

What you can and cannot do on a Skilled Worker visa

As a Skilled Worker visa holder, you can:

• Work and study in the UK
• Bring your family (your partner and your children) if they are eligible for dependant visa
• Do voluntary work or take on additional work (in certain circumstances)
• Apply to settle in the UK after 5 years of lawful residence in this country.

What you cannot do:

• Change job or employer unless you submit an updated visa application
• Apply for public funds, benefits, or the State Pension

Also Your job offer must be at skill level RQF3 (A-level) or higher (20)

The UK points-based immigration system awards candidates with 20 points if they hold a job offer which requires skill level – RQF 3 or above (A Level and equivalent).

Below is the RQF level table for LeveL 1 to 8, Level 1 being the lowest level that shows minimum expertise to Level 8 for candidates with a Ph.D in their field of study.

Points Table for Skilled Workers under the new UK points-based Immigration System

You need 70 points to be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa. Below is a breakdown of the points you can score under the UK’s four deciding factors.

Here’s how you can earn the necessary ‘Tradeable points’:

Note: The ‘going rate’ can be higher that the general salary threshold for highly paid occupations like doctors, chief executives and so on.

Fact 8: This visa opens up the path to Permanent Residence

If you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years with the UK Skilled Worker Visa and if you meet certain eligibility requirements, you can apply for an ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ (ILR). This allows foreign nationals to permanently live, work and settle in the UK.

Fact 9: Doctors and Nurse can apply for the Health and Care Worker Visa 

If you are a doctor or nurse, or you are a skilled professional working in health or adult social care, you can apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead.

It has its own eligibility requirements and is cheaper.

You will be free from the otherwise mandatory payment of the annual health surcharge of £624 for every year that you have lived as an immigrant in the UK. Any immediate family members accompanying you to the UK are also exempt from paying the health surcharge.

Fact 10: You can earn a little ‘extra’ with the UK Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker Route lets you take up additional paid work or unpaid voluntary work alongside working for the job which you were sponsored to do.

You are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week in a job which has the same occupation code and job levelas your primary job.

Another option open to you is working for a job on the Shortage Occupation List.

If you want to work for more than 20 hours a week or in a different occupation code, you are required to apply to update your visa and you must be sponsored to do both jobs.

Note: Due to COVID-19, there’s currently no limit on the number of hours you can work or volunteer if you have a second job as an NHS doctor, nurse or paramedic.

Cost of a Skilled Worker Visa

The visa process itself has been made quicker by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) where the decision on whether or not you’ll be getting a visa comes to you within three weeks.

To summarize, here’s a table for UK’s new points-based immigration system for the Skilled Worker Route:

If you have any doubts regarding the new process, you can contact our visa experts at Tahmidur Rahman Remura.

We specialize in UK visas and have been doing so for over 7 years. Let us help you.

What is the minimum salary for a skilled worker?

You need to be paid at least £25,600 per year, unless the “going rate” for your job is higher. Depending on your occupation code, your role might have an annual going rate, which you and your employer can check online.

Different salary rules apply for those working in healthcare or education jobs.

Can you switch job in skilled worker visa?

The Skilled Worker Visa only grants you permission to work for the employer that originally sponsored your application in the role that you were sponsored for.

If you wish to work for a new employer or if you want to switch to a job of a different occupation code with the same employer you will need to apply to update your Skilled Worker Visa.

You must also apply to update your visa if you move from a job that was on the Shortage Occupation List to one that is not on the Shortage Occupation List.

If you stay in the same job, but this role is taken off the Shortage Occupation List, you do not need to update your Skilled Worker Visa.

Hire the best Immigration law firm in Dhaka:

The best immigration lawyer in Bangladesh works for Tahmidur Rahman Remura. We have long-term experience helping our local and expatriate clients get work permits, permanent residences, and visas all over the world. When processing visas for clients, the immigration law firm in Bangladesh looks for a number of things. Such as following the rules when it comes to documents, processing, and keeping in touch with the Bangladesh passport offices regularly.

Email: info@trfirm.com

Phone: +8801847220062 or +8801779127165

How much it costs

You, your partner or children will each need to:

• pay the application fee
• pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay
• prove you have enough personal savings

Check how much money you’ll need.

If you work in public sector healthcare

If you’re a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It’s cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.

What you can and cannot do

With a Skilled Worker visa you can:

• work in an eligible job
• study
• bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
• take on additional work in certain circumstances
• do voluntary work
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

You cannot:

• apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
• change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa

If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Skilled Worker visa.