Foreign citizens who want to be employed in the UK must apply for a work permit suitable to their professional level and their citizenship. Citizens of the European Economic Area(EEA) need a skilled worker visa after Brexit and must pass the eligibility criteria. Work permit applications are handled by the Home Office and Immigration Agency, which can issue the documents in a period of a maximum of two weeks if the applicant meets all the specified requirements. Our immigration solicitors in London can offer you assistance in applying for the work permit most suitable for your case and also for British citizenship.
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Types of work permits in UK
The work permit application process may vary, as the British legislation established different provisions and procedures in accordance with the nationality of the applicant. The local legislation offers a wide range of work permits, issued according to the professional level reached by the applicant and the field in which he/she is involved. For example, Tier 1 (entrepreneur)permit is issued for persons who want to establish a company in UK, who are citizens outside the EEA space and who have a capital of minimum 50,000 pounds. The Tier 1 (investor) permit is issued for businessmen having a minimum capital of GBP 2,000,000. The UK issues the following types of work visas:
- work permits for domestic workers in a private household;
- work permits for representatives of an overseas business;
- Tier 1 visas, issued for entrepreneurs and graduate entrepreneurs, exceptional talents, investors, or for general purposes;
- Tier 2 visas, issued for sportspersons, intra-company transfers, or workers within a faith community;
- Tier 5 visas, issued for temporary workers in the following fields: charity, creative or sports activities, religious activities;
- Tier 5 Government Authorized Exchange visa, issued for temporary workers applying for a fellowship or research program;
- Tier 5 International Agreement, awarded to persons working in the diplomatic field;
- Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, awarded to students who want to study in UK.
Our UK immigration lawyer can provide you with assistance in obtaining a work permit and a UK residence card and can offer you further information on the proceedings you must follow, in accordance with your situation.
Conditions for obtaining a UK work permit
In order to receive a work permit in UK, a person must submit proof that he or she has a job offer in UK. The Tier 2 work permits are issued for employees who have received a job (in the field of expertise of the employee) within a certain company. The employer can also apply for a work permit, only if it can prove that the position that will be occupied by a foreign employee has been advertised at a national level and no applicants (within the EEA space) met the criteria. The minimum requirements which have to be fulfilled by an applicant are:
- a degree qualification recognized in UK;
- a Higher National Diploma, relevant for the employer;
- full-time work experience in the field;
- minimum of three years of experience in the field for which the work permit is issued.
Obtain a work permit as a domestic worker in UK
- cleaners;
- chauffeurs;
- cooks;
- babysitters;
- medical assistant at domicile.
We remind that this kind of permit does not allow the employee to bring the family members as dependents in UK. Complete information in this matter can be obtained from our London immigration lawyer. Our team can help you obtain a residence permit in UK.
Obtain a work permit as a religious worker in UK
Citizens outside EEA and Switzerland who are members of religious orders can apply for the same jobs in the UK, where a Tier 2 visa is required in this matter. It is good to know that besides any other conditions, a citizen interested in working as a religious worker in UK, must be sponsored and needs to provide a certificate of sponsorship to the authorities which issue the visa and the work permit. With a visa for religious workers, a person can stay in the UK for 3 years and one month and then can apply for an extended visa and work permit. Interested in British citizenship? Our advisors can help you.
How do I obtain the charity worker visa?
The eligibility for the charity worker visa refers to the persons who want to perform voluntary work without any payments involved. GBP 945 should be deposited in a bank account and proved at the time the person applies for such a work permit. The certificate of sponsorship with a validity of three months is normally requested by the authorities. Additionally, the charity worker visa is normally issued for persons outside the EU and EEA. A charity worker visa for UK allows foreigners to accept jobs without payments and it is ready in approximately 3 weeks. It is advisable to ask for the legal support of our immigration solicitors in London when applying for a work permit, including for a charity worker visa in UK.
Work permits for Turkish residents
Turkish nationals are welcomed in UK as long as they obtained a work permit. The permission to stay in UK is granted after one year of living and working in UK, as the spouse of a settled person in the country. There are no restrictions in matters of living and working in UK, however, it is important to renew the work permit before the expiry date. In the case of Turkish students in UK, they are allowed to work no more than 20 hours per week. Do not hesitate to talk to our specialists and find out more about how you can obtain a work permit as a Turkish resident.
What happens if the sponsor loses the license?
In the case your employer loses the license in UK, the next thing to do is to apply for another visa or leave the job. Unfortunately, there are cases where the business license is suspended, or it is not renewed, therefore the certificate of sponsorship is canceled. It is important to know that if the sponsor does not apply for a new license in 28 days, your visa will expire in 60 days or less. Meanwhile, you will have to check the eligibility for a new visa in order to stay in UK and get in touch with our UK immigration lawyer. You can benefit from immediate legal support in the case your sponsor lost the business license, plus support for obtaining UK residence card.
Who doesn’t need a work permit for UK?
There are also exemptions in matters of work permits for UK, meaning that foreign government representatives, diplomats, officials and other members are exempt from UK work visa. Such information can be detailed from a legal point of view by our specialized lawyers in immigration in UK. You should get in touch with us for extra support.
Work visa for UK – points-based assessments
The work permit for UK is normally granted based on the number of cored points, in accordance with the assessment system. The financial funds, information about sponsorship license, the English language skills, and information about future earnings are part of the eligibility criteria for obtaining the UK work visa. If you would like to know more about the eligibility criteria for obtaining the work permit for UK, you may address your inquiries to our team of immigration lawyers in London.
How long does it take to get a work permit?
Foreigners can obtain the work permit in approximately 3 months if all the requirements are respected. An entry clearance visa for UK is needed before the work permit is issued by the immigration authorities. The same thing is available for family members who will need entry clearance.
Self-employment in UK
Foreign citizens can start their own businesses in UK and act as freelancers as follows:
- Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa – this is granted to fresh graduates who present business ideas in UK and interact with the Department for International Trade.
- Tier 1 Investor Visa – this type of visa is valid for 3 years and it is granted to business persons making investments of at least GBP 2 million.
- Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa – this is granted to investors setting up businesses in UK with a minimum capital of GBP 50,000.
There are no harsh requirements for working as a self-employed in UK, and complete legal advice can be provided by our London immigration lawyer. Our team can help you obtain British citizenship.
UK visa statistics
The following numbers and statistics for 2018 reveal a few aspects of the immigration in UK:
- there were more than 2.8 million visas issued in 2018;
- more than 20 million non-EEA citizens visited UK in 2018;
- approximately 102,000 Tier 2 Skilled visas were issued in 2018;
- the number of foreign students in UK rose by 8% in the previous year.
Students working in the UK – What you need to know
The Tier 4 Student visa for UK allows youngsters to work in the country in specific areas. Even students under 18 years of age can work in UK, but no more than 10 hours per week during school time. It is good to know that students with short-term study visas cannot work in UK. It is good to know that citizens from countries like Angola, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cameroon, Congo, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, South Korea, Sudan or Sri Lanka will have to take the tuberculosis test in specific medical centers.
If you need further information on the work and residence permit in UK, please contact our immigration solicitors in London, who can offer you assistance for your specific situation.
