UK Skilled Worker Visa
How to Get a Skilled Worker Visa to UK from Pakistan?
The Skilled Worker Visa allows you to come to the UK and work on an eligible job. You need a job offer from a UK employer who is licensed as a sponsor to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa UK. You must also meet other requirements related to annual salary, job skill requirement, occupation code, English language proficiency, and financial means
You can also apply to have your eligible dependents join you on a Skilled Worker visa to UK. Dependents typically include your spouse and children.
Here at Adam Bernard, we are a reputable UK visa consultant in Pakistan offering detailed advice and guidance for visa applicants. If you want to work with an employer in the UK, you can consult our Skilled Worker visa lawyers for help. We also offer guidance for other UK visas and immigration routes.
General Requirements for Skilled Worker Visa to UK
The following requirements must be met for you to be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa UK:
- You are at least 18 years of age
- Your UK employer who is sponsoring you for the job has provided you with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
- Your job meets the minimum skill requirement and has an eligible occupation code
- You have the financial resources to support yourself and dependents after you arrive in the UK
- Your annual salary is at least the same as the going rate for your occupation or exceeds £25,600, whichever of these is the higher calculation
- When applying from Pakistan, you have a valid tuberculosis test certificate
- You meet the minimum English language proficiency requirements
You may additionally need to meet other requirements, depending on your case. Our Skilled Worker visa consultants can help you understand and fulfil these requirements. Being a leading UK visa consultant in Pakistan, we offered tailored guidance for UK visa applicants on all UK visas and immigration routes.
What is an Eligible Job?
The job you intend to do in the UK once you arrive on the Skilled Worker Visa UK must meet specific requirements. It should:
- Be offered by a UK employer that is a licensed sponsor registered with the Home Office
- Have a valid occupation code that is listed among the eligible occupations
- Come with an annual salary that meets the minimum threshold requirement
- Be a genuine job for which the UK employer genuinely needs an employee
- Be skilled at RQF Level 3 at the very least
You must be able to show that the job you are applying for is real and genuine. If the job has been created solely for your Skilled Worker Visa UK application, or created simply to facilitate you in your visa application, the Home Office may not consider it as genuine.
As a reputable UK visa consultant, we can help you determine whether or not your intended job meets these eligibility requirements. We also guide you on how best to meet employment requirements for other UK visas and immigration options.
Financial Requirements
You must meet two sets of financial requirements to be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa to UK. One of these pertains to your annual salary in the UK, and the other is about the availability of cash funds to support yourself.
You must have been offered an annual salary of at least £25,600, or 100% of the going rate for your job. Of these, the higher amount will apply as the minimum threshold salary for your Skilled Worker Visa UK application.
You are exempt from this threshold requirement if:
- Your job is among the occupations related to education or health
- Your job is on the list of occupations for which workers are in shortage
- You are relatively new in the labor market and have little experience
- You have a doctoral degree that is directly relevant to your job
In these cases, you may qualify to be exempt from the threshold salary requirements. However, it is best to consult reliable Skilled Worker visa consultants to be sure.
In addition to the salary requirements, you must also have a minimum amount of cash funds to support yourself for at least one month after your arrival in the UK. This minimum amount is set at £1,270 for Skilled Worker Visa UK. You must have been in possession of this amount for at least 28 consecutive days in the 31 days preceding your visa application.
If you have any dependents joining you in the UK, you will also need to show cash funds for them. You must prove availability of at least £285 for a partner, £315 if only one child will join you, and £315 for the first child and £200 for other children if more than one child are to join you.
As a leading UK visa consultant firm in Pakistan, our Skilled Worker visa lawyers can help you understand and meet the financial requirements for your visa. We also guide you regarding the financial requirements for other UK visas and immigration routes.
English Language Testing Requirements
As a part of your Skilled Worker Visa to UK application, you must meet the English language proficiency requirements.
This is typically done by taking a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS. Your test score must be at least at the B1 level. You can explore the list of approved tests and test providers at the Home Office website.
You can seek a waiver from this requirement if you have completed a degree which was mainly taught in English. You may also be exempt if you have passed a GCSE or A level in English from a UK school.
Applying for Dependents
You can apply to have your dependents join you in your visa application for a Skilled Worker Visa to UK.
Dependents typically include your spouse or partner and children. You must meet additional financial obligations as noted above for each dependent that will join you in the UK. The visa application for each dependent will be submitted separately and the fee that applies to your visa application will also apply to them.
You will need to produce the evidence of your relationship with a dependent that is applying with you. In the case of a spouse or partner, this can be a marriage certificate. For dependent children, you can provide a birth certificate or any other identification that lists you as a parent.
You can consult a reliable UK visa consultant firm such as Adam Bernard to get detailed advice on how to apply a visa for your dependents. We also guide you on how to apply for your dependents on other UK visas and immigration routes.
Visa Fees and Duration
The actual fee to apply a Skilled Worker Visa to UK depends on the duration of your visa, and your intended occupation in the UK.
If your CoS has a validity of less than three years, you will get a visa that lasts up to 3 years. The application fee in this case is PKR 165,108. For a visa with duration of over three years, the fee is PKR 326,253.
If your intended job in the UK is a shortage occupation, you must pay a visa fee of 126,539 for visa duration of up to three years. If you apply for a visa with duration of three years or more and intend to undertake a shortage occupation, the visa fee is PKR 249,115.
A different visa fee applies if you are coming to the UK as a Skilled Worker to undertake a Health and Care occupation. In this case, a simple visa with duration of up to three years costs PKR 65,251. If the CoS notes a job duration of above three years, the visa fee is PKR 126,539.
The same applies if you intend to assume a Shortage Occupation in the Health and Care area. The basic fee for a visa that lasts up to three years is PKR 65,251. For visa duration of above three years, the fee is PKR 126,539.
In addition to the basic visa fee, you must also pay an annual healthcare surcharge. This surcharge is £624 per year, and must be paid for each year of your stay in the UK.
Our Skilled Worker visa lawyers can compute the precise amount you must pay as a part of your visa application from Pakistan. This lets you plan your finances accordingly. We also help you manage your finances for other UK visas and immigration routes.
Can I Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa Extension?
It is possible to seek an extension for your Skilled Worker Visa. However, you can do so only if there is no change to the following:
- Your UK employer who sponsored you
- Your occupation code
- Your job or role
If the above are the same as at the time when you applied for your original Skilled Worker Visa, you can apply for an extension. If you have dependents that have joined you on your visa, they can also seek an extension.
You can apply for an extension to your Skilled Worker Visa to UK as many times as needed if you are eligible. After you have been in the UK for at least 5 years, you can also apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Once you have the ILR status, you become a permanent resident of the UK.
You can also consider other UK visas and immigration routes once you have a Skilled Worker Visa UK.
Why Adam Bernard?
Here at Adam Bernard, we are a notable UK visa consultant with an extensive experience in helping Pakistani applicants secure a UK work visa. Whether you are applying for a new visa, want to get an extension to an existing visa, or need help with switching to a different visa, we can help.
Our Skilled Worker visa lawyers work with you to help you understand and meet visa requirements, bring together relevant documentation, and file your application without errors or omissions. In case you face a refusal, we also work with you to explore your options for having the decision reviewed.
Our lawyers also offer thorough advice and guidance on how to apply for other UK visas and immigration options.
Call us today +92-3041112026 at to discuss your case with our Skilled Worker visa consultants.