Many companies in the UK are interested in sponsoring skilled workers from other countries to fill immediate openings. Whatever the reason a business wishes to hire a foreign national, they need to make sure the onboarding process is in line with current UK immigration rules for skilled workers.

Below we take a comprehensive look at the immigration requirements governing the hiring of foreign skilled workers in 2022 with an emphasis on acquiring a Skilled Worker Visa.

Skilled Worker Visa: Overview

The Skilled Work Visa enables a foreign national to work at an eligible job in the UK for a specified amount of time. The foreign skilled worker cannot come to the UK to look for work on spec. They must have a confirmed job offer waiting for them.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

In order to qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, the prospective employee must:

• Have a Certificate of Sponsorship from the prospective employer
• The employer must be approved by the Home Office
• That Certificate must provide specific information about the job being offered
• The position in question must be on the list of eligible occupations

Language Requirements

Employers looking to sponsor foreign skilled workers must be mindful that any skilled workers they extend job offers to must be able to speak, understand, read, and write English. Foreign workers hoping to obtain a Skilled Worker Visa will be asked to prove their proficiency with English when they apply.

Length of Stay

A Skilled Worker Visa will be valid for 5 years from the date of issue and can be extended as many times as necessary beyond that. This eliminates the need for employers to have to constantly train new workers and allows the skilled worker to settle into their position.

In addition, at the end of the initial 5-year period, the worker may be eligible to apply for what is called "indefinite leave to remain". In essence, this allows the foreign skilled worker to settle permanently in the UK, although this in itself is not a grant of citizenship.

Applying for a Skilled Worker Visa

Applications for the Skilled Worker Visa must be made online and the applicant will need to make sure they are able to provide the following documents:

• A Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved employer
• A valid passport that indicates their nationality and identity
• The prospective job title and salary
• Proof of English proficiency (results of a Secure English Language Test will be accepted)
• The occupation code of the prospective job
• The employer's name and sponsor license
• Criminal records check from a verifiable source

Any documents not in English or Welsh will need to be translated.

When Should a Worker Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa?

Applications for the Skilled Worker Visa are accepted up to 3 months prior to the day they are scheduled to start work. The work start day is indicated on the Certificate of Sponsorship.

Receiving the Decision

The current average wait to receive a decision on a Skilled Worker Visa is 4 weeks when the application is submitted from outside the UK. In some instances, a decision may be rendered in as little as 3 weeks or as many as 8 weeks. It will depend on the particular circumstances of the application.

Cost of a Skilled Worker Visa

Every applicant will need to pay an application fee between £625 and £1,423, as well as a healthcare surcharge of £624 per year. The applicant will also need to prove they have at least £1,270 available to them to cover their expenses when they first arrive in the UK.

Trusted Recruitment Services

Browse more insights and advice on our blog, and if you require recruitment services in accounting, finance and bookkeeping, get in touch with us by calling +44 (0)20 8663 6699 or by emailing team@jmfassociates.co.uk.