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Since free movement from the EU ended, the Skilled Worker visa has become the main route for overseas nationals coming to the UK to work. Employers in pretty much every sector now have to engage with the sponsorship system if they want to hire from abroad, and demand for skilled overseas workers is not letting up.
We advise both sides of the equation: employers trying to navigate the system, and individuals building careers here.
Who Qualifies
To qualify, you need a job offer from a sponsor-licensed employer in a role that meets the skill and salary requirements in the rules. The job must be at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 3 or above – roughly A-level equivalent – and the salary must hit the minimum for that occupation code.
Reduced thresholds apply in some situations, including roles on the Immigration Salary List and new entrants to the labour market. Working out which provisions apply takes careful analysis. We go through the occupation codes and salary bands with employers to make sure everything stacks up before any certificate of sponsorship is issued.
Sponsor Licences
Sponsor licences themselves can be daunting. The Home Office assesses whether your business is genuine, looks at your compliance history, examines your HR systems, and wants to know that you can meet the ongoing duties that come with being a sponsor. Those duties are not trivial in that they include accurate record-keeping, timely reporting of certain changes, and cooperation with unannounced compliance visits.
If your licence gets suspended or revoked, every worker you sponsor is affected as their right to be here is tied to your licence status. We help employers through the application process and advise on staying compliant.
The certificate of sponsorship is the digital record you create when offering someone a job. It contains the key details – role, salary, start date, and occupation code. Errors at this stage cause problems down the line, and fixing a certificate after it has been assigned is not straightforward. We work with employers to get certificates right first time.
Applying as a Worker
From the worker’s perspective, the application involves an online form, fees, the health surcharge, biometrics, and evidence of identity, qualifications and English. B1 English can be shown through an approved test or an English-taught degree. Nationals of certain majority English-speaking countries are exempt. Standard processing for applications from abroad is typically around three weeks, which is quicker than many other visa categories.
What makes this route attractive is the path to settlement. Five years on a Skilled Worker visa, meeting salary and other requirements throughout, and you can apply for ILR. We advise clients from the start about what each stage requires, because decisions made early, such as salary levels, time spent abroad, and changing employers can have consequences years later.
Changing jobs is allowed, but you need a fresh certificate of sponsorship from the new employer and a new visa application. You cannot just resign and start elsewhere. Beginning work before your new application is approved breaches your conditions and puts your entire status at risk. We handle these transitions regularly and understand that timing is usually tight for everyone involved.
Employer or employee, Tower Bridge Legal offers clear, practical guidance on the Skilled Worker route. Immigration is not just a legal exercise but it impacts real people with real ambitions. We never lose sight of that.
