UK Work Permit / Tier 2 Visa Overview

The info below is not immigration advise. It is just general information to point you in the right direction. Always consult the advise of an immigration lawyer to help you go through the application process.


Nonetheless, here are some info which takes into account the changes to the tier 2 rules made in April 2011.

Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship

The Certificate of Sponsorship is not an actual certificate or paper document but is a virtual document in the form of a database record. Each Certificate of Sponsorship has a unique reference number and contains information about the job for which it has been issued and the applicant's personal details.

It is the Sponsors responsibility to provide the applicant with:

  • The Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
  • Information associated with that reference number such as the declared wage

Tier 2 Points Test

For possible entry to the UK as a skilled worker under the terms of Tier 2 (general category) it is necessary to score a minimum total of 70 points as detailed below:

  • You must meet the Maintenance Requirements for which you are awarded 10 points
  • You must meet the English Language Requirements for which you also get 10 points
  • The remaining points are awarded for various 'Attributes' (sponsorship, academic qualifications and prospective earnings) You need to score a minimum of a further 50 points from a possible total of 85

Sponsorship

You will need a job offer and a  Certificate of Sponsorship from your prospective employer.

  • If the job is on the Shortage Occupation List then you get 50 points 
  • If the job is not on the List then you score 30 points and need to obtain 20 more from the remaining 2 categories below

Academic Qualifications

You can score up to 15 points for your qualifications (select your highest qualification and get the points shown):

  • 15 points: PhD
  • 10 points: Bachelors or Masters degree
  • 5 points: GCE A level or equivalent

Prospective Earnings

You can score a maximum of 20 points for the (yearly) earnings specified in your Certificate of Sponsorship:

  • 20 points: GBP 32,000 +
  • 15 points: GBP 28,000 to 31,999
  • 10 points: GBP 24,000 to 27,999
  • 5 points: GBP 20,000 to 23,999

Tier 2 Maintenance Requirements

To gain entry into the UK under all categories of Tier 2 it is necessary to fulfill the Maintenance Requirement.This is intended to demonstrate an applicant's ability to support his or herself during the first month of residency in the UK.

To qualify at this stage, a migrant must fulfill one of the following 2 conditions:

  • He or she must be able to show personal savings equivalent to £800 at the time the application is made *
  • He or she must have written confirmation from their sponsor that the sponsor will maintain and accommodate them until the end of the first month of their work in the United Kingdom.

If the applicant intends to bring his or her immediate family with them to the UK then there are additional requirements: For each dependant one of the following 2 conditions must also be satisfied:

  • The dependent or the applicant must be able to show personal savings equivalent to £533 at the time the application is made *
  • The applicant must have written confirmation from his or her sponsor that the sponsor will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate his or her dependents during their first month in the United Kingdom.

* The financial provisions will change at the end of March 2009 when the amounts of £800 and £533 will need to have been held at all times during the preceding 3 month period.

Evidence of personal savings

The following forms of evidence are allowable:

  1. Personal Bank or Building Society statements
  2. Building Society pass book
  3. A letter from a bank, building society or other financial institution which is officially regulated in either the UK or the applicants home country

In all cases the evidence should be original, should clearly relate to the applicant and should bear the issuing institution's name and logo. Statements generated electronically should bear the stamp of the relevant institution on each page

Tier 2 English Language Requirements

To gain entry into the UK under all categories * of Tier 2 it is necessary to fulfill the English Language Requirement. This is intended to demonstrate an applicant's ability to succeed in his or her new job and to successfully integrate into UK society.

* Please see the notes at the bottom of this page

Applicants must be able to speak English at a level that shows familiarity with everyday expressions and basic phrases. They must be able to introduce themselves to others and answer basic personal questions about themselves.

An applicant can demonstrate the necessary competence in English in one of three ways.

  1. By being a national of a majority English-speaking country
  2. By successfully completing a degree equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree taught in English
  3. By passing an acceptable English language test

1. By being a national of a majority English-speaking country

Nationals of the majority English-speaking countries listed below automatically meet the English Language Requirement:

  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Australia
  • The Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • New zealand
  • St Kitts & Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • The USA

Documentary evidence of nationality can be in the form of a current valid original passport or travel document, current national identity card or an original letter from the applicantš home government or embassy

2. By successfully completing a degree equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree taught in English

An applicant may provide evidence that he or she holds a degree which:

  • is equivalent to a UK Bachelor's level or higher (as recognised by the Recognition Information Centre for the UK (UK NARIC).
  • has been taught or researched in English (If the degree was taken in one of the majority English-speaking countries listed above, with the exception of Canada, then it will be assumed that it was taught in English otherwise it must be proved)

3. By passing an acceptable English language test

The test certificate must have been issued by an organisation approved by the UK Border Agency.

As an example, the following test and pass mark is acceptable in the general category:

  • International English Language testing System (IELTS) - Level B1 - score 4.0

The Role of the Sponsor

A Sponsor is a UK based organisation that wishes to employ an overseas applicant in the UK. For the purposes of the Tier System, an overseas applicant is a national of a country outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

In order to sponsor applicants, an employer will need to have registered with the UK Border Agency as a Licensed Sponsor. For this registration to be accepted, the employer will need to meet certain requirements for the particular category of Tier 2 and accept certain responsibilities to help with immigration control.

The Sponsor will need to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship before an applicant can apply for leave to enter the UK or remain in the UK under Tier 2. The Certificate of Sponsorship will act as an assurance that the applicant is able to undertake a particular job and intends to do so.












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