Applying for a Tier 2 UK Work Visa

If you are moving to the UK, it is important to acquire the correct visa for your circumstances. This means that things will be as simple as possible for you when you are making a new life for yourself in the UK.

What is a Tier 2 Work Visa?

A Tier 2 Work Visa is the main visa that you will be applying for if you are entering the UK in order to work. It is a uk points based system, and the points are gathered together based on categories that the Home Office set out. These categories include your age, your English language requirements, the qualifications that you have earned and your overall income.

You generally need to score at least 70 points. If you are based in, or looking to immigrate to the North West of England then immigration solicitors Manchester can help you with your application.

Am I eligible?

In order to be considered eligible for a Tier 2 uk work visa, you need to be qualified to perform a role on the Tier 2 occupation list, or the Tier 2 shortage occupation list. You also need to have a job offer from a UK employer before you can apply for this visa. However, that’s not all. Before you apply, your employer must also have the permission to sponsor your application by having a sponsorship licence in place. It’s up to the employer to apply for their sponsorship licence.

What will my visa allow me to do?

A Tier 2 general visa allows you to stay in the UK for a maximum of five years and 14 days, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter. You can arrive in the country up to 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship. You can also apply to extend your visa for up to five more years after your initial visa expires, as long as your total stay is not more than six years. Applying for a Tier 2 visa also entitles you to apply for visas for any dependents, such as your spouse or children. They may then live in the UK with you for the same duration as you are, and they will be allowed to work and study.

While you are in the UK on a Tier 2 general visa you can:

• Work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• Work in a second job, if you wish
• Undertake voluntary work
• Study – as long as it doesn’t interfere with the job you are sponsored for
• Travel abroad and return to the UK
• Bring family members with you

However, there are certain things that you can’t do, such as:

• Own more than 10 percent of your sponsor’s shares, unless you earn more than £159,600 a year
• Access public funds
• Apply for a second job before you start working for your sponsor

People with some select nationalities also need to register with the police when they are planning to stay in the UK for more than six months. If you wish to change employers while you are on a tier 2 visa, you will likely need to go through the visa application process again.

Once you’ve got the correct visa, it can make everything run much more smoothly when you move to the UK.