Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Eligibility

To be eligible for this visa, you must meet the criteria given below:

• Be an existing employee of an organisation that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work you will do in the UK (this would be an electronic form, not a paperback document)
• Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• Be paid at least £42,400 per year

Additionally, you will need to have worked with your employer outside of the UK prior to applying for this visa. If you are earning less than £73,900 per annum, you must have been working for your employer for a minimum of 12 months outside of the UK. However, if you are earning above £73,900, no minimum time is needed to have worked with your employer.

There is a list of occupations that you can check to see if your job is eligible to apply for this visa.

How much does it cost?

There are two fees that need to be paid upon finishing your application – the application fee and the healthcare surcharge.

The application fee is dependent on where you are applying from and how long you intend to stay in the UK. If you are applying from outside of the UK:

• up to 3 years – £625 per person
• more than 3 years – £1,235 per person

However, if you are already in the UK or on an Intra-company Transfer visa:

• up to 3 years – £719 per person
• more than 3 years – £1,423

With this, you would usually have to pay the healthcare surcharge which is an additional £624 per year. The UK government will also need to see a minimum of £1270 in your bank account to show that you can support yourself while you are here.

What documents are needed?

When applying, you will need to provide:

• A valid passport
• Your certificate of sponsorship by your employer
• Job title and annual salary
• Job occupation code
• The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number
• Evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example, bank statements
• Proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you
• Evidence that you’ve worked with your employer outside of the UK (if you’re earning less than £73,900)