Work Permits

Permission to work in the UK

If you want to come to the UK to work you may need to apply for permission under the points-based system. Find out about the different tiers, and what you will need for your application.

Applying for a visa

Your right to work in the UK will depend on where you are from. Unless you are a British citizen or a citizen of one of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, you may need a visa before you travel here.

If you are, or think you might be, a citizen of an EEA country you should read the ‘European workers in the UK’ article. This will explain who EEA workers are and what they need to know before working in the UK.

If you have to get a visa, you will need to be cleared by officials at a British Overseas Mission in your national country. Once cleared, the entry clearance certificate, or visa, will be put into your passport or travel document.

Non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals

If you want to work or study in the UK and are not from an EEA country or Switzerland, it is likely you will need to apply under the points-based system.

Points-based system

There are five tiers in the points-based system:

  • Tier 1 – highly skilled workers
  • Tier 2 – skilled workers with a job offer
  • Tier 3 – low-skilled workers filling specific temporary labour shortages
  • Tier 4 – students
  • Tier 5 – youth mobility and temporary workers

Tier 1

You should apply under Tier 1 if you want to come to the UK or extend your stay in the UK and you are a:

  • highly skilled worker
  • entrepreneur
  • investor
  • post-study worker

Tier 2

You should apply under Tier 2 if you are a skilled worker with a job offer. For example, if you are a teacher or a nurse.

To apply under Tier 2 you need to have:

  • a Certificate of Sponsorship provided by an organisation who has a UK Border Agency sponsorship licence
  • evidence that you meet other criteria to earn you points towards your application (points scoring criteria include earnings, qualifications, English language and maintenance)

Tier 3

Tier 3, the route for low-skilled workers, is currently suspended.

Tier 4

There are two types of student categories in Tier 4 of the points-based system:

  • general student – for students coming to the UK for post-16 education
  • child student – for children between 4 and 17 years old to come to the UK for their education (children between 4 and 15 years old may only be educated at independent fee paying schools)

To apply, you must want to study with an approved education provider that has a UK Border Agency Tier 4 sponsorship licence.

Tier 5

You should apply under Tier 5 if you are a youth mobility or temporary worker. For example, if you are a musician coming to play in a concert.

To apply under Tier 5 you need to have:

  • a Certificate of Sponsorship provided by an organisation who has a UK Border Agency sponsorship licence
  • evidence that you meet other criteria to earn you points towards your application

Applicants in Tiers 2 and 5 have to apply to the UK Border Agency to change jobs and they can’t claim public funds.

Further help on the points-based system

If you need more information on the points-based system and how long you can stay and work in the UK see the UK Border Agency website.

Family members

Relatives of non-EU workers in the UK do not have an automatic right to work in the United Kingdom. If you are in this category, you may need to apply for a residence card before having the right to work here under European law.

Comments are closed.