Sponsored skilled workers (Tier 2 - General)
On the 27th November 2008, Tier 2 - General (Sponsored skilled workers) replaced The Business & Commercial Work Permits scheme in the UK.
Overview
To be eligible to apply for this visa, you must;
- have a sponsor (employer)
- have a valid certificate of sponsorship (job offer)
- meet the points requirement (awarded for various attributes).
Tier 2 will be granted for the duration of 3 years in the first instance, with the possibility of extending to 5 years.
Employers who want to sponsor a skilled worker under Tier 2 must either demonstrate that they could not fill the job with a UK or EEA applicant by conducting a 'resident labour market' test or they must recruit for a job on the shortage occupations list. (For jobs on this list it is more difficult for employers to find suitable applicants, so they do not have to carry out a labour market test if recruiting for a job on this list.)
The shortage list can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
What has changed?
- Employers now need to register in advance with the UK Borders Agency if they wish to apply for a licence to act as a sponsor. You can view the register of sponsors on the UK Border Agency website: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/sponsoringmigrants/registerofsponsors/
- The employer will have to conduct a labour market test to demonstrate they could not recruit a UK or EEA worker (unless recruiting for a job from the shortage occupation list). After that they will issue the applicant with a certificate of sponsorship (they will no longer send off a work permit application to the Home Office).
- You, the applicant, will then apply for a new visa using this certificate. You will also need to score a certain amount of points to qualify. You can use the points calculator on the UK Border Agency website to check if you meet the points requirement: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator
If you are employed by a company for at least 6 months on a Post-study work visa, the company may be able to sponsor you for Tier 2 without conducting a labour market test. See the UK Border Agency website for further details on switching into Tier 2 -sponsor skilled worker category:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/general/eligibility/switching/
Getting help
Not all employers are familiar with the visa regulations. If you meet an employer who is unfamiliar with the regulations you can refer them to these resources too.
- UK Border Agency
Tier 2 - Sponsored skilled worker visa information for applicants
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/general/ - UK Border Agency
Tier 2 information for employers:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers - The International Advice Team at The University of Manchester
Information on Tier 2 -sponsor skilled workers
http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/academic-life/immigration/working/after-studies/ - You could also see our Sources of Immigration Advice contacts.
Common questions
Which companies accept applications from international students?
If you are thinking of applying for Tier 2, you can see a list of companies who are registered sponsors on the UK Border Agency website. You can then target these employers for Tier 2 sponsorship:
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/sponsoringmigrants/registerofsponsors/
This list is updated frequently so you may need to bookmark it and refer back to it to see new company additions.