UK work visa routes
A UK work visa is not one visa but a set of published routes: Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder and others. What separates them is whether an employer's sponsorship is required.
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| Route | Sponsor required | What the application rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | Yes | Certificate of Sponsorship and the salary rule |
| Health and Care Worker | Yes | Certificate of Sponsorship in an eligible role |
| Global Business Mobility | Yes | Sponsorship by the receiving UK business |
| Global Talent | No | Endorsement by an approved body |
| Innovator Founder | No | Endorsement of the business idea |
Each work route carries its own conditions, and a reader comparing them is really comparing one question — whether an employer holds the licence or the applicant holds the standing. For the largest sponsored route in detail, see the UK Skilled Worker visa.
01
Which UK work visa routes exist?
The published work routes fall into two groups: those that depend on sponsorship by an approved employer, and those that rest on the applicant's own standing or an endorsement from an approved body. The group decides what evidence an application needs.
02
Is employer sponsorship required for a work visa?
Sponsorship is not required on every route. Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker and Global Business Mobility require a Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved employer; Global Talent and Innovator Founder rest on an endorsement instead.
Where sponsorship applies, the licence sits with the employer rather than the applicant, and the visa is tied to that employment. On the endorsement routes the applicant holds the qualifying document, which is why changing employer does not end the visa.
03
What do UK work visas cost?
The Skilled Worker fee from outside the UK is £819 for up to three years and £1,618 beyond that. The healthcare surcharge is £1,035 per person per year and the minimum savings figure to evidence is £1,270.
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, up to 3 years | £819 | From outside the UK |
| Skilled Worker, over 3 years | £1,618 | From outside the UK |
| Healthcare surcharge | £1,035 a year | Per person, whole period up front |
| Savings to evidence | £1,270 | Held for the published period |
Free starter report
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Five short questions. In return you get a one-page report setting out the steps, the documents, the official fees and the timings for the route you chose, each with its source.
04
How is the salary threshold set on work visas?
The Skilled Worker salary rule is not a single figure but the higher of two: £41,700 a year and the published going rate for the occupation's four-digit code. Some routes outside health and education apply different figures.
Because the going rate is published per occupation code, the same salary reaches different outcomes in different jobs. Which code a role falls under is determined by the sponsoring employer, and a regulated adviser assesses what that means for an individual application.
05
Is the Ankara Agreement route still open?
New applications under the Ankara Agreement, on the Turkish Businessperson and Turkish Worker visas, are closed. GOV.UK states that people already holding one extend from inside the UK for up to three years at a time.
06
How does a work visa lead to settlement?
The published period on the work routes is five years, and absence from the UK within those five years stays at or below 180 days in any 12 months. Global Talent leaders reach the threshold in three years.
The absence limit is measured in rolling 12-month windows rather than calendar years, so a single long trip can affect more than one window. What settlement requires in an individual case is set out at indefinite leave to remain.
Sources
- GOV.UK — The UK publishes several work routes, divided between those requiring a Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved employer and those resting on an endorsement or the applicant's own standing.
- GOV.UK — The Skilled Worker salary requirement is the higher of £41,700 a year and the published going rate for the occupation code.
- GOV.UK — The Skilled Worker fee from outside the UK is £819 for up to three years and £1,618 for longer, and the healthcare surcharge is £1,035 a year.
- GOV.UK — The Ankara Agreement routes are closed to new applications; existing holders extend from inside the UK for up to three years at a time.
