Elsie UdohIf you currently work for a company with a UK branch, there is a visa that allows you, as a senior manager or specialist, to work in the UK with your employer’s UK branch.
This is the UK’s Senior and Specialist Worker visa. It replaces the intra-company transfer visa and is part of the Global Business Mobility scheme, which allows companies to bring skilled workers into the country temporarily.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIf you’ve recently gotten a promotion or were relocated to your company’s branch in the UK and are looking to apply and get approved quickly, here’s everything you need to know.
Key Eligibility Requirements for UK’s New Visa for Senior and Specialist Workers
Before applying for this new visa, you want to be sure that you meet the eligibility requirements. The requirements are that you must:
- Be employed by a UK Home Office-approved sponsor organisation.
- Have worked for your employer outside of the UK for at least a year. If not, then you earn more than £73,900.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a certificate of sponsorship from your UK employer.
- Have a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations.
- Earn at least £45,800 per year.
- Have enough funds to support yourself (at least £1,270) and any dependents for the first month in the UK.
- Have your UK sponsor pay any required Immigration Skills Charge.
Steps to Apply for the UK’s Senior and Specialist Worker Visa
If you check all of those boxes successfully, then here’s how you can apply for the UK’s new visa for senior and specialist workers.
1. Confirm Your Eligibility
Start by ensuring that your job is on the UK Home Office’s list of eligible occupations. The list comprises several occupations, and some of them are IT specialists, civil engineers, and pharmacists.
2. Submit Your Online Application
If your occupation is on the list, then visit the UK government’s visa portal to fill in the application form and upload the necessary documents as either either PDF, PNG, JPG, or JPEG.
The documents you’ll need are:
- Your certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from your employer. This is valid for three months, so you must apply for your visa within three months of getting your CoS.
- Proof of your job role and yearly salary.
- A valid passport.
- The occupation code of your job, according to the list.
- The name and sponsor license number of your employer. You’ll find your employer’s sponsor license number on your CoS.
- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself at least for the first month. This is not necessary if your employer will support you.
- Proof of your relationship with your dependents if you bring them.
- A tuberculosis certificate if you are from a listed country.
- Proof that you have worked for your employer outside the UK. This is usually requested only if you have an income less than £73,900.
- Depending on the nature of your work, you might be asked to present a valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
3. Pay the Required Fees
After submitting the required documents, the next step is to pay the fees.
The application fee for the UK’s new visa for senior and specialist workers is not fixed. Instead, it varies depending on the length of the visa and where the application is made from (inside or outside the UK).
If you are outside the UK and applying for up to three years, then the application fee is £827. For the same duration but applying from inside the UK, then you will be required to pay £719.
On the other hand, if you are applying for more than three years from outside the UK, the fee is £1,636. But from inside the UK, you will pay £1,420.
Apart from the application fee, you will also be mandated to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). This is a mandatory charge for all applicants with a visa that is longer than six months.
The cost for this is £1,035 per year of stay. However, students and children pay a reduced rate of £776 per year.
READ ALSO: Common Reasons Why Canadian Citizenship Applications Are Rejected
4. Book and Attend a Biometric Appointment
Visit a visa application centre to provide your fingerprints, photos, and any other supporting documents requested.
You can find a Visa Application Centre (VAC) online on the UK government’s visa portal.
How to Get the UK’s Senior and Specialist Worker Visa Fast
After applying online for the UK’s senior and specialist worker visa, you will need to wait for the standard processing time to know your fate.
Again, this varies based on your location. If you’re applying from outside the UK, then you can expect a decision within three weeks. But from inside the UK, it takes within eight weeks.
Sometimes, however, you might be in a hurry and be unable to wait that long. If that’s the case, then there are two faster routes to take to hasten your processing time.
You can either use the ‘priority service’ or the ‘super priority service.’ The priority service allows you to get a decision within 5 working days. While with the super priority service, you can get a response by the end of the next working day.
To use either of these services, however, you must be in the UK and have legal permission to be there. You will also need to prove your identity. This can be done in person or using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app.
For the priority service:
You’ll pay an additional £500 to the application fee and wait five working days.
This time usually starts from the day of your appointment, if you prove your identity in person, or the working day after you finish uploading your documents (if you use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app).
For the super priority service:
You’ll pay £1,000 in addition to the application fee. Your response time remains by the end of the next working day, although this can take longer if you apply during the weekend.
Although using these methods can make your processing time faster, they do not guarantee your application approval. You still have to meet all the requirements of the relevant UK immigration rules.
Note: Regardless of whether you use the priority or super priority service, your application can take longer than the expected time if the Home Office needs to ask you for more information or check your details with other government departments.
Additional Tips to Minimise Delays
In cases where you cannot afford to pay extra to get a faster response, here are some tips that can help you to minimise delays in your application:
- Apply three months before your intended start date in the UK.
- Ensure all your documents are accurate and up-to-date.
- Address any requests for additional information from the home office promptly.
Doing these will help you avoid delays and receive your visa well ahead of your intended resumption time.
Remember to stay updated on any changes in visa prices or policies before applying by visiting the UK Home Office website. Also, have up-to-date documents and ensure to meet all deadlines after applying.
If you carefully follow all of the steps provided here, then you are ready to start your application for the UK’s Senior and Specialist Worker visa.
Elsie Udoh is an SEO content writer who specialises in writing engaging stories that resonates with diverse audiences. She studied mass communication at the Lagos State University.
