If you are a student looking to get a work permit visa in the UK, then a new variant of work visa known as a skilled worker visa is the route for you. An applicant is allowed to switch in-country from a student visa to the skilled worker visa route. This route is also available for the spouses and dependent children of skilled workers. As the best immigration law firm, we have dedicated this blog to switching from a tier 4 student visa to a skilled worker visa. Obtaining an employment visa is a big step for overseas students who have completed their degrees in the UK. An UK skilled worker route visa requires a skill or work experience rather than a degree or education.
Switching from Student Visa to a Skilled Worker
Considering who is allowed to switch to the skilled worker visa, the only requirement under the latest points-based system is that the applicant who is applying for the employment visa under this route must be in the UK on the exact date of submission and must not have been last granted permission as a:
- Visitor,
- Short-term student,
- Parent of a student,
- Seasonal worker, or
- Domestic worker
Our immigration solicitor helps you make a fool-proof application under the skilled worker route and help you out with the intricacies of the application. You may also want to consider switching from a student visa to a British citizen.
Requirements to Switch to Skilled Worker Route
You will be considered a new entrant if you are below the age of 26 and will also be considered a new entrant for this employment visa if you satisfy the following conditions:
- Your latest visa was a student visa,
- The student visa expired not more than 2 years prior to the application,
- The student visa was for a UK undergraduate degree, master’s degree, PhD or doctoral degree,
- You have completed your education, and in the case of a PhD degree, you have completed 12 months of education in the UK.
There is no maximum age limit for applying for an employment visa under the skilled worker route. The minimum age limit as prescribed is 18 years.
Other Requirements
You will be required to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:
- You possess a genuine certificate of sponsorship for the job you are planning to do,
- Your job offer is genuine,
- Your job sponsor has paid any immigration skills charge,
- Your job demands an appropriate skill set,
- You are fluent in English at B1 level,
- You have furnished a valid TB certificate
Length of Stay
A successful candidate under the skilled worker route is allowed to stay for a maximum period of 5 years to build their professional career in the UK.
Eligibility to Settle as a Skilled Worker
To settle as a skilled worker, an applicant must have stayed in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years in United Kingdom. Also, they would be required to meet other requirements such as knowledge of life in the UK and the sponsorship, validity, salary, and suitability requirements.
Osbourne Pinner—Best Immigration Law Firm in London
Applying through the skilled worker route is not straightforward, and one mistake can cost your future. We have a team of professional lawyers in London who will help you with this employment visa at each application step. We provide legal assistance with sponsor licenses and advise students on their tier 4 student visa application for a skilled worker visa. Our immigration solicitor helps you fulfil all the legal compliance and provides legal assistance on every aspect of switching to the skilled worker visa.
If you’re simply planning ahead, and you’ve still not secured your first UK visa, be sure to read:Â Everything You Should Learn About the UK Student Visa
