If you are an overseas national, you can apply for this visa if you qualify by gaining enough points. You can apply from overseas or from within the UK if you have permission to be in the UK. You will need a UK sponsor to offer you employment and assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The UK sponsor must have an A-Rated sponsor licence to be able to assign you a CoS.

CoS types

• Unrestricted – assigned under Leave to Remain
• Restricted – assigned under Leave to Enter

You will need to score, 50 points for attributes, 10 for maintenance and 10 for English.

Attributes

• Assigned CoS in your name = 30 points
• Appropriate salary = 20 points

The appropriate salary is governed by the SOC codeassigned to your job and you must meet the current salary of £30,000 if your CoS is assigned under ‘Experienced’. 

The initial visa can be up to 3 or 5 years. Different rules apply depending if you are applying under 'Experienced' to 'Entrant'.  Entrant can only be assigned under ‘Leave to Remain’ for a maximum of 3 years whereas ‘Experienced’ can be assigned under ‘Leave to Remain’ or ‘Leave to Enter for a maximum of 5 years.

CoS can be assigned to a maximum of 6 years but after 5 years you can apply for UK settlement status.

English & Maintenance

English level being B1 = 10 points

Maintenance having sufficient funds = 10 points.

Can and Cannot do on this visa type

• Can take a second job up to 20 hours per week in the same profession and same level
• Accept voluntary work up to 20 hours per week
• Study in the UK as long as it does not interfere with your sponsored job
• Bring family to the UK
• You are not permitted to accept UK public funds
• Cannot start the Tier 2 job until the visa is approved.

Before you submit your visa application to the Home Office, you must have a:

• Unrestricted CoS - Leave to Remain
• Restricted CoS - Leave to Enter

Once you been assigned a CoS, you can then submit a visa application to the Home Office. 

Unless you are applying from North Korea, all visa applications are now processed online. 

Leave to Enter

If you are applying to enter the UK on this visa type, you will have to register with the Home Office commercial partner where you attend your biometrics appointment.

Entry visas are processed normally in 3 weeks from your biometrics appointment date unless you upgrade to priority or super priority.

Leave to Remain

If you are applying to remain in the UK on this visa type, you will have to register with the Home Office commercial partner where you attend your biometrics appointment.

Visas to remain in the UK are processed normally in 8 weeks from your biometrics appointment date unless you upgrade to priority or super priority.

Can I switch into this visa type:

Yes, you can if you hold a valid UK visa that is permitted to switch:

• Tier 1 visa
• Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa
• Tier 2 (Minister of religion) visa
• Tier 2 (Intra company Transfer) visa under the Immigration Rules in place before 6 April 2010 and you’re applying to change sponsor
• Tier 4 visa - if you have an eligible qualification, will complete your course in 3 months, or you have done at least 12 months of a PhD
• Start-up visa
• Innovator visa
• a dependent partner of someone with a Tier 4 visa
• a representative of an overseas business.

Tier 4 Guidance

If you plan to switch from this visa type to Tier 2 General, you must have completed your UK studies at one of these levels:

• a UK bachelor’s degree
• a UK master’s degree
• a postgraduate certificate in education
• a professional graduate diploma of education.

If you are currently studying at PhD level or just completed your studies and, your Tier 4 visa is still valid, if you completed at least 12 months’ of studies, you can also switch if your training institute is one of these:

• a higher education provider listed on the Tier 4 register of sponsors as ‘Tier 4 sponsor - track record’
• an overseas higher education institution if you did a short-term study abroad programme in the UK.

Note: If your education is below these listed levels, you cannot switch meaning, you need to depart the UK and apply to enter the UK on a new visa.

Can I extend my tier 2 visa?

Yes, you can extend up to a maximum of 6 years, then you must depart the UK unless you apply for UK settlement status which is 5 years.

You can extend your tier 2 visa with the same employer or you can change employers. 

CoS assigned under Entrant

If you were initially assigned a CoS under 'Entrant' salary, if you change employers or obtain a second CoS, you must now be paid 'Experienced' salary.

When you are assigned a new CoS, you need to clarify with the UK sponsor if they will certify maintenance for you and any family members needing a visa. If they say yes, you do not need to provide the maintenance levels of £945 for you and £630 per family member and these funds must have been held at or above these levels for 90 consecutive days prior to your visa submission.

'In-Time' Application

You must submit online your visa extension before your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card expires. If you submit your visa after it has expired, you must cease working under your visa is approved.

Can I settle via this visa route?

Yes, you can as long as you complied to the visa rules you are under.

Once you been legally in the UK for 5 years (continuous residence).

Continuous Residence

If you switched into Tier 2 General from one of the following, you could combine these visa types to count as 5 continuous years:

• Member of Ground Staff of an Overseas Owned Airline
• Minister of Religion, Missionary or Member of a Religious Order
• Work Permit in the business and commercial category or the sports and entertainment category
• Representative of an Overseas Business
• Representative of an Overseas Newspaper, News Agency or Broadcasting Organisation
• any tier 1, except Tier 1 (Post-study work) or Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
• Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
• Innovator
• Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer if this visa was issued before 6 April 2010.

You and any adult dependants will need B1 level in English and pass the Life in the UK test.

UK sponsor letter & A-Rated

When applying for UK settlement, your salary must be at a certain level, this needs to be confirmed in a letter from your UK sponsor plus, confirm they still need to employ you if your visa is approved.

Can my family apply under this visa route?

All 'direct' family members can apply to enter the UK or apply to remain in the UK under this visa route as your PBS Dependant.

Who are 'Direct' family members?

• Married or Civil Partnership
• Unmarried partner
• Children aged 0-17 (entry visa only)
• Children aged 18 and over (if in the UK already and entered the UK under aged 18).

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