Tier 2 Skilled Workers

Tier 2 Skilled Workers

The Tier 2 Skilled Worker route is the main visa route by which non-EEA skilled workers come to work in the UK. A UK firm or organisation which holds a Tier 2 sponsor licence is able to employ Tier 2 migrants.

The two main types of Tier 2 visa are Tier 2 General and Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (often called “Tier 2 ICT”).

Tier 2 General Visa

The Tier 2 General route enables non-EEA skilled workers to come to the UK – or in some circumstances to remain in the UK and switch visas – to work in a specific job for a specific employer.

The job must be skilled to at least NQF level 6, and in every case, the employer must pay at least a stated minimum salary. The salary varies from job to job.

There is a B1 English language requirement and close family members (partner and minor children) can apply as dependants.

Tier 2 General visas can be granted for up to five years, and it may be possible to obtain settlement after five years.

Tier 2 ICT Visa

The Tier 2 ICT visa enables a senior employee of an international company to come to the UK to work in a skilled job in a UK branch of the company.

There is no English language requirement and close family members (partner and minor children) can apply as dependants.

This visa only confers limited leave and does not provide a route to settlement.

Only a firm or organisation which holds a Tier 2 sponsor licence can employ Tier 2 migrants, and the Tier 2 sponsor licence application process is quite difficult. And in some cases, the employer needs to advertise the position before they are able to sponsor a Tier 2 migrant and there may also be other complexities that the employer has to deal with.

At Get UK Visa we have extensive experience of both Tier 2 visa applications and Tier 2 sponsor license applications, and we may be able to help you.