Routes to United Kingdom: employed professional

Open to people with a sponsored job offer in an eligible occupation, but the salary floor (GBP 41,700 a year or the occupation going rate, whichever is higher) and a B2 English test are hard gates, and the employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence.

Who this is for

• ·Professionals with a confirmed job offer from a UK employer licensed to sponsor
• ·Applicants whose job is on the eligible occupations table and who meet the salary rule

You must have every one of these

• ·Confirmed job offer from a Home Office approved UK employer, with a certificate of sponsorship from that employer.
• ·Job must be in an eligible occupation; higher-skilled occupations qualify, medium-skilled ones only where the page's conditions (immigration salary list or temporary shortage list) are met.
• ·Salary at least the higher of GBP 41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation code; a lower floor of GBP 33,400 applies only in the cases on the 'paid less' page.
• ·English at CEFR B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening, unless exempt (listed nationalities, or regulated health professionals with an accepted assessment).
• ·TB test certificate if you have lived 6 months or more in a listed country; criminal record certificate for education, health, therapy or social-care roles when applying from outside the UK.
• ·Maintenance funds of at least GBP 1,270 held 28 days in a row, unless the certificate of sponsorship shows the employer supports you.

Source: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, knowledge of English (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, documents you must provide (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, how much it costs (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)

Open to doctors, nurses and listed health professionals with a sponsored job, with no Immigration Health Surcharge; care worker and senior care worker roles (codes 6135, 6136) appear on the official page only for extending, updating or switching, so we do not show new overseas care-worker entry as open.

Who this is for

• ·Doctors, nurses and other listed health professionals with a sponsored eligible job
• ·Existing visa holders in care worker roles extending, updating or switching (not new overseas applicants, per the page)

You must have every one of these

• ·Be a qualified doctor, nurse or listed health professional; care worker (6135) and senior care worker (6136) codes are listed only as medium-skilled codes usable to extend, update or switch, with 3 months of legal work for the sponsor needed to switch.
• ·Job offer in an eligible job from a Home Office approved UK employer, with a certificate of sponsorship.
• ·Salary at or above the minimum for the type of work (the page gives no figure).
• ·Able to speak, read, write and understand English; proof is usually required at application.

Source: GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, your job (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)

Not an employer-sponsored job route: only for leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture or digital technology who obtain an endorsement first (or hold a listed prize).

Who this is for

• ·Established or emerging leaders in research, arts and culture or digital technology

You must have every one of these

• ·Aged 18 or over and a leader or potential leader in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.
• ·Endorsement obtained first, unless you hold a prize on the eligible list.

Source: GOV.UK: Global Talent visa (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)

Costs are shown in GBP as the cited source states them, with the unit the source gives. We do not convert currencies. A line with no stated unit or date is marked as such and is not an exact official charge.

Timeline not published by the authority

UKVI says decisions for applicants outside the UK usually take about 3 weeks and applications open up to 3 months before the start date; no end-to-end timeline including sponsor search or English test is published.