How do you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, step by step?
To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you go through six steps (the numbers are ours): 1) your employer gives you a certificate of sponsorship reference number; 2) you gather your documents; 3) you fill in the online form; 4) you pay; 5) you prove your identity; 6) UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sends the decision. Before step 1, GOV.UK says: “You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.” Already in the UK? GOV.UK has separate pages to switch from another visa, extend, or update your visa if you change job or employer.
What are the steps?
You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.
| Step | Who acts | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Before step 1: the job offer | You and the employer | See GOV.UK's line just above |
| 1. Certificate of sponsorship reference number | Your employer | Get the reference number from your employer |
| 2. Gather your documents | You | Collect the items on GOV.UK's documents list (step 2 below) |
| 3. Fill in the online form | You | Start from the GOV.UK page for your route; you can save and come back |
| 4. Pay | You | Pay in the application; the form shows the amount |
| 5. Prove your identity | You | Use the method the form gives you (step 5 below) |
| 6. Decision | UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), part of the Home Office | Wait for the decision (step 6 below) |
The numbering is ours. GOV.UK does not number the steps, and the online form shows you the order. SponsorJobs lists jobs at employers we match to the Home Office register, and you can check any employer on the register yourself. General information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK or a regulated adviser for your own case.
Which GOV.UK page is yours?
How you apply depends on whether you’re:
| GOV.UK's wording | GOV.UK page |
|---|---|
| outside the UK and are coming to the UK | Apply from outside the UK |
| inside the UK and extending your current visa | Extend your visa |
| inside the UK and switching from a different visa | Switch to this visa |
GOV.UK's Switch to this visa page covers people already in the UK on a different visa. It also lists who cannot switch, and the extra conditions for Student visa holders. Changing job or employer on a Skilled Worker visa has its own page. The lines below are from the switch page, the overview and the update page.
You might be able to apply to change (‘switch’) to a Skilled Worker visa if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa.
If you want to change your job or employer, you must apply to update your visa
You can apply to update your visa up to 3 months before the start date of your new job.
How do the steps differ inside and outside the UK?
| Step | Outside the UK page (GOV.UK's words) | Switch and extend pages (GOV.UK's words) |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Online form | “You must apply online for a Skilled Worker visa.” | “You must apply online before your current visa expires.” |
| 5. Identity, in person | “…taken at a visa application centre” | “…taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point” |
| 6. How it arrives | “You’ll get an email containing the decision on your application” | “You’ll get an email or a letter containing the decision on your application” |
Step 1: get your certificate of sponsorship reference number
This step is your employer's. They give you the reference number, and you enter it in the form. Two GOV.UK lines limit when you can apply, and both are below.
The certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record, not a physical document. It will have a reference number, which you’ll need for your visa application.
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
Step 2: gather your documents
GOV.UK lists what you’ll need to provide, then what you might be asked to provide. Both lists are below in GOV.UK's words. Check the page again before you apply, as it can change. Your occupation code is a SOC code; our SOC codes page explains them.
When you apply you’ll need to provide:
| Item (GOV.UK's words) |
|---|
| your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this |
| proof of your knowledge of English |
| a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality |
| your job title and annual salary |
| your job’s occupation code |
| the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number - this will be on your certificate of sponsorship |
Depending on your circumstances, you might be asked to provide:
| Item or note (GOV.UK's words) |
|---|
| evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer can support you) |
| proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you |
| your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country |
| a criminal record certificate - if you’re working in certain jobs |
| a valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher |
| your UK PhD certificate, or your unique Ecctis reference number if your qualification is from outside the UK - you’ll need to apply through Ecctis |
| If your documents are not in English or Welsh you’ll also need to provide a certified translation. |
GOV.UK: countries where you need a TB test
You’ll need to provide a criminal record certificate if you’re applying from outside the UK and you work in:
| Job area (GOV.UK's words) |
|---|
| education, for example teachers, education advisers and school inspectors, childminders, teaching assistants |
| healthcare, for example nurses, doctors, paramedics, managers, pharmacists, dentists and dental nurses, ophthalmic opticians |
| therapy, for example psychologists, speech and language therapists, counsellors |
| social services, for example social workers, managers, probation officers, welfare and housing officers |
If you’re under 28, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve stayed in for a total of 12 months or more since you turned 18. If you’re 28 or over, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve stayed in over the last 10 years.
Step 3: fill in the online form
You fill in the form from the GOV.UK page for your route: outside the UK, switch or extend. Each of those pages has a button that starts the form.
Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.
If you apply from inside the UK, the switch, extend and update pages each carry this line:
You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.
Step 4: pay
You pay inside the online application.
You’ll be told how much you need to pay when you apply.
GOV.UK: how much it costs (today's amounts; we don't copy them because they change)
Step 5: prove your identity
As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.
use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document
have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre
You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.
Step 6: the decision, and after you apply
After you apply, you wait. The overview gives the usual times:
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:
| Overview list (GOV.UK's words) |
|---|
| 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK |
| 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK |
You’ll be contacted if your application will take longer
You may be able to pay to get a faster decision - you’ll be told if you can when you apply.
If your application is successful, your decision email will tell you what you’ll get to prove your immigration status and what you need to do next.
What it means for your job search
Common questions
Do I apply to UKVI or through my employer?
Both have a part. Your employer gives you the certificate of sponsorship reference number. GOV.UK's documents page says: “your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this”. The application is online, and the overview says: “You must apply online.” UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sends the decision.
Can I apply for a Skilled Worker visa without a certificate of sponsorship?
GOV.UK says: “You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa.” Its documents list includes “your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this”.
How early can I apply, and how late?
The overview says: “You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.” The your job page says: “You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.” For a change of job or employer, the update page says: “You can apply to update your visa up to 3 months before the start date of your new job.” If you apply from inside the UK, the switch and extend pages say: “You must apply online before your current visa expires.”
Can I travel while an application from inside the UK is pending?
The switch, extend and update pages each have a travel line, quoted in full in step 3. It covers travel “outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision”, and it says: “Your application will be withdrawn if you do.”
Can I save the form and finish it later?
GOV.UK says: “Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.”
I am on a Graduate visa. Which GOV.UK page covers me?
GOV.UK's Switch to this visa page covers people already in the UK on a different visa. It says: “You might be able to apply to change (‘switch’) to a Skilled Worker visa if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa.” It also lists the visas that cannot switch. Our Graduate visa to Skilled Worker page covers that move.
Can I get a faster decision?
GOV.UK says: “You may be able to pay to get a faster decision - you’ll be told if you can when you apply.”