How to Apply For Tier 2 Work Visa Jobs In The UK

You are looking at Tier 2 work visa jobs in the UK? You are seeking the appropriate path, but now the name is different! The new Tier 2 (General) visa has been replaced by the Skilled Worker Visa (SWV) in 2020.1 It is the guide you are going to follow in order to navigate the existing system, especially with the new Skilled Worker Visa UK requirements 2025 that have already become effective.

The Basic Eligibility(s) of Your Application

There are three fundamental parts that need to be obtained before you even get down to filling in the online application form. These cannot be compromised under the points based immigration system.

Get a Job Offer with a Sponsored Approved Sponsor

You have to be working in an organisation listed on the official list of UK employers with sponsor licence.3 Your application will be refused immediately without any further inquiry.

• Eligibility Check: The job should be at the necessary skill level (usually RQF Level 6/graduate level or higher or listed on the Temporary Shortage List in a few exceptions).4
• Salary: Your salary should be no less than the greater of the general threshold (which is now circa 5£41,700 per annum) or the salary rate as applied to your particular occupation code.6 This is the new, hard and fast Skilled Worker Visa salary requirements 2025.7

Take a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Sponsorship of you is achieved by means of a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) application done through the Sponsor Management System (SMS) by your employer.

• What is a CoS? It is a computerised document, not a paper one, which has a different reference number. This figure will be your indication that a licensed employer is formally sponsoring you to the job in question.
• Actionable Tip: You have to be assigned the CoS by your employer.8 When this has been done, you have to apply your visa within three months or the CoS will lapse.9

Visa Application Completing the Skilled Worker Visa UK Steps

When you have your CoS reference number, then you can continue with your own application on the official GOV.UK site.

Step 1: Prepare All the necessary documents

To avoid delays, it is necessary to prepare in detail Skilled Worker Visa required document 2025.

• Mandatory: CoS reference number, job title, Annual salary and valid passport.11
• English Proficiency: Evidence of English language proficiency Skilled Worker Visa (at least CEFR Level B1/B2 since January 2026).12 It can be a test (IELTS, Pearson), a degree in the English language, or country of residence is one of the majority English-speaking countries.13
• Maintenance Funds: you must have Proof of maintenance UK visa 2025 (14\text{£1,270})} available on one of your 28 days, unless your employer certifies that you have maintenance on the CoS.15.
• Other Checks (Where Exists): Tuberculosis test (UK visa only the listed countries are allowed to apply) and criminal record certificate (in some occupations, such as healthcare and education).16

Step 2: Fill-in and submit online form.

The official GOV.UK portal should be used. The form will be used to take you through the criteria of achieving points, the CoS reference number will automatically give you 50 compulsory points.

Step 3: Pay All Fees

The financial investment is also high and has to be paid in entirety on submission.

• Visa Application Fee: This differs depending on the duration of the visa and whether you are an in-country or an out-country applicant (and is the job on the Immigration Salary List).
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) UK: It is the most expensive, and it is now more than $\text{£1,000}$ per individual or per annum, which is paid as a lump sum in the course of the visa period. This will provide access to the National Health Service (NHS).

Step 4: Biometric Appointment and Verification of ID

You must prove your identity. Depending on your nationality and the type of the passport:

• You can scan your passport and provide your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
• Otherwise, you need to visit a Biometric appointment Skilled Worker Visa in a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit fingerprints and a photo.

Step 5: Wait for a Decision

The official processing time of the UK Skilled Worker Visa 2025 is 3 weeks on applications outside the UK and 8 weeks on applications to replace Student Visa with Skilled Worker Visa UK (in-country applications).19 Priority and Super Priority services are usually available to reduce the time taken to make a decision.

Certain Scenarios: Switching and Extending

This process varies a little with regards to where you are and where you are at the moment.

Application of Out-of-UK Skilled Worker Visa

The above outlined is the standard process. On completion, you are given a Vignette Skilled Worker Visa UK sticker in your passport that gives you 90 days to enter the UK where you will be provided with your full Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or given an eVisa in digital form.21

Switching/Extending In-Country

In case you are already in the UK on another eligible visa (such as the Student or Graduate visa), you can apply online but when you are still in the UK.

• Major Strength: You do not have to go out of the UK.
• Important Condition: The employment opportunity should comply with the same level of skills and salary as a typical application.

FAQs

Final Thought

Direct the UK Skilled Worker Visa application activity 2025 is complex, but highly satisfying. The shift from Tier 2 visa sponsored jobs to the SWV emphasizes true skill and conformable sponsorship. By secure your CoS first, meticulously gathering the Skilled Worker Visa required documents 2025, and profitable close attraction to the financial and skill beginning, you can with confidence apply for your UK coming.

Disclaimer

This nonfiction is for informational and instructive purposes only. The UK Skilled Worker Visa postulate 2025, including Skilled Worker Visa cost and fees 2025, minimal salary thresholds, and application operation, are governed by the UK Home Federal agency and are dependent to frequent happening. Readers are well-advised to verify all details from formal UK Government sources before devising any decisions.