UK Work Visa: Key Information for International Applicants
If you aren’t eligible for a Graduate visa, there are other types of work visas you can consider.
What are the types of UK work visas?
The first is a Skilled Worker visa. This stream is available for skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland, and allows you to stay in the UK for up to five years. To apply, you need to have a job offer from an eligible UK employer and your job must be on the list of approved occupations.
The High Potential Individual visa is another type of UK work visa to consider. With this visa, you can stay and work in the UK for two to three years, depending on your degree type. To be eligible for this visa, you must have received a qualification from an eligible British university within the last five years.
You may have also heard of the Youth Mobility visa. This is for young people from specific countries who wish to work and travel in the UK for up to 2 years. Examples of eligible countries include Australia, Iceland, Monaco and New Zealand.
To apply, you must hold a valid passport from a participating country and have at least £1,890 in savings. For most countries, you also need to be between the ages of 18 and 30. However, that age limit is increasing to 35 for New Zealand passport holders as of 29 June 2023.
If you’re from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, you can apply for this visa but only if you’ve been selected in the Youth Mobility visa ballot. Under this system, you submit your interest in this visa and, if you’re successful, you’ll receive an invitation to apply.
Next on the list is the Health and Care Worker visa, which is available to healthcare or adult social care professionals. On this visa, you can stay in the UK for up to five years. You can apply to extend your visa when it expires or update it if you change jobs during your stay.
Last but not least, we have the India Young Professionals Scheme visa is for citizens of India who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree or higher. It allows you to work full-time or study for up to two years in the UK. To be eligible, you must be between 18 and 30 years old and have a valid Indian passport.
For most of these visas, you must prove that your English skills are strong enough for you to successfully live and work in the UK. To do this, you’ll need to take an English language test. PTE provides a range of English tests for various visa subclasses, including those we’ve just mentioned. Head to the PTE website to learn more about the tests available and to schedule yours.
