What Visa do I Need to Work in the UK?
Planning to work in the UK? To make this dream a reality, you’ll need one key ingredient: a visa. On a student visa, you are entitled to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during study periods or full-time (40 hours per week) during study breaks.
However, if you’re a recent graduate, a young professional, or you’re interested in a working holiday, you’ll need to explore alternate visas. Fortunately, there are many options available to you.
We’ve put together this guide to help you better understand the most common UK work visas so you can decide which is right for you.
Graduate visa
The Graduate visa is the most popular visa option for international graduates who wish to stay in the UK after finishing their degree. It allows you to work in the UK for up to two years without needing sponsorship from an employer. If you have a doctorate, you can stay in the UK for up to three years.
To be eligible for the Graduate visa, you must have successfully completed a degree at a UK institution and hold a valid Tier 4 or Student visa. You must also be in the UK when you apply. The application fee is £715, and you are required to pay the healthcare surcharge of £624 per year. By paying this surcharge, you will be able to use the National Health Service (NHS) during your stay in the UK.
You may change jobs as many times as you like while holding the Graduate visa, and you may be able to switch visas (e.g. to the Skilled Worker visa) once you have found a suitable job.
Health and Care Worker visa
The Health and Care Worker visa 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.
To apply for this visa, you must have a job offer from an eligible UK employer and meet the English language requirements.
The application fee is up to £479 per person depending on how long you wish to stay, and you will not have to pay the healthcare surcharge.
India Young Professionals Scheme visa
The India Young Professionals Scheme visa is for citizens of India who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree or higher. To be eligible, you must be between 18 and 30 years old, have a valid Indian passport and prove that you have at least £2,530 in savings.
On this visa, you can work full-time or study for up to two years; you are not able to extend the visa once it has expired. The application fee is £259 and you must also pay the healthcare surcharge.
Skilled Worker visa
The Skilled Worker visa is available for skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. To apply, you must have a job offer from an eligible UK employer and meet the English language requirements. Your job must be on the list of approved occupations.
This visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to five years. After this time, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK, allowing you to live, work or study for as long as you like.
Youth Mobility visa
The Youth Mobility visa 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 be between 18 and 30 years old*, hold a valid passport from a participating country and have at least £1,890 in savings.
*Between 18 and 35 years old for citizens of New Zealand from 29 June 2023.
High Potential Individual (HPI) visa
A High Potential Individual (HPI) visa permits you to stay in the UK for a minimum of two years. To be eligible for this visa, you must have received a qualification from an eligible university within the last five years. While most HPI visas last for two years, you can get a three-year visa if you have a PhD or other doctoral degree.
Discover more about UK work visas
While this guide is a great start, it’s important to research each UK visa option carefully to determine which one best suits your situation. For more information on these visas and their eligibility requirements, please visit any of the following sources:
Author: Amy Roberts
