Work Permits for the United Kingdom

If you’re planning to obtain work permits for the United Kingdom, be prepared to tackle a complex web of requirements and eligibility criteria. The UK’s immigration system has changed significantly, especially post-Brexit, and underwent major reforms in 2025 that tightened requirements and raised skill thresholds across most work visa categories.

Visa categories come with their own rulebooks, and recent policy changes have made things tougher across the board. Getting your head around these rules matters more than ever, especially since the bar has been raised significantly for most categories.

Since Brexit, EU citizens, like other international applicants, now require a work permit to live and work in the UK. Some exceptions do exist. For instance, you may not need a visa if you’re invited as an expert for a Permitted Paid Engagement or if your visit focuses strictly on specific business activities. Additionally, if you were living in the UK before 2021, you might be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme, negating the need for a work visa.

Useful links

• GOV.UK: Permitted Paid Engagement 
• GOV.UK: EU Settlement Scheme 

Types of work visa in the United Kingdom

The UK offers several work permit categories, each with distinct requirements and rights. Recent changes have raised skill thresholds significantly, with most work visas now requiring graduate-level qualifications and higher salary thresholds.

Skilled Worker Visas

Skilled Worker Visas underwent major changes in May 2025, making them significantly more restrictive. This visa serves professionals who have secured a formal job offer from a UK company licensed as a sponsor for foreign workers, but the skill threshold has been raised to the graduate level, reducing eligible occupations by around 180 roles.

The UK’s immigration system operates on a points-based system, which applies directly to the Skilled Worker Visa. To qualify under the new rules, you must score points across several criteria:

• Job Offer from an Approved Sponsor: Your employer must be a licensed sponsor, providing you with a Certificate of Sponsorship. This earns you 20 points.
• Job at Graduate Level: The role must now meet RQF Level 6 (graduate level) threshold, a significant increase from the previous RQF Level 3 requirement. This contributes 20 points but eliminates many previously eligible occupations.
• English Language Proficiency: You must demonstrate sufficient English skills, worth 10 points. This can be proven through an approved test, a degree taught in English, or being a national of an English-speaking country. Requirements have been tightened across the system.
• Salary: Meeting the salary threshold remains important, and thresholds have increased alongside the new skill requirements. There’s a general minimum salary, but if your role has a higher ‘going rate,’ that figure applies. Meeting the appropriate salary requirement earns you up to 20 points.

Under the new system, the immigration salary list, which previously gave discounts from salary thresholds, has been abolished. Access to skilled worker visas is now limited to occupations with long-term shortages, on a time-limited basis, where the Migration Advisory Committee advises that it’s justified.

Be aware that submitting false or incomplete information can have serious consequences. If the Home Office finds discrepancies in your application, it can lead to an automatic refusal and even a 10-year ban on future applications.

Some nationalities need tuberculosis screening before applying. If you’re heading into healthcare, education, or social services, you’ll also need a criminal record check.

Global Business Mobility Visas

The Global Business Mobility Visa category is designed for people transferring to a UK branch of the company they already work for outside the UK. This visa is ideal for multinational corporations and specialised sectors that need to move skilled professionals across borders for specific business purposes.

This visa category includes several sub-categories, each with distinct requirements tailored to different types of business mobility, and each has a salary threshold:

• Senior or Specialist Worker Visa: For high-level managers or specialists.
• Graduate Trainee Visa: Designed for graduate trainees on a structured training programme.
• UK Expansion Worker Visa: For businesses establishing a presence in the UK.
• Service Supplier Visa: For overseas service suppliers contracted to provide services in the UK.
• Secondment Worker Visa: For workers seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment.

Unlike the Skilled Worker Visa, the Global Business Mobility Visa does not require you to meet an English language proficiency standard, making it a more accessible option for certain international roles. It typically requires a higher salary threshold and does not lead directly to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). You must also have worked for your employer for at least 12 months unless you earn over a certain threshold.

This visa category is most helpful for industries like technology, finance, consulting, and healthcare, where international expertise and leadership are often required. It’s an ideal pathway for multinational companies needing to transfer skilled workers to their UK operations for project leadership, expansion, or specialised tasks.

Youth Mobility Scheme Visa (T5)

Young people interested in experiencing life in the United Kingdom can take advantage of this opportunity to work and travel for up to two years. The Youth Mobility Scheme Visa (T5) lets young adults get into British culture while picking up work experience.

The Youth Mobility Scheme Visa is currently available to nationals from a select group of countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, and Uruguay, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan (under certain conditions). Additionally, British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, and British Nationals (Overseas) are eligible to apply. There’s a similar but different scheme for young Indian professionals. You must be between 18 and 35 years old to qualify (18 to 30 for most countries).

The proposed UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme could shake things up for young Europeans. This new arrangement would let 18-to-30-year-olds from EU countries and the UK work, study, and travel across borders for a set period. It’s still being hammered out as part of the broader UK-EU Strategic Partnership, but it could open doors that have been closed since Brexit.

One of the key benefits of this visa is that you don’t need a job offer before arriving in the UK. You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself though, with a requirement of holding a specified amount of savings for at least 28 consecutive days within the 31 days before applying. Bank statements will be needed as proof of these savings.

Visa applications can be refused for several reasons, including failing to meet the age requirement, insufficient funds, or providing false information.

Useful links

• GOV.UK – Skilled Worker Visa
• GOV.UK – Youth Mobility Scheme (T5) 

Applying for a work visa in the United Kingdom

Before moving to the UK for work, you need to determine the appropriate visa for your situation and understand the application requirements. Enhanced English language requirements now apply across more visa categories, including for dependant family members, as part of the May 2025 immigration reforms.

Submit your original documents plus copies when applying. Everything needs to be in English or Welsh – foreign documents need certified translations. Make sure all documents are complete and clearly presented, as missing or incorrect information can delay your application.

It's best to apply for a UK work visa well before your intended date of travel, as processing times can be unpredictable and delays may arise. The visa application process varies depending on your home country, so research the specific requirements for your nationality.

If you’re applying for certain work visas, you’ll also need to provide biometric information (fingerprints and facial images) at a visa application centre. Additional requirements may apply depending on your nationality and visa type: for example, tuberculosis screening for applicants from certain countries or criminal record certificates for roles in healthcare, education, or social services.

Work permit regulations are subject to change at short notice, so it’s wise to consult your respective embassy or consulate for the latest information.