A UK work visa allows you to live and work in the UK for up to five years. To be eligible, you’ll need a job offer from a UK-based company and meet the specific requirements.
From December 2020, the UK adopted a points-based immigration system, which puts Australian citizens and EU nationals under one immigration regime. This should make getting a UK work visa easier for Australians as every applicant has to meet the same entry requirements.
The new Skilled Worker route
Under the new immigration system, the Tier 2 category is replaced by the Skilled Worker route. The overarching changes to the old system include the removal of the Resident Labour Market Test and the elimination of the yearly cap on eligible applicants.
What are the Skilled Worker requirements?
- Work for a UK employer that has been approved by the Home Office as a qualified sponsor
- Hold a Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer, with all the details about your role
- Have been offered a job that is on the list of eligible occupations
- Meet the salary requirements
- Confirm the job offer before you submit your visa application
- Be able to prove adequate English proficiency
The minimum skills threshold has also been reduced to NQF Level 3 (A-Level standard) from the previous NQF Level 6 (graduate level), opening the scheme to a broader number of occupations.
To reflect the lower entry requirement, the minimum salary level has been reduced from £30,000 to £25,600 or the going rate for the job (as per the applicable Standard Occupational Classification) – whichever is higher.
What are the Skilled Worker financial requirements?
When you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you’ll need to do the following:
- Pay the standard application fee, which ranges from £610 to £1,408 depending on your circumstances
- Pay the healthcare surcharge – this is usually £624 per year
- Support yourself when you arrive in the UK – you’ll need to have at least £1,270 available
The new UK points-based system
Under the point based immigration system, you must obtain a total of 70 points. A basis of 50 points will be earned from a job offer at the minimum skill level from a licenced sponsor, provided the applicant can show evidence of their English language ability.
An additional 20 points may be obtained via a “mix and match” process, largely based on:
- The salary rate offered
- Roles that are recognised as being shortage occupations
- Those jobs requiring a relevant PhD-level qualification
| Characteristics | Type* | Points |
| Job offer by approved sponsor | Mandatory | 20 |
| Job at appropriate skill level | Mandatory | 20 |
| Speaks English at required level | Mandatory | 10 |
| Salary of GB 20,480 (minimum) – GBP 23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 0 |
| Salary of GB 23,040 – GBP 25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 10 |
| Salary of GB 25,600 – or above or at least the going rate of the profession (whichever is higher) | Tradeable | 20 |
| Job in shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee | Tradeable | 20 |
| Qualification: PhD in subject relevant to the job | Tradeable | 10 |
| Qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | Tradeable | 20 |
* You must meet all the mandatory characteristics to qualify whereas other characteristics are tradeable to reach the 70 point threshold
Public sector healthcare workers
If you’re a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. The application fee costs less and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
Intra-company transfers to the UK
The Intra-Company Transfer route replaces the current Tier 2 (ICT) category, but the criteria remain unchanged:
- Eligible applicants must have been employed for at least 12 months at an Australian company before being transferred to the UK branch. Previous employment requirements are reduced to three months in the case of a graduate intra-company trainee.
- The UK role must be at NQF Level 6 and meet the minimum salary threshold of £41,500 per annum (or £23,000 per annum for a graduate intra-company trainee).
The eligibility requirements are therefore at a higher threshold than those of the Skilled Worker route, although the concession of not having to prove English language capability is a key differentiator.
The key welcome change to the ICT route is that migrants will now be able to switch into the Skilled Worker route from within the UK (including those in the UK prior to the rule change).
Changing jobs or employers on the Skilled Work visa
You will have to apply to update your visa if:
- You want to change jobs and your new job is with a different employer
- Your job changes to a different occupation code, and you’re not in a graduate training programme
- You leave a job that’s on the shortage occupation list for a job that is not on the list