Work Permits and Visas in the United Kingdom: A Guide for Employers

The United Kingdom remains one of the world’s most attractive destinations for skilled talent, with leading industries in finance, technology, healthcare, and creative services centered in global hubs like London, Manchester, and Edinburgh. For employers, this makes the UK a strategic place to hire or relocate top performers.

However, the UK’s immigration rules are complex, especially since Brexit, and getting them wrong can be very costly. Employers must understand the rules to avoid fines, legal penalties, or reputational damage.

In short, anyone who is not a British (or Irish) citizen generally needs the right visa or work permit to live and work in the UK. This guide walks through the key categories of UK work visas and employer obligations, and offers practical steps and best practices for a smooth relocation process.

Who Needs a UK Work Visa?

In principle, all non-UK nationals must hold valid authorization to work in the UK. British citizens need no visa, and by treaty Irish citizens still have unrestricted work rights.

Until 2020, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals enjoyed free movement, but since January 2021 that ended. Now EU nationals (apart from the Irish) need the same work visas as other non-citizens if they want to work in the UK.

(Note: EU/EEA/Swiss workers who arrived before July 2021 with settled or pre-settled status generally do not need new checks, but new arrivals do.) In practice, this means any foreign employee must either have an existing UK immigration status that permits work (for example a Student visa with permission to work or one of the special unsponsored visas below) or apply for a work visa through a sponsor or qualifying program.

There is a distinction between short-term and long-term permissions. For very brief visits, some nationalities can enter as business visitors or on the Youth Mobility Scheme (if eligible) for up to two years without a formal job offer.

However, casual or informal work is not allowed under a tourist or standard visit visa. Digital nomads, for instance, must either have an employer-sponsored visa or (if they just intend to work remotely for a short stay) enter as a visitor (up to 6 months) and not engage in UK paid work.

In practice, most employees relocating for any period beyond a few weeks will need a proper UK work visa.

Overview of UK Work Visa Types

Employers should be familiar with the main visa routes that allow a foreign national to live and work in the UK. The chart below outlines the key types relevant for sponsored employees and certain unsponsored streams that talent may use.

Skilled Worker Visa

This is the most common long-term work visa. It replaced the old Tier 2 (General) visa. A Skilled Worker visa requires a job offer from a UK-licensed sponsor in a qualifying role and a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

The job must meet a skill level and salary threshold. As of 22 July 2025, the minimum salary is £41,700 per year (or the occupation’s “going rate”, whichever is higher). Many healthcare, engineering, and tech occupations qualify.

Employers must ensure they pay at least this amount (or the higher going rate) for the role. Skilled Workers may stay up to 5 years before renewing and can eventually apply for indefinite leave.

Global Business Mobility (GBM) Routes

These replace the old intra-company transfer (ICT) visas. They let companies move their existing international staff to the UK. Key GBM subtypes include:

Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

For experienced staff moving within the same company. The employee must already work for a global company abroad and be assigned to a UK office.

The role must be on the approved list, and the salary must be at least £48,500 per year (or the going rate).

Graduate Trainee Visa

For employees on an official multinational graduate training program. It requires a CoS from a UK sponsor and at least £23,000 annual pay.

Service Supplier Visa

For contract staff of an overseas company providing services to a UK client (e.g., consultants). The scheme has specific conditions about contracts and continuity of employment.

Health and Care Worker Visa

Technically a subset of the Skilled Worker route, this visa is tailored for medical professionals. It requires working for the NHS, an NHS supplier, or in adult social care.

It has all the rules of the Skilled Worker visa but offers reduced fees and a lower salary threshold. As of 9 April 2025, the minimum salary is £25,000 per year (or £12.82 per hour), or the occupation’s “going rate”, whichever is higher. For example, a nurse or doctor might qualify under this visa.

It also exempts the visa applicant from the NHS Immigration Health Surcharge, making it cheaper for healthcare workers to apply.

Scale-up Worker Visa

Introduced recently, this is designed for employees of fast-growing UK companies. A “scale-up business” is one that meets certain growth criteria (turnover, staffing, etc.).

To qualify, the employee needs a job offer of at least 6 months with that employer. They must get a CoS and meet English-language requirements.

Unlike the Skilled Worker, this visa has a lower general salary requirement (around £36,300 per year) or the occupation’s going rate. Holders can stay 2 years (extendable) and eventually seek settlement after 5 years.

Graduate Visa

This is an unsponsored visa for international students who have completed a degree in the UK. It allows them to stay and work (or look for work) for 2 years after graduation (3 years for PhD graduates).

No job offer or sponsor is needed. Employers do not “sponsor” a Graduate visa, but they should still perform right-to-work checks. This visa is not extendable beyond its initial term, though one can switch from it into a Skilled Worker visa later.

High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa

Another unsponsored route, the HPI visa targets recent graduates of the world’s top universities. To be eligible, the applicant must have completed a qualifying degree at an eligible university within the last 5 years.

It allows them to live in the UK for 2 years (3 years if they have a PhD) without a job offer. HPI visa holders can switch into skilled work visas later on.

Employers can benefit by hiring HPI holders without immediately sponsoring them, though they must comply with normal employment laws.

Temporary Worker Visas (Tier 5)

This category includes several short-term schemes. The most notable is the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa, which lets young people (usually aged 18–30 or 35, depending on nationality) from participating countries live and work in the UK for up to 2 years.

Eligibility is based on nationality (countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, etc.) and a savings requirement (about £2,530). YMS applicants do not need a job offer or sponsor.

Other Tier 5 visas include Government Authorised Exchange (for trainees and interns), Charity Workers, Creative and Sporting workers, and International Agreement (for workers covered by international treaties). These typically cover specific short-term placements or partnerships.

There are a few other less common routes (such as the Global Talent visa for exceptional leaders in science or the UK Ancestry visa for citizens of Commonwealth countries with UK-born grandparents), but the above cover the main streams an employer is likely to use.

In any case, almost all long-term work visas in the UK require a sponsorship license from the employer (unless it’s an unsponsored visa like Graduate or HPI).

Eligibility and Employer Responsibilities

Before hiring or relocating anyone, an employer must ensure they can legally sponsor that role. To issue a work visa, the company must hold a valid Sponsor Licence for the relevant visa category (Skilled Worker, GBM, Scale-up, etc.).

Obtaining this licence involves applying to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and demonstrating that the business is genuine, financially sound, and has the right HR systems in place. UKVI will check that the company really exists and operates as claimed, and that the job role is genuine and necessary.

The authorities may even conduct an on-site inspection before approving the licence.

Once approved, the employer is given a rating (A or B) and can start sponsoring employees by assigning them Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). Each CoS is an electronic document confirming the details of the job (role, salary, length).

The employer must pay a CoS fee and then provide the CoS reference number to the candidate, who uses it to apply for the visa. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the CoS is valid and matches the actual job being offered.

With a Sponsor Licence comes strict duties. Employers must carry out right-to-work checks for every new hire, without exception. This means verifying original passports or biometric documents and keeping clear copies on file for the employee’s tenure and up to two years after they leave.

The employer must also record that the documents are genuine and unexpired. Failing to check, or employing someone without work authorization, can trigger civil penalties or even loss of the licence.

Sponsors must keep detailed records of each foreign worker’s status. This includes copies of passports and visas, up-to-date residential addresses, contact details, and employment contracts.

Any significant change in a sponsored worker’s situation – for example, if they change job roles, take unpaid leave, reduce salary, stop working, or leave the company – must be reported promptly to UKVI (usually within 10 working days).

If an employee goes AWOL or breaches visa conditions, this too must be reported. In short, the sponsoring employer acts as the UK government’s eyes and ears.

These compliance tasks impose an administrative burden, but they are mandatory: inaccuracies or failures found in a compliance audit can lead to licence downgrades, suspensions, or revocation.

Finally, sponsors must meet any specific requirements of the visa category. In practice this usually means paying at least the minimum salary for the role (e.g., £41,700 for most Skilled Worker jobs or £25,000 for Health and Care Worker visas), ensuring the job matches the approved occupational codes, and that the employee meets personal eligibility (English language, qualifications).

The employer should also not require the foreign worker to pay for the visa themselves; the Immigration Health Surcharge and other mandatory fees should be handled by the employee or (for Health and Care workers) may be exempt.

Planning the Process

Plan the process in stages. Employers should start early by confirming the candidate’s visa requirements and preparing necessary paperwork.

First, determine the right visa category based on the job and the employee’s profile. If it’s a sponsored visa (like Skilled Worker or GBM), ensure your company already has a valid Sponsor Licence – if not, apply for one via GOV.UK (this can take several weeks).

Once you have the licence, assign your employee a Certificate of Sponsorship for the offered role. Next, instruct the employee to apply online for the visa, providing the CoS and other documents (passport, contract, proof of qualifications or experience, and English test results if needed).