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Work Permit

Permission to work in the UK

The skilled worker category under Tier 2 Work Permit is for people coming to the United Kingdom with a skilled job offer to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker via the Work permit route. Without a secured job offer you will not be considered for a work permit. You will need to get a certificate of Sponsorship letter from your prospective employer before you can apply.

It is important to know that The Tier 2 General visa was previously called a “Work Permit” by the UKBA. This has been abolished and replaced by the Tier 2 General visa under the Home Office now. The Term Work Permit is sometimes used as a generic term for all work permits whereas in the past it was actually for a sponsored “Work Permit”

The work permit category under Tier 2 Visa is for foreign nationals who have a skilled job offer to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker. To qualify for a Tier 2 work Permit, an applicant must have a valid job offer from a category in the Tier 2 shortage occupational list unless they are in one of the exempt categories.

Work Permit under Tier 2 – Before you apply you must have:

  •  a sponsor; and
  • a valid certificate of sponsorship

When you apply, you are awarded points based on your:

  • salary and allowances
  • sponsorship
  • English language skills; and available maintenance (funds)

Important Considerations for your Tier 2 work Permit Application

There is a maintenance requirement for the main applicant and their dependents. It is important that you maintain the required balance ensuring not to drop below this in any of the 90 days you have to maintain the balance in your account. If you drop below the balance for only 1 day then your Tier 2 Work Permit application will likely be rejected. There is another solution and it is something you should ensure you check. Employers can certify your maintenance when they issue the certificate of sponsorship. If you ask them beforehand to certify your maintenance then you won’t have to provide your own. The employer basically ticks a box on the certificate of sponsorship form stating they will cover your rent and living costs for the first month if you get into financial difficulty. It is still good practice to maintain your balance in case something goes wrong, giving you some options if required.

Contact Us today to find out how we can help with your Tier 2 Work Permit Application

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