Working in the UK

Our immigration lawyers have significant experience of advising businesses on the sponsorship process for skilled workers. Our business immigration lawyers advise on the requirements to issue a certificate of sponsorship to the worker and then in turn advise the worker with the requirements with the skilled worker visa application.

You may be eligible to apply for the Global Talent visa if you are a leader or emerging leader in the fields of science, engineering, architecture, medicine, fashion, arts and culture, digital technology, or film. Applying for an endorsement and gathering the required evidence can be complex which is why we recommend speaking to a legal expert first.

The International Sportsperson visa is for elite sports people and coaches. Your sport’s governing body must endorse your application and you must have a UK sponsor. Our immigration lawyers are able to advise individuals and sports clubs with the sponsorship, endorsement and visa application process. 

If you are an international student who has recently graduated from an approved educational institution in the UK then you may be able to apply for a Graduate Route visa. The Graduate Route visa will enable you to work or set-up a business in the UK.

If you have graduated from an overseas university that featured on the Global Universities list at the time of your graduation then you may be eligible to apply for the High Potential visa. This visa allows you to work without sponsorship or be self-employed in the UK. 

The Youth Mobility visa allows individuals aged between 18 and 30 years old from eligible countries and territories to come to the UK to 'experience life in the UK'. Individuals with this visa can live and work in the UK.

If you are an experienced entrepreneur, your business proposal will need to be endorsed by an approved endorsing body and you will be required to show investment funds (unless extending your visa). Speak to our business immigration lawyers to see if you are eligible to apply for an Innovator Founder visa.

The Start-Up visa is for people who are seeking to establish a new business in the UK. You must prove that the business will be innovative, viable and scalable and you will have needed to have obtained an endorsement from an approved endorsing body by the 13th April 2023.

The Scale-up Worker visa allows high growth UK companies to sponsor talented individuals. To be considered a ‘scale-up business’ your business must have had an annualised growth of at least 20% in the last three years in either staff count or income. You will require a sponsor licence and workers must meet a set of minimum salary and skills requirements.

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa has replaced the intra-company transfer visa. This route allows senior managers and specialist staff to be sponsored for short assignments by a UK branch or a subsidiary of their employer’s business. 

The Graduate Trainee visa allows individuals to come to the UK to work for the UK branch of their current employer. Individuals must be on a structured graduate training programme which leads to a senior management or specialist role with the affiliated overseas business.

The UK Expansion Worker visa allows senior managers and specialist employees of overseas businesses to come to the UK to set up a branch of the business they work for (providing that it has not already started trading in the UK).

If you are an overseas worker who will be seconded to a UK sponsoring company as part of a high value contract or investment then you may be eligible to apply for a Secondment Worker visa. You must be sponsored by a UK company and meet a set of job-related requirements. Our immigration lawyers can advise on the requirements which need to be met and the sponsorship process.

Under the Global Business Mobility route contractual service suppliers employed overseas and self-employed independent professionals can be sponsored by a UK company to provide services in the UK covered by the UK’s international trade commitments.

There are a number of visa schemes and visas that require sponsorship that allow you to gain work experience of between 6 to 24 months in the UK as a charity worker, creative worker, Government Authorised Exchange or seasonal worker. Our immigration lawyers are able to advise individuals or employers on the eligibility requirements and the application process.

If you are a domestic worker in a private household then you may be eligible to apply for a Domestic Worker visa. With a Domestic Worker visa, domestic workers are able to apply to visit the UK with their employer and continue to work as a domestic worker in a private household whilst in the UK. 

If you have been offered a job as a minister of religion or work in a non-pastoral role you will require sponsorship by a religious or faith organisation. Our business immigration lawyers are able to provide individuals and religious institutions advice on the sponsorship and visa process.