What is Required to Get a Tier 2 Work Permit?

When moving from outside the EU to the UK for work, you’ll need to get a Tier 2 Work Permit; this covers both general work and specialist roles like being a sportsperson or a religious ministers. You’ll need to have sponsorship for an employer before you travel, who will vouch for you that you’ll have work while you’re in the country. How you’re assessed for eligibility for a work permit will depend on this employer sponsorship, as well as on how you can build up points to support your application.

The points based system for immigration to the UK is intended to prove that you are able to work and support yourself while in the country. You need to build up about 70 points on your application, which covers areas like your certificate of sponsorship, your English language skills, and your financial resources for maintenance. A certificate of sponsorship from an employer will give you about 30 points, or 20 points if the job has a wage of under £20,000 a year; English language skills will provide about 10 points, while the rest is generally covered by your maintenance funds, which should be at least £900 in your bank account.

Applications for Tier 2 work permits  will also involve sending photographs and passports to prove your identity; these are returned to you. You’ll also need to pay application fees – if applying from outside the UK by post, you’ll pay £480; from within the UK, you’ll be paying about £561. This fee is typically higher if you’re applying in person through a fast tracked system.

In terms of bringing along your partner or children, you’ll also need to pay application fees for each person; dependents can be included as part of your work permit if approved by your employer, but you will need to show evidence of having enough maintenance funds to cover the both of you and a family; a spouse or children over the age of 18 can apply for their own work permits, but will have to go through the same process as you.

Once you have your Tier 2 permit, you’re allowed to live and work in the UK for 3 years plus one month, depending on your employment; this can then be extended up to 5 years, at which point you can apply for the right to stay indefinitely. For this settlement to be approved, you’ll need to make sure that you have assurances of continuing employment, and that you haven’t left the UK for 180 days or more in a row during the 5 years you’ve been in the country. From 2016, Tier 2 migrants will have to show earnings of £35,000 a year to be eligible for indefinite leave.

Tags: European Union, Factory, Immigration, Work permit

Category: Law