Many applicants still search for a “UK work permit”, but the Home Office retired that scheme years ago. The current route for a sponsored job in the UK is the Skilled Worker visa. This post provides an overview of the UK work permit visa and its current Skilled Worker visa equivalent for a UK sponsored work application.
Key Overview
- “UK work permit” is an outdated term. The Skilled Worker visa is the current sponsored work route for a job offer from a licensed UK employer.
- The employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence and issue a Certificate of Sponsorship before an application can be made.
- Several other sponsored and unsponsored routes exist alongside the Skilled Worker visa, each suited to a different type of job offer or business plan.
- Settlement is proposed to move from a 5-year to a 10-year (or longer) qualifying period. This is a consultation proposal only, with no government response published yet, and it is not in force.
What people mean by a UK work permit today
A “UK work permit” today means the Skilled Worker visa. This is the sponsored work route for anyone with a genuine job offer from a UK employer approved as a licensed sponsor. The route traces back to the original work permit scheme. That scheme was replaced by Tier 2 (General) in 2008, and Tier 2 was replaced by the Skilled Worker visa in December 2020.
No standalone “work permit” visa exists under the current Immigration Rules. No separate application form carries that name. Older paragraphs of the Rules still mention historic work permit employment, but these cover transitional arrangements only, not a route a new applicant can use. The sponsorship and eligibility framework that applies to every new applicant today sits under Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules.
Which UK work visa route applies
“UK work permit” covers several genuinely different routes, and the right one depends on the job, the employer and whether a job offer already exists. These are the main routes a “work permit” search leads to:
| Route | Job offer or sponsor needed? | Typical stay | Leads to settlement (ILR)? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa | Yes, sponsor licence and Certificate of Sponsorship | Up to 5 years, extendable | Yes, usually after 5 years |
| Health and Care Worker visa | Yes, a confirmed job offer with an NHS or approved care sponsor | Up to 5 years, extendable | Yes |
| Senior or Specialist Worker visa | Yes, sponsor and Certificate of Sponsorship, for an existing employee transferring within the same organisation | 5 years in any 6-year period, or 9 in 10 on a higher salary | No |
| Seasonal Worker visa | Yes, sponsor and Certificate of Sponsorship | Up to 6 months | No |
| Graduate visa | No job offer or sponsor required | 2 years, reducing to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, or 3 years for a doctoral graduate | No, though a Graduate visa holder can switch into a sponsored route |
| Innovator Founder visa | No employer sponsor, an endorsing body assesses the business instead | 3 years, extendable | Yes, usually after 3 years |
A job offer that mentions “work permit” points to the Skilled Worker visa. For NHS and care roles, it usually means the Health and Care Worker visa instead. The other routes in the table apply to narrower situations. These include an internal transfer within a multinational employer, seasonal agricultural work, or a recent graduate without a job offer yet. They also cover someone setting up their own business rather than working for a sponsor.
UK work permit visa requirements
Anyone who wants a sponsored job in the UK needs a visa such as the Skilled Worker visa. Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules sets out the core eligibility test. A Skilled Worker applicant must:
- have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the specific job, issued by a Home Office-licensed sponsor;
- be sponsored for a job in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code, skilled to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6 or above on the general occupation list in Appendix Skilled Occupations, or on the Immigration Salary List or a Temporary Shortage List, which can qualify at a lower skill level;
- be paid at least the general salary threshold or the specific “going rate” for the occupation, whichever figure is higher;
- meet the English language requirement to at least Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2 across all four skills, unless exempt through nationality or a previous UK qualification; and
- hold the required maintenance funds, unless the sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship or the applicant is otherwise exempt.
Applicants can check both salary figures on the Skilled Worker visa salary requirements guide before an application is prepared.
The Skilled Worker visa is not the only sponsored work route. Some jobs are sponsored instead under the Global Business Mobility, Health and Care Worker, Creative Worker or Seasonal Worker categories. Each of these has its own eligibility rules, though all sit within the same sponsor licence framework. Someone whose job offer letter still says “work permit” should ask which specific route the employer will use for the Certificate of Sponsorship. The requirements differ between routes.
Dependent family members are not automatically covered by a worker’s own application. Partners and children can apply separately, through the Work Dependants Visa, provided the relationship and maintenance requirements are met.
Switching into the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK is common. A Student visa holder who has completed their course, a Graduate visa holder or someone on another work route can usually switch. This requires a licensed employer to offer a sponsored role. The same sponsor licence, skill and salary requirements apply, and the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued in the normal way. The application is made from inside the UK rather than as fresh entry clearance. A visitor cannot switch into the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK; anyone on a visit visa must apply from outside the UK instead.
How to get a UK work permit visa
A UK work permit visa is obtained by applying for the Skilled Worker visa, once an employer’s sponsor licence and Certificate of Sponsorship are confirmed. The application is made online, at gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/apply-and-pay. This includes the online form, biometric enrolment and supporting documents. Standard processing takes 3 weeks for an application made outside the UK. Inside the UK, standard processing takes 8 weeks, unless a priority service is used.
An application can be submitted up to 3 months before the start date shown on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Applying from outside the UK can be made from the applicant’s home country, once the Certificate of Sponsorship has been issued. Applying from inside the UK is used instead when switching from another route, for example from a Student or Graduate visa. Workers who change job or employer partway through their visa should check the rules first, because a new Certificate of Sponsorship is required.
Before an employer submits a Certificate of Sponsorship, its sponsor licence can be checked on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors. This confirms the routes it is licensed for. An eligibility check at this stage can prevent a costly mismatch between the job offer and the current rules.
What are the new UK work permit visa rules?
The core Skilled Worker requirements, the RQF6 skill level, the B2 English requirement and the general salary threshold, are already reflected throughout this post.
The English language requirement for a Skilled Worker application rose to CEFR level B2 across all four skills, up from the previous B1 level. This change is already in force for new applications.
Settlement is a different matter. The qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain after a Skilled Worker visa is still 5 years today, unchanged. The government has proposed raising this baseline to 10 years, under a consultation titled “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement”, which closed on 12 February 2026. A government response has not yet been published. Under the proposal, roles skilled below RQF level 6, which includes most Health and Care Worker visa holders, would face a longer 15-year baseline instead. The consultation also proposes reductions to the 10-year baseline. These cover a high salary sustained over 3 years, work in a public service role, or a strong command of English. None of this is decided. The 5-year period remains the rule that applies to an application made today, and this post is updated once a government response changes that position.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Skilled Worker visa holders now hold their status digitally as an eVisa, not as a physical card or document. Status is proved with an online share code, generated through a UK Visas and Immigration account, rather than by showing a paper permit.
Not through the Skilled Worker route, which requires a job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved employer. A small number of other routes do not require a job offer, including the Global Talent visa. A dedicated guide to UK work visas that do not require a job offer covers each of these in turn.
A partner and any dependent children can apply alongside or after the main applicant, through the Work Dependants Visa. This is subject to the relationship and maintenance requirements being met.
A worker who changes employer generally needs a new Certificate of Sponsorship, and in most cases a new application before the new role starts. A dedicated guide to changing employer on a Skilled Worker visa covers the exact circumstances that trigger a fresh application.
No, not yet. The 10-year baseline is a consultation proposal, not a change in force. The 5-year qualifying period remains the current rule for an application made today. A government response to the consultation has not been published.
How Whytecroft Ford Can Help
Whytecroft Ford advises Skilled Worker applicants and their sponsoring employers on eligibility, salary and sponsorship checks, and on full preparation of the visa application. The firm’s immigration team works with employers applying for a sponsor licence for the first time, and with workers moving between routes or employers. Each assessment covers the route and the timeline before an application is submitted. This means a decision to proceed is made with full information.
Call our team on 0208 757 5751, or use our contact form, to discuss a Skilled Worker visa application.
Please note that we do not assist with job searches.
The material in this article is provided for guidance and general information only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice upon which you should rely. In particular, the information should not be used as a substitute for a full and proper consultation with a suitably qualified professional. UK Immigration Rules are subject to change. Please do contact the Whytecroft Ford team if you require further advice.
