What happens when a professional is sponsored by a company?
Dear Mr Bassie,
I am a professional, and I am told that if sponsored by a company, it is possible for me to live and work in the United Kingdom. Please advise me on the steps that would need to be taken for this to happen.
– J.G.
Dear J.G.,
Persons can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if they have been offered a skilled job in the United Kingdom and if they are from outside of the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
Those persons will need to be employed by a licensed sponsor to apply to live in the United Kingdom. The sponsor will need to check that the applicant can do the job that they are being hired for and whether it qualifies that person for a visa. If eligible, the sponsor will assign the person a certificate of sponsorship to prove this. The sponsor must also provide the applicant with other information needed to apply, for example, how much he/she will be paid.
Persons can apply for a visa up to three months before the day that they are due to start work in the United Kingdom. This date will be listed on the certificate of sponsorship. After applying, persons should get a decision on the visa within three weeks when applying from outside the United Kingdom. To be sure, persons should check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country from which the application originated.
FEES
How much persons pay for a Tier 2 (General) visa will depend on their situation, from where they are living and how they apply.
For a visa for up to three years for a person applying from outside of the UK, the cost is £610 and the same amount for each dependent. Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application. Applicants should check how much they will have to pay before applying.
For a visa for up to three years for a ‘shortage occupation’ for a person applying from outside of the UK, the cost is £464 and the same amount for each dependent. Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application. Applicants should check how much they will have to pay before applying.
For a visa for more than three years for a person applying from outside of the UK, the cost is £1,220 and the same amount for each dependent. Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application. Applicants should check how much they will have to pay before applying.
For a visa for more than three years for a ‘shortage occupation’ for a applying from outside of the UK, the cost is £928 and the same amount for each dependent. Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application. Applicants should check how much they will have to pay before applying.
LENGTH OF STAY
Persons can go to the United Kingdom with a Tier 2 (General) visa for a maximum of five years and 14 days or the time given on their certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter. Please note that persons can start their stay up to 14 days before the start date on their certificate of sponsorship. For example, if the start date is January 15, the earliest a person can start their stay is January 1. It should be noted that persons can apply to extend this visa for up to another five years as long as the total stay is not more than six years. The successful applicant with this visa can: Work for the sponsor in the job described in their certificate of sponsorship.
I Do a second job in certain circumstances.
I Do voluntary work.
I Study as long as it does not interfere with the job that he/she was sponsored for.
I Travel abroad and return to the UK.
I Take family members along. However, the successful applicant cannot:
Own more than 10 per cent of their sponsor’s shares, unless he/she is earning in excess of £159,600 a year.
I Get public funds.
I Apply for a second job until he/she has started working for the sponsor.