Skilled Worker Route
Section 1: Purpose and Contents of this page:
This page has been made to provide limited guidance on the Skilled Worker Route (Formerly known as TIER 2 General), for current students at the University of Warwick, who are:
- On a degree level course or above
- Are currently being sponsored a Student Visa by Warwick
- Are interested in switching to a skilled worker visa to work for an employer where completion of their current degree is expected.
Contents:
This route is for skilled workers with a job offer.
Salary Requirements:
- You will need to meet the minimum salary requirements according to the vacancy you will fill. CLICK HERELink opens in a new window to check minimum salary.
Certificate of Sponsorship:
- This requires applicants to have been provided with a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from an employer who is registered on the sponsor registerLink opens in a new window.
Student visa holders in UK switching to Skilled worker Route:
-
From 3pm 17th July 2023, the new rules require you to have completed your course before you can switch into the skilled worker route. However, Students on courses at degree level or above will be able to apply before course completion to switch into this route as long as your employment start date is after your course completion. Those studying towards PhDs will be able to switch after 24 months’ study on the PhD (previously this was 12 months).
The Home Office caseworkers’ guidance explains their definition of course completion. It states that the caseworkers will check the course completion date entered on the CAS. The Home Office have confirmed where a student completes the course earlier than the date on the CAS, they will look at any sponsor reports of early completion, if that is missing, they should consider any information provided in the application and request more information from the applicant if required. If you are in this position, you should seek further advice from our International Student Advisers. It is recommended you submit transcript of results confirming the course completion and an explanation to avoid a visa refusal. Please note, if you are applying to switch before the course end date on the CAS, this definition of course completion by the Home office does not form part of the immigration rules. Therefore, in the event of a visa refusal you may not be able to rely on this.
Financial Requirements:
- If you are applying for the visa in the UK and have been living in the UK for 12 consecutive months
- You do not need to provide any bank statements as you will be exempt from the financial requirements.
- If you are applying from overseas OR have not been living in the UK for 12 months
- You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK. You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa. You’ll usually need to show proof of this when you apply, unless either: you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months OR your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
- or
- Your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
- You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK. You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa. You’ll usually need to show proof of this when you apply, unless either: you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months OR your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
It is important to note that the skilled worker route ties you into one job and one employer for the duration of that visa's validity.
Your employer will act as a sponsor and will therefore have a legal obligation to the Home Office to report on your attendance and compliance under this category.
After 5 years of being in the UK under this route, and, if you meet the minimum salary requirements at that time, you will be eligible to apply for settlement in the UK, provided other conditions are met.
Section 3: What if I am holding a student visa at the moment and want to switch to Skilled Worker Visa?
Switching from the student route to the Skilled Worker Route:
You can switch to skilled worker route as soon as:
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- Your course of study is complete; or
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- If the job start date on your CoS is after your course completion date and you are within the last 3 months before your official course end date
New Entrant:
There is a special provision under the Skilled Worker category for applicants who are currently here on a Student visa are considered as an applicant as a new entrant.
A 'new entrant' means a new entrant to the labour market, in other words someone who is near the start of their career, who meets certain criteria - It does not mean an applicant who is making their first Skilled Worker application or entering the UK for the first time.
If switching from a current Warwick Sponsored Student Visa, the applicant must have been sponsored to study one of the following courses, and not any other qualifications of an equivalent level:
- a UK bachelor’s degree
- a UK master’s degree
- a UK PhD or other doctoral qualification;
- a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- a Professional Graduate Diploma of Education
The applicant must have completed, or, be applying no more than 3 months before their course end date.
An exception applies to PhDs and other doctoral qualifications, where the applicant must have completed at least 12 months of study in the UK towards the qualification.
4-year time limit - See SW12.3 of the Immigration rules - Appendix Skilled Worker:
If you are claiming points under Tradeable Points Section E, switching from Student or Graduate route visa to Skilled Worker visa, you can be a new entrant for a maximum of 4 years.
The 4 years includes time spent in any Tier 2 route, the Graduate route or as a Skilled Worker, whether or not that permission was for a continuous period.
Please seek further advice from your Skilled Worker Visa Sponsor if you are concerned about the 4-year limit.
Section 4: How do I obtain a course completion letter for my Skilled Worker visa application if my course end date is earlier than the course end date on my CAS?
If you have completed or expected to complete your course earlier than the course end date on the CAS, it is still possible to switch to the Skilled Worker Visa, if you meet all the other requirements of this visa.
The process you will need to follow is outlined below:
Step 1:
Complete and submit the form in the link below to notify us of your final submission deadline for your course, attaching the following two documents:
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- The confirmation of your final submission deadline
The academic department must confirm the date of the submission deadline for your course and confirm that you have or will complete all the academic requirements of the course on that date.
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- Your official job offer from your employer confirming the start date of the employment.
This date must be after the course completion date.
If you choose to submit before the submission deadline, any letter we issue will still only confirm the official submission deadline for your course as the end date.
This is because it may still be possible for you to re-submit before the official submission deadline.
Step 2:
Once we receive the above form from you, this will be reviewed and if approved, we can produce your early completion letter for your SW visa application.
Step 3:
This letter should accompany your visa application to evidence your early course completion.
You can also use this letter to prove your early completion date to your employer.
Please note:
- Whilst we can confirm your expected completion date and you may apply in advance of completing the course, Home Office caseworkers may only look at your original CAS end date when assessing your visa application and base their decision on that basis.
- Applying for your Skilled Worker Visa with an expected completion date and using this letter is not a guarantee that the visa will be granted.
- We are issuing the letter in good faith and the visa outcome is the decision of the Home Office caseworker.
- Departments will normally set submission deadlines for whole cohorts, it is unlikely that they will set individual submission deadlines.
If you are a Postgraduate Taught Masters Student
AND
You will be completing your course earlier than your current CAS End Date
AND
You have secured a Job where your employer will sponsor you under the Skilled Worker Route:
Please click on the following link and submit the webform, attaching the required evidence:
The rules surrounding when you can start working, after submitting the Skilled Worker application can be quite complex. Detailed information is available on the webpage of UK Council for International Student Affairs.
If you require any further assistance with understanding your work rights, you should discuss this with your Skilled Worker employer. Normally the HR departments of employers are able to answer these questions.
If you submit your skilled worker visa application online and pay the visa application fees before your student visa expiry date, you will be covered by Section 3C leave.
Section 3C of the 1971 Immigration Act states that the conditions attached to your previous leave will continue to apply if you have applied before the leave expires until a decision is made on your visa application.
This means you are not considered an overstayer after your visa expiry date as Section 3C leave essentially extends your student visa validity until you receive the outcome of the skilled worker visa application.
Please click on the following links for more information
UKCISA - UK Council for International Student Affairs -for more detailed information on Skilled Worker visa
UK Government:
Other contacts:
If you have any queries, please click on the following link and submit our online contact form:
Page Audit Review:
| Previous Review Date | Reviewed By | Next Review Date |
|---|---|---|
| 10/May/2022 | ISA: JL | 10/May/2023 |
Page Updates:
| Section Updated | Sub Section | Short summary of update | Updated By | Updated When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1, 3 | New entrant | Renewed the purpose of this page; added info about new entrant and 4-year limit. | ISA: JL | 06/Dec/2022 |
| All | All | Page Created | ISA: JL | 10/May/2022 |