You can apply up to 3 months before the date of issue on the certificate of sponsorship. Also the start date of the job must be no more than 3 months after the date of application.

The job must not start before your course completion date.

When submitting your SW application, you must have either completed the course or be applying no more than 3 months before you are expected to complete the course.

The completion date will normally be taken as the end date stated on your CAS. If you complete your course earlier than this, please refer to SW and early course completion section below for more information on how to evidence your earlier course end date for the skilled worker application.

If you are a PhD student, you can switch after 24 months of study. The certificate of sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than 24 months after the start date of your course.

For more information about switching in the UK, please click here.

All applicants are required to:

• Complete the application form
• Provide Biometrics
• Pay the visa application fee
• Pay Immigration Health Surcharge

Some of the information and documents which you may need to provide as part of the application process when switching in the UK include:

• Current passport
• Certificate of Sponsorship
• Job Title and annual salary
• Occupation code for the job
• Name of sponsor and their sponsor licence number
• Evidence of required funds to support yourself
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Criminal record certificate if required for your occupation
• Proof of relationship if applying with dependents
• Valid ATAS if required for your occupation

The documentation requirements can be quite complex. Therefore, we recommend you seek independent legal advice to ensure a smooth visa application process.

What you can do:

• Work in an eligible job
• Some supplementary work is permitted, more information below
• Voluntary work is permitted
• Study at any level or any mode of study. Please ensure your employer is happy with you studying at the same time as working
• You can extend your Skilled Worker permission
• Apply for settlement after 5 years
• Travel in and out of the UK
• Bring dependents

What you cannot do:

• You will not be able to access public funds
• You cannot change jobs/employer without applying for a new visa

After the visa is granted you will be provided with list of conditions. Please ensure you follow that information carefully.

Your partner and children can join you on this visa if they are eligible and can also settle in the UK after five years of continuous lawful residence.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following

• Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• Your child under 18, (including if they were born in the UK during your stay)
• Your child over 18 ( if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant)

For more information please visit the Home Office webpage.

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.

If you are a postgraduate taught (Masters) student, the process you will need to follow is outlined below:

Step 1: Complete and submit this formLink opens in a new window to notify us of your final submission deadline for your course. You must attach:

1) 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.

2) 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 would 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.

Please note that departments will normally set submission deadlines for whole cohorts, it is unlikely that they will set individual submission deadlines.

Your department must confirm the date of the final submission deadline for your course and confirm that you have/will complete all academic requirements of the course on this date. You are then required to submit this confirmation to us, by uploading to this form.

Sarbjit is a 23 year old student visa holder, who recently completed their studies. He is offered sponsorship in a role as a software engineer. As he is below the age of 26, he can rely on the new entrant rate. The going rate for SOC code 2134 (Software Engineer) is £34,580.00 so he will need to be paid at least this amount.

Example

Mira has been on Graduate Route visa for two years and now wants to apply for permission to stay under the Skilled Worker route for three more years. The salary meets the new entrant requirement but not the general salary threshold.

Mira will only qualify as a new entrant for a further 2 years, as she has already been in the UK on a Graduate Route visa for 2 years.
This is because there is a maximum 4 year limit as a new entrant which includes time already spent on SW, Graduate Route Visa and the new visa to be granted under SW.

Therefore, if Mira is assigned a CoS for three years, she will not be able to benefit from the new entrant lower salary threshold. Mira should be issued a CoS for only two years to obtain the required 20 tradeable points for her salary.

Before the expiry of the Skilled Worker visa in two years time, if the employer is willing to pay the general minimum salary they can assign another CoS or Mira could find another employer.

It is therefore important to discuss with your employer the duration of the CoS if you are hoping to benefit from the new entrant rate and you are close to exceeding the four year limit depending on the duration of the CoS.