Work Visas
Your Path to UK Employment
After Brexit in December 2020, the Home Office introduced a new UK Work Visa scheme. Explore visa options, requirements, and eligible occupations below.
Contact us for personalized guidance on how to benefit from this scheme or obtain a Sponsor License for your company to hire international talent!
Ask for a advice from our immigration specialists.
Explore Visa Details
Please take a moment to carefully review the details of the different available visas. In most cases, having a job offer from a UK employer with a Sponsor License is a requirement.
There are a few routes that allow you to obtain a Work Visa without a job offer.
If you’re interested in learning how you can benefit from this scheme, please reach out to us, and we will provide you with tailored information.
If you own a company and wish to obtain a Sponsor License to sponsor international workers under the new scheme, please visit our dedicated Business Services page.
Under most of the work visas, applicants can also include their dependents: partners (married or unmarried) and children (under 18 years old).
When you have successfully completed a degree or a postgraduate course in the UK, you can apply for a Graduate Visa. You must apply for this visa before your current Student Visa expires.
Available Work Visas
Here is a list of available Work Visas, each linked to its respective section:
If you want to apply on your own right (without a job offer from a UK employer):
- Graduate visa – available only after completing university studies in the UK with a Student Visa
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa
- India Young Professionals Scheme visa
- Apply for the Global Talent visa
- UK Ancestry visa
- High Potential Individual (HPI) visa
- British National (Overseas) visa
It’s important to note that not all registered companies in the UK can act as sponsors for a Work Visa, and only specific job positions are eligible for this visa.
You can click on the links below to access the lists of eligible positions and the shortage occupation list, which are subject to periodic updates:
If you want to start a business:
Work in the UK for your overseas employer:
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Overseas Domestic Worker visa
- Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
- UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Representative of an Overseas Business visa
- Apply for a Service providers from Switzerland visa
Temporary work visas:
- Seasonal Worker visa
- Government Authorised Exchange visa
- Creative Worker visa
- Religious Worker visa
- Charity Worker visa
- International Agreement visa
Other work visas and permits:
Include Dependents
Under the various worker visa categories, you can also include dependents in your application process, such as spouses (married or unmarried) and children. To learn more about the criteria that dependents must meet, visit our Family Visas section.
Alternative Routes
There are alternative routes to obtain a Work Visa without a job offer, but you must qualify as either a High Potential Individual or a Global Talent.
If you have an innovative business idea or are starting a new company, the UK also offers Innovator and Start-up Visas.
Additionally, if you’ve successfully completed a degree or postgraduate course in the UK, you can apply for a Graduate Visa. This visa allows you to seek employment in your field of expertise within the UK, and it’s important to apply for it before your current Student Visa expires.