Highly Skilled Workers Category

What is Highly Skilled Workers Category?

The highly skilled worker category is designed to allow highly skilled people to come to the United Kingdom to look for work or self-employment opportunities.

Who can apply as a highly skilled worker?

You do not need a job offer to apply under the highly skilled worker category. When you apply you are awarded points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, United Kingdom experience, age, English language skills, and available maintenance (funds).
You can apply under the highly skilled worker category now if you are:

In the United Kingdom with permission to stay (known as 'leave to remain') in an immigration category that allows you to switch into the highly skilled worker category;

Already in the United Kingdom as a highly skilled worker and want to extend your permission to stay within your existing category;

Already in the United Kingdom under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, want to extend your permission to stay and are eligible to switch into the highly skilled worker category;

Applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the highly skilled worker category.

Eligibility

What points you have to score to apply as a highly skilled worker

To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the highly skilled worker category, you must pass a points-based assessment.

You must score:

75 points for your attributes (age, qualifications, previous earnings, and experience in the United Kingdom); and

10 points for English language; and

10 points for available maintenance (funds).

If you do not score a minimum of 75 points for your attributes and 10 points for English language and 10 points for available maintenance (funds), your application will be refused.

How the points differ for first-time applications and extension applications

The requirements that you must meet in order to be awarded points differ depending on whether you are:

Applying to enter the highly skilled worker category for the first time (initial applications) ; or

Applying to extend your existing permission to stay in this category (extension applications), or

Applying to extend existing permission to stay given to you under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

When and how to apply

For applications made inside the United Kingdom

If you are already in the United Kingdom, you should apply to stay as soon as possible and before your current leave runs out. The authority encourages you to apply one month before your leave runs out.

Application date by post

The date of postage is used as the date of application.

The date of an application made by post is decided by the postmark. The payment handling service attaches the original envelope with all postal applications. If the envelope in which the application was posted is missing, or if the postmark is illegible, the date of postage is taken as at least one day before its receipt. The day of receipt is normally the date the payment handling service processed the fee. If there is any uncertainty, you will be given the benefit of the doubt.

Application date by courier

If you send your application by courier, the date it is received at the payment handling service is used as the date of application.
The payment handling service attaches the original envelope with all postal applications. The payment handling service includes the date of delivery for all applications by courier.

Application in person

The authority does not currently offer this service. If you would like to apply under the highly skilled worker category, you must complete the application form and send it by post. The service for applying in person may be available in the future.

For applications made outside the United Kingdom

The date of the application is the date that the fee is paid and your biometric details are taken. Contact your nearest UK visa application centre (VAC) to apply.

Initial applications

This section explains how you can make your initial application under the highly skilled worker category of our points-based system to work in the United Kingdom.
How to apply if you are already in the United Kingdom

The process for applying is:

Step 1: Complete a self-assessment online using points-based calculator to find out if you are likely to score enough points.
Step 2: Fill in the highly skilled worker application form.
Step 3: Send it to the authority with your fee and supporting evidence.

We strongly advise you to send all supporting documents with your application. Authority will not consider any evidence sent in after they have made a decision.

If you are sending any dependant applications at the same time as your own application, we encourage you to send your application and dependant applications in the same envelope or you must pay a separate dependant fee.

The immigration categories from which you can switch into the highly skilled worker category:

If you are in the United Kingdom and wish to stay as a highly skilled worker, you will need to be sure that you can switch into this category.

Switching into this category is allowed if you currently hold leave in the following categories:

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP);

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland;

International Graduates Scheme (IGS);

Innovator;

Postgraduate doctor or dentist;

Student;

Student nurse;

Student re-sitting an exam;

Student writing up a thesis;

Work permit holder;

Business person;

Self-employed lawyer;

Writer, composer or artist;

Entrepreneur (tier 1);

Investor (tier 1); or

Post-study worker (tier 1).

How to apply if you are in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man

The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and Alderney) and the Isle of Man have their own immigration laws and policies, separate to those of the United Kingdom. For immigration control, authority treats these islands as outside the United Kingdom.

If you are living within the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and have been granted permission to stay (leave to remain) there by one of the island authorities, you will not be able to make an application for leave to remain in the United Kingdom as a highly skilled worker directly from the islands.

In these circumstances, you can apply under Tier 1 (General) in two ways. These are:

By returning to the country where you are normally resident (your home country) and applying for permission come to the United Kingdom (entry clearance) from there; or

If your permission to stay on one of the islands is still current, you can come directly to the United Kingdom. Once you are in the United Kingdom, you may apply to switch into Tier 1 (General) provided the immigration category under which you were given permission to stay on the islands is one from which United Kingdom immigration law allows you to switch into Tier 1 (General). This is because, once you have traveled to the United Kingdom, authority is able to treat the leave given to you under the island laws as if it had been granted by the United Kingdom authorities.

The immigration categories from which you can switch are listed in the section above. You must make your application to switch into Tier 1 (General) before your current leave to remain in the islands expires.

How to apply if you are outside the United Kingdom

The process for applying if you are outside the United Kingdom is:

Step 1: Complete a self-assessment online using points-based calculator to find out if you are likely to score enough points.
Step 2: Fill in the appropriate form.
Step 3: Take or send your form(s), fee and supporting evidence to the visa application centre. You must also arrange to give your biometrics, which are usually taken at the visa application centre.

We strongly advise you to bring all supporting documents with your application. Authority will not consider any evidence provided after they have made a decision.

If you are given entry clearance as a highly skilled worker from outside of the United Kingdom, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum period of three years. When the end of this period approaches you will need to apply to extend your stay as a highly skilled worker.

The conditions you must meet if you apply from outside the United Kingdom

Leave to remain is subject to the following conditions:

You must have no recourse to public money which means you will not be able to claim most benefits paid by the state;

You must register with the police if this is needed by paragraph 326 in part 10 of the immigration rules;

You may not be not employed as a doctor in training unless you submit a valid Highly Skilled Migrant Programme approval letter, and your application for that approval letter was made on or before 6 February 2008.