UK Immigration

Main visa routes

• Skilled Worker visa — sponsor-licensed employer, occupation on the eligible list, English at CEFR B1, and the higher of the going rate or £41,700 general minimum (raised from £26,200 in April 2024 and again in April 2025; absolute floor £25,000).
• Global Talent — for leaders or promising talent in academia, research, arts, or digital technology; endorsed by the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy, UKRI, or Arts Council England.
• High Potential Individual (HPI) — 2-year unsponsored visa (3 years for PhD) for graduates of the last 5 years from a Home Office top-50 global university list.
• Innovator Founder — replaced the Innovator and Start-up routes; needs endorsement of a scalable, innovative business idea, with no fixed minimum investment.
• Health and Care, Senior or Specialist Worker, Scale-up, Graduate — sector-specific work routes plus the 2-year post-study Graduate visa (3 years for PhD).

Who can apply / Key requirements

• Sponsorship — Skilled Worker, Health and Care, Senior or Specialist, and Scale-up routes need a Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office-licensed employer.
• Salary thresholds — Skilled Worker general minimum £41,700; lower for new entrants, PhD-relevant roles, and Health and Care; Scale-up minimum £36,800.
• English — B1 for most work routes; B2 for some, B1 again for Indefinite Leave to Remain, with an approved test from the Home Office list.
• Family routes — Spouse/Partner financial requirement £29,000 (raised from £18,600 in April 2024, with further rises currently paused); Child of Settled Person and Parent of Child routes also available.

How we support you

• Route mapping across work, talent, business, family, and long-residence options.
• Sponsor licence support for UK employers and Certificate of Sponsorship coordination.
• Endorsement applications for Global Talent and Innovator Founder.
• ILR, naturalisation, and dependent visa filings — including the new digital eVisa from 2025.
• Document preparation, English-test booking, biometrics at VFS Global, and Immigration Health Surcharge planning.

Eligibility & scoring

The Points-Based System awards mandatory points for sponsorship, skill level, and English, plus tradeable points for salary and shortage occupations. ILR after 5 years on a qualifying route requires B1 English and the Life in the UK test.

• Skilled Worker points — 70 needed: 20 sponsor, 20 job at RQF 3+, 10 English, then tradeable points from salary, PhD, shortage occupation, or new-entrant status.
• Global Talent & HPI — no points test; endorsement (Global Talent) or qualifying degree (HPI) is the gate.
• ILR criteria — 5 years lawful residence, ≤180 days outside the UK in any 12-month rolling window, B1 English, Life in the UK test pass.
• Citizenship — eligible 12 months after ILR (or 3 years total if married to a British citizen), with good character and residence checks.

Process & timeline

• Apply online at gov.uk, pay the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035/year per adult upfront.
• Biometrics at a VFS Global centre in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and more).
• Decision typically 3 weeks from outside the UK for most work routes; 8 weeks from inside; priority and super-priority services available.
• eVisa — from 2025, status is held digitally; the Biometric Residence Permit is being phased out.
• Settlement via 5-year continuous qualifying residence, or the 10-year long-residence rule for those on mixed lawful statuses.