UK Tier 2 Visa:

UK Tier 2 visa is an employment visa which allows skilled workers to take up a long term employment in UK. It is usually known as Skilled Worker Visa. There are many categories of Tier 2 visa but Tier 2 General Work is mostly used by skilled workers to enter UK for employment purpose. [Read Also: New Zealand Seasonal Work Visa]

UK Tier 2 General Work Visa:

Tier 2 general work is a long term employment visa for skilled workers. This is one of the best immigration routes to get Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in UK. ILR is also known as permanent residence. Foreign workers with Tier 2 visa are eligible to apply for UK ILR after living five years in UK. They may need to meet certain requirements to apply UK ILR. Depending on sponsorship term, this visa can be granted for a period up to three years or more. However, this visa can be renewed by meeting certain requirements. [Recommended: Germany Job Seeker Visa]

Tier 2 Visa For Dependents:

Another benefit of UK tier 2 visa is,  Foreign employee can bring dependents with this visa. Usually, dependents include spouse and children aged not more than 18 years.

IELTS for UK Visa:

You have to prove that you have sufficient knowledge of English. Usually, CEFR level B1 knowledge of English is required for Tier 2 general visa. If you have  4 bands or higher scores in ielts, you can meet this requirement. You can prove knowledge of English with other approved English Tests as well. If medium of instructions of your education was English, you can prove knowledge of English without ielts. For this purpose, you have to get your degree assessed by UK  NARIC. [Recommended: Japan Work Visa]

Requirements for UK Tier 2 General Work Visa:

There are some basic eligibility requirements for UK Tier 2 General Work Visa, you have to meet these requirements to be eligible for this visa. The list of  requirements  of Tier 2 General visa is as follows:

• Certificate of Sponsorship: You have to obtain a certificate of sponsorship from UK employer. Employer must be registered a have license for Tier 2 visa. UK government has already published the list of registered and licensed sponsor, You can find this list by Clicking Here.
• Appropriate Salary: Annual salary offered in job offer  and certificate of sponsorship must be minimum 20,800 pounds or higher for new entrants and 30000 pounds or higher for experienced workers. Salary rate is already specified by UK immigration and can be found at this link of UK immigration Page. You can check required salary rate according to your occupation. Salary offered is a key to get this visa successfully.
• Knowledge of English: CEFR Level B1.
• Personal Savings: Bank statement of last 90 days with a minimum balance of 945 pounds to prove that you can bear expenses of first month in UK. If employer is A rated and willing to give surety to bear your expenses, you do not need this statement. You can find list of Registered and A rated sponsor at this link of Uk Government.
• Medical Test
• Police Clearance Certificate

Tier 2 General Work Visa Points System:

UK immigration uses points system to assess visa application for tier 2 general work visa. You need to secure minimum 70 points to get tier 2 visa successfully. Usually, UK immigration considers the following factors to award points:

• English Proficiency Eligibility: 10 points
• Available funds for settlement: 10 points
• Qualification: Max 15 points
  1. GCE A Leval or equal = 5
  2. Bachelor or Master degree = 10
  3. PHD = 15
• Certificate of Sponsorship: if certificate of sponsorship is granted in Shortage occupation list, you can get 50 points.
• Prospective Earnings: Per annum Salary offered must be mentioned in certificate of sponsorship: Depending on salary offered you can get 10, 15 , 20 or 25 points.

How to Apply Tier 2 General Visa:

Once you have arranged all required documents, you can apply tier 2 general visa online at official website of UK Immigration. After submission of online visa application, you have to visit visa application center for bio metrics.

UK Tier 2 Visa Fees:

Tier 2 visa fee for a visa up to three years in shortage occupation list is 464 pounds. Same fees will be charged for each dependent.

Visit UK Immigration Official website for Tier 2 General Work Visa.

Shortage Occupation List UK:

Shortage occupation list is a list of occupations which need more skilled workers in UK. UK immigration has revised skill shortage and added more occupations in 2109 first time after 2013. You can have more benefits and priorities if your occupation is on shortage occupation list UK. [Recommended: Cover Letter for Visa Application]

Benefits Being on Shortage Occupation List:

• If your occupation on UK shortage occupation list, you will be given preference for UK tier 2 visa as this visa is quota based.
• Your UK employer do not need to apply for Resident labor Market Test in UK.
• You UK employer do not need to advertise job before hiring you.
• You do not need to meet RQF level 6 education for Tier 2 Visa. Usually, you have to have minimum bachelor degree or higher for this visa but if your occupation is on shortage occupation list; you can apply with less education.  With  an occupation on shortage list, you can apply with RQF level 4 education.
• Lower visa fees.
• There will be no requirement of minimum salary for settlement in UK, if you are applying with occupation on shortage occupation list.

Latest UK Shortage Occupation List:

Production managers in nuclear industry waste management and decommissioning:
• Managing director
• Programme director
• Site Director
Production managers in electricity transmission and distribution:
• Project manager
• Site manager
Physical scientists in construction related ground engineering:
• Engineering geologist
• Hydrogeologist
• Geophysicist
Physical scientists in the oil and gas industries:
• Geophysicist
• Geoscientist
• Geologist
• Geochemist
Physical scientists in nuclear industry waste management and decommissioning:
• Technical services manager
Physical scientists in the mining industry:
• Staff geologist
• Senior resource geologist
Civil engineers in construction related ground engineering:
• Geotechnical engineer
• Tunnelling engineer
Civil engineers in the oil and gas industries:
• Petroleum engineer
• Drilling engineer
• Completions engineer
• Fluids engineer
• Resevoir engineer
• Offshore and subsea engineer
• Control and isntrument engineer
• Process safety engineer
• Wells engineer
Civil engineers in the mining industry:
• Senior mining engineer
• Mechanical engineer in the oil and gas industries
• Electrical engineer in the oil and gas industry
Electrical engineers in electricity transmission and distribution:
• Power system engineer
• Control engineer
• Protection engineer
Electrical engineers in aerospace:
• Electrical machine design engineer
• Power electronics engineer
• Specialist electronics engineer in automotive manufacturing and design

Electronics engineers in the railway industry:

• Signalling design manager
  • Signalling design engineer
  • Signalling principles designer
  • Senior signalling design checker
  • Signalling design checker
  • Signalling systems engineer
  • Design engineer in electricity transmission and distribution

Design and development engineers in automotive manufacturing and design:

• Product development engineer
  • Product design engineer

Design and development engineers in the electronics system industry:

• Integrated circuit design engineer
  • integrated circuit test engineer
• Chemical engineer
  • Manufacturing engineer (process planning) in the aerospace industry
  • Technical services representative in the decommissioning and waste areas of the nuclear industry

Engineering professionals in electricity transmission and distribution:
• Project engineer
• Proposals engineer

Engineering professionals in aerospace:

• Aerothermal engineer
  • Stress engineer
  • Chief of engineering
  • Advance tool and fixturing engineer

Engineering professionals in the civil nuclear industry’s waste management and decommissioning areas:

• Operations manager
  • Decommissioning specialist manager
• Project/planning engineer
  • Radioactive waste manager
  • Radiological protection advisor

Other engineering professionals in the civil nuclear industry:

• Nuclear safety case engineer
  • Mechanical design engineer (pressure vehicles)
  • Piping design engineer
  • Mechanical design engineer (stress)
  • Thermofluids/process engineer
• IT product manager employed by a qualifying company, in a role which requires five years of appropriate experience, as well as proven experience of team leadership
• Systems engineer in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film, television or, video games
  • Data scientist employed by a qualifying company, in a role which requires five years of appropriate experience, as well as proven experience of team leadership
• Senior developer employed by a qualifying company, in a role which requires five years of appropriate experience, as well as proven experience of team leadership

Programmers and software development professionals in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film, television, or video games industries:

• Software developer
  • Shader writer
  • Games designer

Programmers and software development professionals in the electronics system industry:

• Driver developer
  • Embedded communications engineer
• Cyber security specialist employed by a qualifying company, in a role which requires five years of appropriate experience, as well as proven experience of team leadership
  Environmental Professionals in construction related ground engineering:
• Contaminated land specialist
  • Geoenvironmental specialist
  • Landfill engineer
  Medical consultants:
• Clinical radiology consultant
  • Emergency medicine consultant
  • Old age psychiatry consultant

Non-consultant, non-training, medical staff in:

• Emergency medicine (including specialist doctors working in accident and emergency)
  • Old age psychiatry
  • Paediatrics

Trainees:

• CT3 trainee (emergency medicine)
  • ST4 to ST7 trainee (emergency medicine)
  • Core trainee (psychiatry)
  • HPC registered diagnostic radiographer
  • Nuclear medicine practitioner
  • Radiotherapy physics practitioner
  • Radiotherapy physics scientist
  • Sonographer

Employers must present evidence of the worker’s HPC registration to the Home Office on request. The worker may register while in the UK, but MUST register before starting work.
• Neurophysiology healthcare scientist
• Neurophysiology practitioner
• Nuclear medicine scientist
• Orthotist
• Prosthetist
• All nurses

Nurses sponsored must:

1. have obtained full registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council; or
2. have passed the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Computer Based Test (CBT) of competence; or
3. have obtained a Nursing and Midwifery Council permission before the 30th of April 2015 to undertake the Overseas Nursing Programme, and be sponsored to undertake a supervised practice placement as part of the programme, which has been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Evidence of 1,2, or 3 above must be presented to the Home Office on request, and MUST be provided if applying for a Restricted Certificate of Sponsorship.
Secondary education teachers in the following subjects:

• Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Bio-informatician
  • Informatician
  • Chidlren’s and family services social worker
  Quality control and planning engineers in electricity transmission and distribution:
• Planning / development engineer
  • Quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) engineer
  Engineering technicians in electricity transmission and distribution:
• Commissioning engineer
  • Substation electrical engineer
  • All paramedics
  • Animator in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film, television, or video games industries:
  • Classical ballet dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet companies. To meet this standard the company must:

1. have performed at or been invited to perform at renowed venues, such as the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, or Barbican (in th UK of elsewhere); or
2. attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from other countries; or
3. be endorsed as internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Council England

• Contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom contemporary dance companies. To meet this standard the company must:

1. have performed at or been invited to perform at renowed venues, such as Sadler’s Wells, the Southbank Centre, or The Place (in th UK of elsewhere); or
2. attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from other countries; or
3. be endorsed as internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Council England

• Orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras (such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
  Arts officers, producers, and directors in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for the film, television or video games industries:
• 2D supervisor
  • 3D supervisor
  • Computer graphics supervisor
  • producer
  • Production manager
  • Technical director
  • Visual effects supervisor
  Graphic designers in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for the film, television or video games industries:
• Compositing artist
  • Matte painter
  • Modeller
  • Rigger
  • Stereo artist
  • Texture artist
  • Manufacturing engineer (purchasing) in aerospace
  • High integiry pipe welder in a role that requires at least 3 years of appropriate work experience
  • Licensed and military certifying engineer/inspector technician
  • Overhead linesworker at Linesman Erector 2 (LE2) level and above,
  • Executive chef (one per establishment)
  • Head chef (one per establishment)
  • Sous chef (one for every 4 kitchen staff)
• Specialist chef (one per speciality)

All cheffing jobs must meet the following conditions:

1. Must require at least 5 years of experience in a role at the same level as the Tier 2 job
2. must not be in a fast food, standard fare, or take away establishment

Newly Added Occupations:

The following roles now feature on the SOL as of 9 September 2019:
• Health occupations:
o Medical practitioners SOC code 2211
o Psychologists SOC code 2212
o Veterinarians SOC code 2212
o Medical radiographers SOC code 2217
o Occupational therapists SOC code 2222
o Speech and language therapists SOC code 2223
o Nurses SOC code 2231
o Social workers SOC code 2442
o Paramedics SOC code 3213
• Engineering occupations:
•
o Civil engineers SOC code 2121
o Mechanical engineers SOC code 2122
o Electrical engineers SOC code 2123
o Electronics engineers SOC code 2124
o Design and development engineers SOC code 2126
o Production and process engineers SOC code 2127
o Engineering professionals n.e.c SOC code 2129
o Quality control and planning engineers SOC code 2461
o Welding trades, High integrity pipe welders within SOC code 5215
• Science professionals:
•
o Biological scientists and biochemists SOC code 2112
o Physical scientists SOC code 2113
o Social and humanities scientists including archaeologists SOC code 2114
• Digital and IT occupations
•
o IT business analysts, architects and systems SOC code 2135
o Programme and software development professionals SOC code 2136
o Web design and development professionals SOC code 2137
o Cyber security specialist (someone who applies security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data: this encompasses other roles such as security architect, information assurance consultant, security operational analyst and cyber security consultant) and information technology and telecommunications professionals n.e.c within SOC code 2139
• Education occupations:
o Teachers in the subjects of maths, physics, science (where an element of physics will be taught), computer science and Mandarin (secondary education teaching professionals) within SOC code 2314
o Scottish Gaelic language teachers to the Scottish SOL
o Scottish Gaelic-medium primary and nursery teachers to the Scotland SOL
• Business, finance and legal occupations:
•
o Bio-informaticians and informaticians within actuaries, economists and statisticians SOC code 2425
• Artistic and creative occupations:
o Artists SOC code 3411
o Dancers and choreographers SOC code 3414
o Musicians SOC code 3415
o Arts officer, producers and directors SOC code 3416
o Graphic designers SOC code 3421
• Other occupations:
o Architects SOC code 2431
o Skilled chefs within SOC code 5434