Hiring top talent in the United Kingdom (U.K.) may come with strict visa requirements. Most non-nationals need to apply for a U.K. work visa before their start date. Understanding the U.K. work visa system helps you hire confidently, stay compliant, and avoid costly delays.

G-P Gia™ gives you instant global mobility guidance, including relocation checklists and comprehensive visa and immigration breakdowns, so you can hire with confidence.

Who needs a work visa in the U.K.?

Since the U.K. exited the EU, most non-U.K. nationals, including those from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, need a visa to work in the country. This doesn’t apply if they have settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme. 

U.K. immigration uses a points-based system (PBS), which applies to all non-U.K. nationals, except Ireland citizens. This system allocates points based on criteria like job type, salary level, and English proficiency. Applicants also need a job offer from a home office-licensed employer. Successful applicants can live and work in the U.K. for the period covered by their work visa.

Work visa options in the U.K.

U.K. work visas for professionals include:

  • The skilled worker visa: The most common work visa for skilled professionals comes with several requirements: 
    • Applicants must have a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), which is a formal job offer from a licensed U.K. employer.
    • The job must be on the government's list of eligible occupations. 
    • The applicant must be paid at least the minimum salary threshold for their role or the general threshold, whichever is higher. 
    • Applicants must also prove they can read, write, speak, and understand English to a specific level.
  • Global business mobility (GBM) visas: These visas let businesses transfer employees to the U.K. The senior or specialist worker visa is the main subcategory for intra-company transfers, allowing companies to move senior managers or specialist employees to a U.K. branch. This route doesn’t provide a direct path to settlement in the U.K. 
  • Scale-up visa: For individuals with a job offer from a qualifying, high-growth U.K. business.
  • High potential individual (HPI) visa: For recent graduates from top-ranked global universities.

The application process for a work visa in the U.K. 

The U.K. work visa application process is almost entirely digital. Physical biometric residence permits (BRPs) have been phased out, and immigration status is managed online via an eVisa through a UKVI account. Processing times are usually three weeks for applications made outside the U.K. and eight weeks for those inside the U.K. Priority services are available if a U.K. work visa needs to be fast-tracked. 

  1. Employer issues CoS: The employer issues a CoS after a job offer is accepted. Getting and maintaining a sponsor license involves significant compliance duties for employers, including record-keeping and reporting responsibilities. Without this license, a company can’t issue the CoS needed for a skilled worker visa application. 
  2. Employee applies online: The employee completes the U.K. work visa application online. They submit their CoS, evidence of English language skills, job offer details (including occupation code), and may also need to provide proof of salary, bank statements, and legal clearances. The employee pays the application fee, and the immigration health surcharge (IHS). This is an upfront fee that gives visa holders access to the National Health Service (NHS) for as long as their visa is valid. 
  3. Employee submits biometrics: Most applicants need to provide fingerprints and a photograph. This is usually done at a visa application centre, but some may be able to use the U.K. Immigration: ID Check app instead, depending on their nationality and application type.
  4. Decision and eVisa: Once approved, the employee receives a decision and can access their digital immigration status online.

Other important considerations for U.K. work visas

Skilled worker visa holders can typically bring their dependents to the U.K. Eligible dependents include a partner — a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner — and children under 18. Each dependent must submit a separate application and pay the required fees, including the IHS. Their visa expires at the same time as the main applicant’s U.K. work visa. 

Manage your U.K. teams with G-P

With G-P EOR, you can move key talent to important markets and boost performance around the world. Let us handle the contracts, visas, and compliance to make every relocation a success. Reduce the hassle of navigating immigration laws and leave the complexities to us. 

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At this moment, G-P does not offer support processing work visas or permits in this particular location.

FAQs

Why can’t an EOR sponsor UK visas?

UK sponsorship requires real sponsor responsibility for the sponsored role, including its duties, functions, and outcomes. Labour-supply models where an EOR sponsors a worker but assigns them to fill a customer-controlled role can create compliance risk for all parties. G-P does not front as sponsor in EOR labour-supply arrangements. We support compliant hiring paths for workers with existing authorization and through customer-led visa strategies planning.

Are third-party work arrangements ever permitted under UK visa sponsorship rules?

Yes. Third-party arrangements are not automatically prohibited simply because a sponsored worker attends a customer site or supports a customer contract. The key question is who is responsible for the work. A sponsor may place a worker on a third-party project where the sponsor is genuinely contracted to deliver a defined service or project, and keeps responsibility for the worker’s duties, functions, supervision, and outputs. What is not permitted is using visa sponsorship to supply an individual into the customer’s ongoing routine role, where the customer directs the day-to-day position as part of its workforce.