I. Main Visa and Work Permit Types

The table lists only the principal routes covered in this guide and is not an exhaustive list of all United Kingdom visa categories.

1. Short-Term Tourism and Business Visits

A Standard Visitor is generally permitted to stay for up to six months per visit. A visa valid for several years does not permit continuous residence for several years. Meetings, negotiations, and certain permitted business activities are different from local employment. Visitors must not fill a UK role or live in the United Kingdom through successive visits.

Whether an activity qualifies as a visit must be assessed by reference to the actual work performed, not merely the itinerary label or where salary is paid. Installation, repair, training, and on-site client services should be reviewed carefully to determine whether work permission or a specific exemption is required.

2. Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker route is for employees hired by an approved UK employer to perform an eligible role.

The applicant must have an eligible sponsor, a genuine role, and a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The general annual salary must meet the higher of £41,700 and the occupation-specific going rate. Statutory discounted salary rules and exceptions for healthcare, education, and other cases apply separately. New applicants generally need to meet the B2 English requirement, while existing holders who qualify under transitional provisions may be subject to B1.

Each grant is generally valid for up to five years and may be extended while the applicable conditions continue to be met. Where a change of employer or role requires updated permission, the applicant should obtain new sponsorship and the corresponding approval first. Employment termination may lead to the permission being curtailed, so the original expiry date should not be assumed to remain valid in every case.

3. Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

This visa is for senior or specialist employees temporarily transferred from an overseas group company to a related UK entity.

The applicant must have an eligible UK sponsor and a genuine group relationship, and the role must appear on the applicable occupation list. Salary must generally meet the higher of £52,500 and the relevant rate for the role. Where annual salary is below £73,900, the applicant must usually have worked for the related overseas employer for at least 12 months. Special rules apply to high earners and certain historic transitional cases.

The visa is generally granted for the shorter of the period stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days and five years. Time spent on relevant routes is generally limited to five years in any six-year period. Eligible employees earning at least £73,900 a year may stay for up to nine years in any ten-year period. This route does not lead directly to settlement. A change of sponsor or material change in working conditions requires the permission to be updated under this route.

II. Entry, Dependants, and Other Arrangements

Visas, work authorization, and residence documents should correspond to the actual activities and to each other’s validity periods. Eligible spouses and children of Skilled Worker visa holders may apply under the dependant rules, but special restrictions apply to certain medium-skilled roles, care roles, and transitional cases. A dependant’s right to work must be assessed according to the conditions of that person’s own approval.

Eligible partners and children of Senior or Specialist Worker visa holders may apply separately for dependant status and must comply with the conditions of their own visas. Study, transit, and other personal immigration statuses must also meet their respective requirements. The principal applicant’s permission cannot be used directly as the dependant’s entry or employment document.

III. Extensions, Changes, Employment Termination, and Status Maintenance

IV. Support Available From sailglobal

If you plan to send personnel to the United Kingdom for business visits, local employment, short-term projects, or accompanying-family arrangements, contact sailglobal to understand the applicable route and application requirements based on the individual’s status, job duties, and itinerary.

Visa, work permit, and residence applications are decided independently by the relevant authorities. sailglobal does not guarantee an approval outcome or a fixed issuance date.