Slovakian Spanish Czech English French Polish Chinese Romanian

Visas and work permits

The British government is in the process of overhauling its immigration policy and implementing a points based system for non-European Union migrants who want to work and study in the UK. This system will be broken into five tiers, each with different requirements and entitlements. The first tier, which is expected to start in March 2008, will be for highly skilled migrants, entrepreneurs, investors, and foreign graduate students. This will replace the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). During the course of the year, further changes to the system are likely to be introduced, and we will update the website as new information on the upcoming system becomes available. For more information on the tiered system, please click here.

  • UK Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
    Are you an ambitious and successful person with excellent qualifications and skills? This programme is based on a points system and is geared towards people with sought-after qualifications in the UK. Your points will be based on the following areas:

    • Age
    • Education qualifications
    • Profession
    • Previous earnings
    • UK work experience


    To calculate your total points and to see whether or not you achieve the minimum 75 points required to qualify for this prestigious programme, please click here.

  • Work permit
    A work permit for the UK is applied for by the employer of a company established in the UK. As the prospective employee, this will be done on your behalf. You will need to find a company in the UK that is willing to sponsor your work permit and make the application for you. Each company has its own policy with regard to sponsorship, so it is up to you to find one willing to sponsor foreign workers. A change in job would require a new work permit and a job seeker cannot apply for this work permit on their own.

    You can expect approval of this permit to take between one and two weeks, and you can find the application documents for this work permit by clicking here.

    If you are still unsure what a work permit is or if you want to find out whether or not you qualify for one, please visit the UKvisas website.

  • Working holidaymakers
    Do you want to go to the UK for an extended holiday and work at the same time? If so, then this is the visa for you. This working visa applies to British Overseas Citizens, British Dependant Territories Citizens and nationals of Commonwealth countries, including:

    Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji Islands, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho (nationals from this country cannot apply), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

    Provided that working holidaymakers of the abovementioned countries adhere to the conditions of entry as outlined by the British government, they will be eligible for this visa.

    Nationals must be betweens the ages of 17 and 30, and this two-year visa allows the holder to work only for one (12 months) of the two years. Sufficient funds to support yourself for one month after arrival in the UK must be available to you and you must hold a return ticket to your place of residence or subsequent destination. Application for this visa must be completed through the local British consulate in your home country. For full requirements for the working holidaymaker visa, please click here.

  • Ancestry
    Application for this visa is available to all Commonwealth country nationals who have a grandparent born in the UK, Isle of Man or in the Channel Islands. This relationship must be proven with birth and marriage certificates, and you must be able to support yourself without the need of public funds. It is also helpful to have proof of employment, or of an opportunity of employment available to you, in the UK.

    This visa is valid for five years and there are no working restrictions attached to it. After five years of continuous employment and stay in the UK, you may apply for permanent residence.

    You will need to collect an Ancestry Visa application form from your nearest UK embassy/consulate in your country of residence. To find your nearest embassy or consulate, please click here. For a Q&A on this visa type, please visit UKvisas.

  • EEA/EU and Swiss citizens
    The Europe Economic Area (EEA) comprises 25 EU countries. Nationals of these countries, as well as Swiss nationals, all have a right of residence to live and work in the United Kingdom without a work permit. Right of residence applies to these nationals working in the UK, or who would like to work and live in the UK, and who can support themselves without the need of public funds (such as housing benefits and income support). EEA countries include the following:

    Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic*, Denmark, Estonia*, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary*, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia*, Liechtenstein, Lithuania*, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland*, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

    (Those with an * must register under the Worker Registration Scheme; please see below).

    When you arrive in the UK your passport or national identity card will be checked by the immigration officers at customs.

  • Worker Registration Scheme
    This scheme applies to nationals of the following countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Citizens of Cyprus or Malta do not need to apply under this scheme.

    Citizens of the above eight countries who want to work in the UK or have been working in the UK illegally must register with the Worker Registration Scheme within one month of starting a new job. This registration does not apply to those who are self-employed.

    After working for an uninterrupted period of 12 months, you will no longer need the registration card and certificate and will be able to apply for an EEA residence permit. Click here to find out how and where to apply for this scheme.

    To order application guidance forms, telephone 08705 210 224 or contact the Worker Registration Team:

    • Home Office Worker Registration Team
      Work Permits (UK)
      PO BOX 3468
      Sheffield
      S3 8WA
      Tel: 0114 207 6022
      Email: WPcustomers@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
      Website: www.workingintheuk.gov.uk

  • Sectors-based Scheme Work Permit
    This permit is available only to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals who are between the ages of 18 and 30. The visa is designed to target skills shortage areas exclusive to the Food Manufacturing Industry and is valid for a period of 12 months. You can find the relevant application forms for this visa right here.

  • Training Permit/Work Experience Scheme
    The Training Permit Scheme is designed to allow foreign nationals between the ages of 18 and 54 to receive training in a UK company, with the aim of providing the worker with a recognised professional qualification. This permit is granted for training purposes only, as the object of the scheme is to improve the skills and benefits to companies outside the UK.

    Application for this scheme must be made by the employer and it will allow entry to the UK for a period of three years.

    The Work Experience Scheme is aimed at those between the ages of 18 and 35 who are starting their careers and are seeking particular work experience unavailable in their home countries. This visa will be granted for a maximum of one year.

    For both of the above visas you will need from your prospective employer a detailed programme of what your training/work experience is expected to entail, such as work hours, duties and resulting qualifications. This application may be made by the employer only and before the employee is permitted to enter the UK. Find more information and requirements for these visas by clicking here.


  • Business visas
    If you are an entrepreneur with new and innovative business ideas or if you are an investor wishing to invest in lucrative economic activities, these visas will make it possible for you to realise your potential in the UK. You will be entitled to live and run your business in the UK, provided you fulfil various conditions. The relevant visa is valid for four to five years and will depend on your type of business.

    Entrepreneur immigration: this visa is for those wishing to start up and manage their own business in the UK. A minimum investment of £200,000, the creation of two jobs for EEA nationals, and the full-time management and control of the business is required of the entrepreneur. Bulgarian and Romanian nationals are covered by the EC Association Agreement and do not have to fulfil these requirements. Please click here for further details.

    Innovator visa: this document is geared toward entrepreneurs who have new and innovative business ideas that will economically benefit the UK, who will provide employment to at least two people, and who will have sufficient funding and business experience. This visa is qualified by a points system; click here to find out your points total.

    For further information and all your questions answered, please click here.

    Investor visa: to enter the UK as an investor you must have at least £1 million to invest in the UK, of which at least £750,000 must be invested in unit trusts and/or private companies.

  • Family
    Marriage visa: Spouses of British citizens or of a permanent residents may enter and work in the UK under this visa.

    Unmarried partners: This visa is for unmarried partners of British citizens (or of persons with any type of long-term status entry into the UK) who are able to prove that they have been in a permanent relationship for at least two years.

    Fiance: as the fiance of a British citizen, permanent resident or EU citizen, you can apply for immigration to the UK as a fiance. Application and requirements are much the same as those for a marriage visa. However, you must bear in mind that it might be easier to marry first and then apply for a spousal visa, as this is less of a complicated route to take. See the UKvisas website to find out requirements to be met for family visas.

    So do I need a UK visa?
    Find out if you need a UK visa by filling in this questionnaire. All you need to do is to choose one of the above visas that best suites your reasons for entering and working in the UK and to identify your country residence.

    Application forms for all visa types are available at the following websites:

    Both links above are taken from the official UK Home Office website.

    Visa fees:
    How much will my visa cost me? Click here to find out how much your specific visa will cost.

    Biometric data collection for visa applicants
    Biometrics data - in the form of a ten digit finger-scan and a digital photograph - will be collected by UKvisas from all visa applicants regardless of nationality. This enrolment has been implemented for your safety in order to curb identity theft, which aides terrorism and organised crime.

    Biometric data is currently collected from all visa applicants when they apply for a UK visa in the following countries:

    Albania, Angola, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Myanmar, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, the Gambia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Senegal, Seychelles, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam. This process will be implemented worldwide from 2007 onward.

Membership Login
membership number