Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

To qualify for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, you must meet the following criteria:

Current employment: You must already be employed by an overseas business that is approved by the Home Office as a licensed sponsor.
Certificate of sponsorship (CoS): You’ll need a valid CoS issued by your UK employer, detailing your job role and proposed start date.
Eligible occupation: Your role must appear on the list of eligible occupations.
Minimum salary: You must be paid a minimum annual salary of £48,500, or the “going rate” for the role, whichever is higher.

How long you need to have worked for your employer

If you’re earning less than £73,900 a year you must have worked for your employer outside the UK for at least 12 months.
If you’re earning £73,900 a year or more, there is no minimum time requirement.

Costs and Financial Requirements

When applying for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, you’ll need to ensure you have enough funds to cover:

Application fees
Immigration Health Surcharge
Living costs (unless exempt)

You’ll be told the exact amount during the application process, but here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

1. Visa Application Fees

The cost depends on where you’re applying from and how long you’ll be staying in the UK.

If applying from outside the UK:
• Up to 3 years: £719 per person
• More than 3 years: £1,420 per person

If applying from inside the UK (to extend, switch or update your visa):

Up to 3 years: £827 per person
More than 3 years: £1,636 per person

2. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

You must also pay the healthcare surcharge, which gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The standard rate is £1,035 per year, per applicant (including dependants)

3. Funds to Support Yourself in the UK

To show you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK, you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 in your bank account

This amount must have been held for a minimum of 28 consecutive days, and the final day of that period must fall within 31 days of your visa application date.

You do not need to prove this if:

You’ve been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months or more
Your UK employer agrees to cover your first month’s costs (up to £1,270)

If your employer is providing financial support, your Certificate of Sponsorship must include a statement in the ‘Sponsor certifies maintenance’ section under ‘Additional data’.

Your stay in the UK under this visa is limited to the shorter of the following:

The duration stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days
5 years

You can apply to extend your visa or reapply multiple times, but your total time in the UK is capped.

Maximum Stay Limits

If your salary is under £73,900: You can stay for a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period
If your salary is £73,900 or more: You can stay for up to 9 years in any 10-year period

Any time spent in the UK on similar or related visas will count towards this limit.

These include:

Intra-company Transfer and Graduate Trainee visas
Senior or Specialist Worker visa
Service Supplier and Secondment Worker visas
UK Expansion Worker visa

Example:
If you’ve already spent 3 years in the UK on a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, and then worked abroad for 6 months, you may only remain in the UK for a further 2 years (if earning under £73,900), before needing to spend at least 6 months outside the UK to reset the clock.

Special Provision for Long-Term Tier 2 Visa Holders

If you’ve held a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Long-term Staff visa since before 6 April 2011, and have remained in the UK since then on qualifying visas, you are not subject to the maximum stay limits. You can continue living and working in the UK as long as your employer sponsors you.

How to Apply

Applications must be made online. The application route depends on your current location and visa status:

Outside the UK: Apply to enter the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker.
Inside the UK: Apply to extend your current visa or switch from another visa type (if eligible).

Your partner and children can also apply to join you as dependants, provided they meet the criteria.

Costs Involved

Each applicant (including dependants) must:

Pay the relevant application fee
Pay the immigration healthcare surcharge for each year of stay
Demonstrate adequate personal savings (unless exempt)

Processing Times

You can apply up to 3 months before your job start date (as stated on your CoS). You’ll need to prove your identity and submit supporting documents.

Visa decisions are usually made within:

3 weeks (if applying from outside the UK)
8 weeks (if applying from within the UK)

Faster processing may be available for an additional fee.

What You Can and Cannot Do on a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

You can:

Work in the job outlined in your Certificate of Sponsorship
Study in the UK
Bring your partner and children as dependants
Undertake voluntary work
Travel in and out of the UK freely

You cannot:

Access most public funds or benefits, including the State Pension
Change jobs unless your visa is updated and you’re eligible
Work a second job (unless you’ve previously held certain Intra-company visas)
Apply for indefinite leave to remain (this route does not lead to permanent settlement)

Need Help with Your Application?

The rules around sponsorship, eligibility, and time limits can be complex, especially if you’re applying for the first time or switching routes.

At UK Visa Specialists, we help employers and skilled workers navigate every step of the Global Business Mobility process. Whether you’re a business sponsor or an individual applicant, our immigration experts are here to guide you through your options and make the application as straightforward as possible.

Contact us today to discuss your eligibility or start your application.

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Eligibility Requirements