Skilled Worker requesting CoS and prepare visa application

Request Certificate of Sponsorship

In order to sponsor an individual under a Skilled Worker visa, the Staff Immigration Team (SIT) must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). This is an electronic document which lists the sponsored individual's personal details and information about the role. The CoS also includes a reference number which must be included in the visa application.

The employing department, faculty or college should download and complete the CoS form which corresponds to the appointed candidate's current circumstances. The CoS form and supporting documents should be secured with 7-Zip and emailed to their contact person within SIT. The SIT Immigration Adviser will review the application, and check the eligibility requirements have been met.

Prospective employee applying from overseas or within the UK

DOWNLOAD INITIAL COS FORM

A current University of Oxford employee
extending their Skilled Worker visa

DOWNLOAD EXTENSION COS FORM

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Individuals undertaking an element of research at PhD in certain sensitive subjects must obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The following nationalities are exempt from the ATAS requirement:

UK, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals
Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, or the United States of America.

Dual nationals who hold one of the listed nationalities above will also be exempt. This is not based on country of residence, but nationality only.

The ATAS requirement applies to both initial and extension Skilled Worker applications.

The Staff Immigration Team (SIT) will work with Department, Faculty and College colleagues to identify if the individual will need to obtain an ATAS certificate. If this is required the template letter and guidance must be followed.

In most cases, where ATAS is applicable the Staff Immigration Team will only be able to issue the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) once the individual has applied for and been issued the ATAS certificate. This means applications must be submitted in good time.

The ATAS certificate reference number will be listed on the CoS and the individual must include a copy of the ATAS certificate in the visa application.

Full details can be found on the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) page.

English Language Requirement

Before requesting a Skilled Worker CoS, it should be confirmed with the applicant how they will meet the English language requirement. The requirement can be met in one of the ways listed below, and evidence must be included with the visa application.

Any delay in verifying the English language requirement will delay the visa application.

1. Nationals from the following English speaking countries automatically meet the English language requirement:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA

2. English language test

Applicants who need to pass an approved English language test, should refer to the Home Office's guidance on the acceptable test and grade that must be reached:

Either ‘Academic’ or ‘General’ level English tests are acceptable, but they must be approved tests for UKVI applications taken at an approved test centre. It must confirm at least a level of English at CEFR Level B2 in all areas, of listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

Following the Home Office guidance is essential. If the wrong test is taken, or an unapproved test centre attended, the applicant will be required to retake the test, resulting in additional costs and delays that are likely to significantly affect the planned start date.

3. Award a qualification from a UK institution

A Bachelor, Masters or PhD awarded by a UK institution.
A GCSE/A Level or Scottish Highers in English, studied at school in the UK

Applicant should include their degree certificate to demonstrate they have met the English language requirement

4.Qualification from an institution outside of the UK where the course was entirely taught in English

If the qualification is a Bachelor, Masters or PhD degree (or equivalent) awarded by an institution outside of the UK, an assessment from Ecctis will also be required.

Applicants can apply online for a verification, and must request an 'English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison'. A fee of £210+VAT is payable per application for verification of 'English proficiency'. Ecctis will return decisions within 20 days.

The degree certificate and the Ecctis 'English proficiency and qualification' certificate (confirming their degree is equivalent to a UK degree) must be included in the visa application.

Applicants who are required to obtain an 'English proficiency and Qualification Comparison' certificate from ECCTIS are advised to do so as early as possible or consider taking an approved English language test instead which in some cases may be quicker and/or more cost effective.

Applicants should also be aware that an application to Ecctis does not guarantee that they will certify the level of the qualification or that it was taught in English. Where verification is not successful, the applicant will need to take and pass an approved English language test instead.

Ecctis can also provide a 'Qualification Comparison' certificate (to evidence the level of the qualification at PhD) but this is only required if the applicant is relying on 'tradeable points' based on their holding a PhD, or a PhD in a STEM subject, relevant to the role. This will not normally be required for applications within the collegiate University but if there are any queries on this contact SIT.

Maintenance Requirement

The default position is the employing department, faculty or college certifies this requirement for the first month of employment.

Otherwise the applicant has to evidence personal savings held for a 28 day period of

£1,270 for the main applicant
£285 for a dependant partner
£315 for the first dependant child
£200 for any other dependant child

Permission to Stay applications

Applicants who have been in the UK for 12 months or longer and are applying to extend or switch their visa do not need to meet the maintenance requirement.

Further guidance

The Home Office provides further guidance on the maintenance requirement.

Additional Requirement for Student visa Holders

A Student visa holder is eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa when they have either:

Completed over 24 months of a PhD course in the UK; OR
Completed a undergraduate or graduate degree at a UK academic institution

In addition, the student visa must also have met the required qualifications specified in the job description before a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) can be issued.

Where a job description specifies that a PhD is required (and gives no provision for those who are close to completion or have relevant experience), a CoS cannot be issued unless the individual actually has been awarded a doctorate. Unless there are specific reasons why it is not possible, therefore, it is better to quote “PhD or close to completion” or “PhD or relevant experience”.

Please see the SIT Guidance for recommend qualification wording.

As part of the CoS application, one of the documents below must be provided:

1. Original certificate of award which clearly shows:

Student's full name;
Title of the qualification/award;
Name of the awarding body

or

2. Original academic reference, on headed paper, from their academic institution which contains the following information:

Student's full name;
Course title/award;
Course duration;
Date of completion of the course (unless the applicant is a DPhil/PhD student, in which case the letter must confirm that the applicant has been studying for more than one academic year);
Name of the awarding body;
The reason why an original certificate of award cannot be provided (where studies have been completed);
That the certificate will be issued (where studies have been completed).

Student visa holders funded during their studies

If a student has in last 12 months before the date of their visa application received an award from a Government or international scholarship agency to cover both their tuition fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent from the funder for them to remain in the UK.

Student visa holders working before obtaining a Skilled Worker visa

A Student visa holder awaiting the outcome of an application to switch into Skilled Worker visa which was submitted before their Student visa expired can fill a full-time permanent vacancy as long as they have successfully completed a course at degree level or above and they are employed in the role for which they are applying under Skilled Worker otherwise a temporary contract of employment should be issued to the individual until their work visa has been granted.

Tuberculosis Screening

Overseas Criminal Record Certificate

A requirement to provide overseas criminal record certificates when applying for a Skilled Worker visa to come to the UK for a few jobs codes in the education, health and social care sectors. Of the job codes affected the only one which is relevant within the collegiate University is SOC code 2317, which is used (very infrequently) for senior administrative posts such as ‘Course Director’ or ‘Director of studies’.

The requirement does not apply to the Researcher (SOC code 2119) and Lecturer (SOC code 2311) roles sponsored most frequently by the University, or any other job types SIT normally encounter, only senior administrative roles which fall under SOC code 2317, and Language Lektor/ Lektorin/ Lecteur/ Lectrice roles which fall under SOC code 2319.

Where the requirement does apply the applicant will have to provide either an original or a scanned copy of a criminal record certificate from the relevant authority in any country in which they have been resident for 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the past 10 years, while aged 18 or over. Any dependants who are over 18 years old must also meet this requirement. The Home Office provides contact details for the relevant authorities in different countries along with details of how to apply.

Issuing the Certificate of Sponsorship

Once the Staff Immigration Team are satisfied all the Home Office requirements have been met, a Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is issued in line with the contract of employment. The Skilled Worker CoS can be issued for either up to 3 years or up to 5 years in the first instance.

Those applying for a Skilled Worker visa, and their dependants, will have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (NHS Surcharge) in addition to the relevant visa application fees when submitting their visa applications. As the NHS Surcharge is based on the duration of the visa and can be a significant addition to the visa fees this may affect the decision of the length of visa applied for. You may wish to draw the applicant's attention to this issue.