Skilled Worker Overview
A brief summary of the Skilled Worker visa and the sponsorship process
Tier 2 (General) visa holders
The Skilled Worker route replaced Tier 2 on 1 December 2020. All details on the Skilled Worker pages of the website are relevant to current Tier 2 visa holders.
No action for current Tier 2 visa holders needs to be taken. If we need to extend their visa or undertake a change of employment, this will be done under the Skilled Worker requirements.
-
appointment meets the sponsorship requirements
- department, faculty or college submit a request for sponsorship to the Staff Immigration Team
- Staff Immigration Team provides sponsorship via the University's A-Rated Premium License
- visa application is submitted by the individual which meets the Home Office eligibility requirements
Further details on the sponsorship process are provided below.
An assessment of an individual's Right to Work status should be undertaken. An applicant may require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa if they do not have a UK visa or their current UK visa does not permit them to undertake the role being offered.
Certain visas carry restrictions on what work the holder can do and/or the hours they are permitted to work. The visa usually clearly states any restrictions, but please contact the Staff Immigration Team if you are unsure.
EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals
Free movement and the transitional arrangements in place for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals end at 11pm on 31 December 2020.
European nationals resident in the UK on or prior to 31 December 2020 must apply for Pre-Settled or Settled status before the 30 June 2021. In the UK before brexit page provides further information.
European nationals arriving from the 1 January 2021, who have not been resident in the UK previously will require an appropriate visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK.
Irish nationals automatically have the right to live and work in the UK and do not require a visa.
Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa holder
- Individual already employed by the University or a college: Please send a copy of the new job description to the Staff Immigration Adviser who will consider the new role against the individual's current appointment. If this falls within the same occupation it is likely this will just need to be reported to the Home Office. If significantly different, new Skilled Worker sponsorship will be required with the new visa granted before they can commence the role.
- Individual employed by an external organisation: A new Skilled Worker visa will be required with sponsorship from the University.
Student (Tier 4) visa holder
International students who have been sponsored under a student visa to study in the UK can switch into the Skilled Worker route to undertake their first full time role. Please refer to the Additional requirement for Student (Tier 4) visa holders
Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme visa holder
PhD/DPhil students who are nearing the completion of their studies and hold a student visa can apply for a 12 month extension to their visa under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES). This visa allows the individual to work full time once they have completed their studies.
If the appointment is shorter than 12 months, the Tier 4 DES route may be better than the Skilled Worker route. The Student Immigration Team provides further guidance for Oxford students.
For sponsorship to be provided the appointment will need to meet the Requirements for sponsorship which sets a minimum skills and salary threshold and that the appointment is a genuine vacancy.
The Request a CoS & Prepare a visa application page provides further details on requesting sponsorship from the Staff Immigration Team and the visa requirements to be met, which can include English language, tuberculosis screening, maintenance and criminal record checks.
The employing department, faculty or college should download and complete the CoS form, submitting this to the Staff Immigration Adviser with the required supporting documents password protected with 7-Zip.
A current University of Oxford employee extending their Skilled Worker (or Tier 2) visa
Global Talent visa
Please consider the Global Talent visa for
- senior academic and research appointments
- research or specialist technical roles externally funded
- individuals awarded an individual fellowship
Certificate of Sponsorship
Once the Staff Immigration Team are satisfied the requirements have been met they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to the individual.
This is an electronic document which lists the individual's personal details and information about the role. The CoS contains a unique reference number which must be included in the Skilled Worker visa application.
Sponsorship is normally provided in line with the contract of employment period, up to an initial maximum period of 5 year sponsorship. There are different visa costs for an 'up to 3 year' visa, and an 'up to 5 year' visa which are detailed on the costs page.
Reporting changes to SIT
As soon as sponsorship is issued the Home Office expects changes to an individual's appointment to be reported to them. These reporting duties commence as soon as the CoS is issued, and last until we cease sponsoring the individual.
It is important departments, faculties and colleges review the details on the During Sponsorship page relating to changes in a Skilled Worker role and absences from work, so they understand what information needs to be reported to the Staff Immigration Team.
The sponsored individual must submit a visa application within 3 months of the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) being issued, otherwise the CoS automatically expires. They do not have to receive the Skilled Worker visa during this 3 months.
Please refer to the Visa Application section for more information on the process of applying within the UK and overseas.
Applying within the UK
An individual can apply for a Skilled Worker visa from within the UK as long as they do not currently hold a
- Visitor visa
- Short-term Student visa
- Parent of a Child Student visa
- Seasonal Worker visa
- Domestic Worker visa
- visa for reasons Outside of the Immigration Rules
Issuing the Certificate of Sponsorship
The earliest the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) can be issued is 3 months before the individual's
- employment start date
- current Skilled Worker visa expires
The CoS will be issued as soon as the Immigration Adviser is happy the Home Office requirements can be met. It is provided electronically to the applicant, enabling them to receive the information they require to apply for the Skilled Worker visa quickly.
We recommend the request for a CoS is submitted as soon as possible, ideally 3-4 months prior to their start date, or visa expiry date, to ensure enough time is provided for the CoS to be issued, and visa application process.
Visa application processing timescales
Once the full visa application, including online application, payment of fee, and registering biometric details, has been completed processing times are normally
- 3 weeks when applying outside the UK
- 8 weeks within the UK
Priority services, at additional cost, are available. For overseas applications information on priority services will be detailed by visa application centre. In the UK this is either a super priority (next working day decision) or priority service (5 working days).
Once a decision is made, it can take another 1-2 weeks for the
- passport containing the entry vignette to be returned to the applicant overseas
- the new biometric residence permit (BRP) to be posted to the individual's UK address
Delayed Start date
A realistic start date should be set taking into account the individual's circumstances, and the visa application processing times.
Any proposed change in start date once the CoS has been provided should be discussed immediately with the Staff Immigration Adviser, if possible amendments can be made to the CoS before the applicant submits their visa application.
Late arrivals once the visa has been granted, cannot be delayed by more than 4 weeks otherwise the visa will be cancelled. Further details can be found on the Change in Start Date section.
Travelling to the UK as a Visitor
Once the visa application has been submitted, or after the Skilled Worker visa has been granted, an individual must not travel to the UK earlier than the issue date printed on their vignette or stated on their electronic immigration status. If they do their Skilled Worker visa will no longer be valid and they will not be able to start their employment.
Contact us
Medical Sciences / Humanities / GLAM / UAS / Continuing Education / Colleges
Angelina Pelova, Email: angelina.pelova@admin.ox.ac.uk
Jennifer Brewer, Email: jennifer.brewer@admin.ox.ac.uk
MPLS / Social Sciences
Lyn Davis, Email: lyn.davis@admin.ox.ac.uk
Richard Birt, Email: richard.birt@admin.ox.ac.uk