-country Tier 2 visa applications are submitted online on the UK Government website. This is the case for residents of all countries except North Korea. Applicants should ensure that they check the Tier 2 visa requirements before applying, as well as the Home Office guidance for submitting a UK visa application in their country of residence.
Step 1: apply online
The applicant will need to complete an online application form. Guidance and a link to the online application can be found on the Home Office Tier 2 'Apply' page.
Any dependants must apply separately, and submit an individual application. Guidance and a link to the online application can be found on the Home Office Tier 2 'Family members' page.
The online application forms should be intuitive, and only ask for information relevant to the application being made. The Staff Immigration Team is happy to provide guidance on the completion of the application, and encourages applicants to email a downloaded PDF of the drafted application to be checked before submission. An application cannot be amended once the ‘Declaration’ section has been completed, so a draft PDF should be downloaded once the applicant reaches the ‘Document’ section.
Once they have carefully checked the details and submitted their application, the applicant will need to pay the combined visa application and biometric enrolment fee.
If their Certificate of Sponsorship is for more than 6 months, the applicant and their dependants will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This is a one-off payment that allows access to the National Health Service for the duration of the visa.
When the visa application, biometric enrolment, and immigration health surcharge fees have been paid, two PDF documents are generated: the completed application form and a supporting evidence checklist.
These two PDFs should be sent to the Staff Immigration Team for future reference, and to help the team provide assistance if any issue with the application arises after submission.
Step 2: book a biometrics appointment
Once they have submitted their application, the applicant should be automatically directed to book a biometrics appointment at a Visa Application Centre in their country of residence. At this appointment, the applicant will enrol their biometrics (photographs and fingerprints), and submit their documents.
The exact process may differ depending on country, so applicants are encouraged to check the Home Office guidance on how to apply for a UK visa in their country of residence.