UK Tier 2 Visa Sponsorship: A Practical No-Nonsense Guide

The UK is a land of many opportunities. Just like the U.S, the UK thrives on attracting diverse and talented people from around the world to its shores to boost its workforce, drive its economy while giving people the avenue to realize their dreams while benefitting from the tax generated via employment.

Another factor which makes the UK a top choice for job seekers is that it has a very strong currency.

Whether you’re an international job seeker or you’re already in the UK, one of the most coveted paths to securing a job in the UK and finally settling down in the country is the Tier 2 visa.

This article will help you to understand the UK Tier 2 Visa- whether you’re trying to secure a Sponsorship job from outside the UK or you’re within the country, perhaps on a different visa or studying and hoping to get a stay with a Tier 2 Sponsorship status. We will also 2 methods on how to successfully get a tier 2 visa sponsorship job in the UK.

What is a Tier 2 Visa?

The Tier 2 visa is a work visa that grants job seekers the privilege of staying and working in the UK for the duration of that visa. You need to be eligible in order to be able to apply for a tier 2 work visa.

What are the eligibility criteria for a Tier 2 work visa?

In order to be eligible for a tier 2 work visa, you must:

• Work for a UK employer that’s been licensed by the Home Office to be a candidate Sponsor
• Be offered a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• Work in an industry that is on the list of eligible occupations

• Be paid a qualifying salary depending on your role, the company and the industry you work in. The qualifying salary for a UK Tier 2 visa is £26,200 per year or £10.75 per hour

How many years is a Tier 2 Visa valid for?

A lot of employers give a certificate of sponsorship (also known as COS) which is valid for either 3 years or 5 years.

The good thing is after 5 years on a skilled worker visa in the UK, you can apply for an Indefinite Leave to remain also known as ILR which means you can become a UK permanent resident. The ILR is also a good path to UK citizenship.

How do I apply for a Tier 2 Visa?

First, you need to be on the list of eligible jobs that are on the UK skilled worker list. Popular jobs on the list that get visa sponsorship include Healthcare workers, IT professionals and finance professionals. However, these are not the only occupations that are eligible for a tier 2 visa sponsorship. You can find the full list of eligible occupations here.

Secondly, you need to apply to an employer that is licensed to give a Tier 2 Visa Sponsorship. You can find the full list of companies that are licensed to give visa sponsorship jobs here.

Can I bring my family on a tier 2 visa?

Yes you can bring in your immediate family to come and live with you in as dependents if you have a tier 2 visa sponsorship.

Apart from Tier 2 Sponsorship Visa, what other types of visa can I use to come to work in the UK?

Outside of the Tier 2 visa, you can also come to the UK on a student visa. However, with the student visa, you are restricted to working only 20 hours per week.

Another kind of visa you can use to come to the UK is the Global Talent Visa which gives you much more freedom to work or even start your own company.

The good thing about the global talent visa is that you can even bring your family to come and live with you in the UK.

How to get a tier 2 visa job in the UK

As promised, here are 2 methods you can use to get a tier 2 visa sponsorship job in the UK:

First is to use the Lavhi Job Board – this website published lots of UK Visa sponsorship jobs each week for nursing, healthcare and other sectors like IT & finance.

The second method of getting a Visa sponsorship job in the UK is to build your skill in a high in demand role. Then got to the Tier 2 sponsors list. Make a list of firms in your industry and apply directly to those firms directly.

If you put in a strong application, you will likely be invited for an interview where the company will expect you to sell yourself and make them see reasons why they should give you a visa sponsorship job to come and work with them in the UK.

We hope this information has been able to help you in your quest to securing a UK Tier 2 Visa Sponsorship. If you have any other questions about how to secure a UK Visa Sponsorship Job, leave it in the comment section and we will be happy to respond to your questions.