(Tier2 _ General work visa)
* Overview
*Change your current visa to this type of visa
General Work Visa (Row 2)
Overview
You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) work visa if:
- You have been offered a job in the UK that requires skills.
- You are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Get a sponsor
To apply to live in the UK, you must be hired by a reputable (authorized) sponsor.
Your sponsor will check to see if you can do the job for which you were hired and if this qualifies you for a visa. They will give you a certificate of financial support for verification.
They should also give you other information you need when applying for a visa, such as how much you will be paid.
How long does it take to get a visa?
The earliest time you can apply for a visa is 3 months before your start date. This date is on your certificate of financial support.
You will be notified of your visa decision within 3 weeks.
Check the guidance process time to find out how long it may take to get a visa in your country.
Health surcharge
You must also pay the surcharge for health services as part of your visa application. Check how much you have to pay before applying for a visa.
If you are applying to extend or change your visa and are based in the UK
You will have to pay 20 19.20 to get your biometric information (fingerprint and photo).
Decide on your visa application faster
If you are applying to extend or change your visa and are based in the UK, you can pay the following additional amounts to speed up the process of deciding on your visa:
– pounds 477 to take advantage of priority services to get a visa within 10 business days.
– 10 610 to take advantage of high priority services to get a visa within one business day.
How long can you stay in the UK on a public work visa?
You can come to the UK with a Tier 2 (General) work visa, up to a maximum of 5 years and 14 days or a time specified in your sponsorship certificate plus 1 month, whichever is shorter.
You can start your stay 14 days before the start date on your sponsorship certificate.
Example
Your start date is July 15th. The earliest time you can start your stay is July 1st.
You can apply for an extension of this visa for another 5 years, as long as your total stay is not more than 6 years.
What you can and cannot do with a public work visa
You can do the following:
- Work for your sponsor in the job described in your sponsorship certificate.
- In special circumstances, you can have a second job.
- You can volunteer.
- You can take a course of study as long as it does not interfere with the work for which you have been supported.
- You can travel outside the UK and come back again.
- Bring your family members with you.
You can do the following:
- You cannot own more than 10% of your sponsor shares (unless you earn more than 15 159,600 a year).
- You can not receive public funds.
- You cannot apply for a second job until you start working for your sponsor.