A UK work permit is a means of gaining the right to live and work in the United Kingdom having been offered a job by a UK employer. It is important to note that you must have a job offer in order to apply for a work permit and that it is the company that has offered you the job who applies for your work permit, not yourself. If you do not have a job offer, you may still be eligible for a Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) visa.

A UK work permit can be issued for any employment period lasting between 1 and 60 months. The duration of a work permit’s validity depends on the amount of time requested by the sponsoring company and is at the discretion of the Home Office.

Employees currently on a UK work permit will require a new work permit should they change jobs whilst remaining in the UK. Again, the prospective employer must apply for the new work permit on the employee’s behalf.

If you have been offered a job by a UK employer fill out our UK work permit assessment.

Criteria for eligibility

Education / Work Experience

In order to apply for a work permit you must have one of the following:

• A degree
• An HND level qualification that matches the position you have been offered
• An HND level qualification that does not match the position that you have been offered, plus a year of relevant work experience at NVQ level 3 or above
• No degree, but three years of work experience relevant to the job you have been offered.

Position Applied For

The position for which a work permit is required must be equivalent too or greater than NVQ level 3.

Certain professions also require the foreign applicant to be registered with the relevant governing body, for example, all doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council.

Additional Information

Spouse / Civil Partner / Dependents

Spouses, civil partners and dependents can all be included on a work permit application providing the sponsored applicant is able to accommodate and financially support them. Partners who successfully apply for Work Permit Depended visas will be eligible to seek and take up employment in the UK.

Entry Clearance / Leave to Remain

As the holder of the work permit, it is up to the employee, not the employer, to apply for the appropriate leave so that the permit can be validated. This would be either in the form of an Application of Entry Clearance, made at the British diplomatic post in your country of residence, or a Leave to Remain application, which would be made out to the Home Office in the event that you are applying to change jobs whilst remaining in the UK.