Skilled Worker visa requirements: eligibility, dependants and process

The Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to work in an eligible job with a licensed sponsor. To qualify, you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor, meet the salary and English language requirements, and have enough money to support yourself and any dependants. Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your dependants, but they must complete separate applications and meet their own eligibility and financial requirements. The visa usually lasts for the length of your job, and your dependants’ visas will normally end on the same date as yours.

Who can apply for a Skilled Worker visa

The Skilled Worker visa is for people who have been offered a job in the UK by a licensed sponsor. The Home Office guidance confirms that you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor before you can apply. You also need to meet the other requirements, including having enough money to support yourself and pay for your course — the amount varies depending on your circumstances.

The visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) visa, and it is the main route for skilled workers coming to the UK. If you are a care worker or senior care worker, or if your job is listed as a ‘medium skilled’ occupation, there are additional rules about whether you can bring dependants — these are covered in more detail below.

Eligibility requirements

To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor. You must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English to the required level, and have enough money to support yourself and any dependants. The exact amount you need depends on your circumstances.

You must also have a certificate of sponsorship from your employer, which confirms the job details and that your employer can support you. If your employer confirms on the certificate of sponsorship that they will cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK, you may not need to prove that you have the required funds yourself.

The Home Office will tell you what you can and cannot do on a Skilled Worker visa if your application is successful. You cannot claim public funds (benefits) or pensions, and you cannot work in certain jobs, such as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. You also cannot be self-employed.

Financial requirements

You must have a certain amount of money available to support yourself and your dependants while they are in the UK. The amounts are set out in the guidance and are as follows:

Person	Amount required
You (for your own application)	£1,270
Your partner	£285
One child	£315
Each additional child	£200

For example, if you are bringing your partner and one child with you, you would need £600 for them (£285 for your partner and £315 for your child), in addition to the £1,270 you need for yourself.

You — or your partner or child — must have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of you or them applying for the visa. You will usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK — this must be confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship

If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they will only need to prove they have enough money to support themselves if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.

Your partner and children (dependants)

Your partner and children may also be able to apply to join you or stay in the UK as your dependants. They will need to complete separate applications. If their application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 — including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

They will need to provide evidence of their relationship to you when they apply. If you are the first person in your family to apply, you can get a ‘family linking code’ to connect your applications together. Your family members can enter the same code when they apply.

Proving your relationship

For your partner, you must be able to prove one of the following:

• you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK
• you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you are working or studying in different places, or it is not accepted in your culture

If you are not living together, you will need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you communicate regularly, support each other financially, care for any children you have together, and spend time together as a couple, such as on holiday or at events.

For your child, they must live with you unless they are living away from home in full-time education, such as at boarding school or university. They must not be married or in a civil partnership. You will need to provide evidence of their address, such as a bank statement, credit card bills, driving licence, NHS registration document, or an official letter from their university or college.

Special rules for care workers and ‘medium skilled’ jobs

If you are a care worker or senior care worker, your partner or children can apply to stay as your dependant if they are inside the UK and any of the following are true:

• you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024
• they are your child and they were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored as a care worker or senior care worker

If your partner or children are outside the UK, they can apply to join you as your dependant if either you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024, or they are your child and they were born in the UK.

If your occupation code is a ‘medium skilled’ job — not a care worker or senior care worker — and your partner or children are inside the UK, they can apply to stay as your dependant if any of the following are true:

• you have been continually employed in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and in a ‘medium skilled’ job since before 22 July 2025
• they are your child and they were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored for a job listed as ‘medium skilled’
• they are your child or partner and you are extending your visa or switching to this visa as a prison officer (code 3314)

If your partner or children are outside the UK and your job is listed as ‘medium skilled’, they can apply to join you as your dependant if either you have been continually employed in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and in a ‘medium skilled’ job since before 22 July 2025, or they are your child and they were born in the UK.

How to apply

Your partner and children must apply online — either as your partner outside the UK or as your child outside the UK. Each family member will need to complete a separate application and pay the visa fee. They must apply before they travel to the UK.

They will need your application number, which you get when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You will find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application. They can also enter a ‘family linking code’ if you got one when you applied, which will connect your applications.

As part of the application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They will either use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document — and create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account — or have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre. They will be told what they need to do when they apply. If they need an appointment, they will need to take their passport with them to the visa application centre, and they may have to travel to get to their nearest centre.

What to do next

Before you apply, check the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa guidance to confirm the current requirements, including the salary threshold for your occupation and the exact financial evidence you need. The rules for dependants of care workers and ‘medium skilled’ workers are specific and depend on your employment history, so read those sections carefully.

You should also check whether your job is on the eligible occupation list and whether your employer is a licensed sponsor. The Home Office publishes the list of licensed sponsors, and your employer must be on it before you can apply. If you are unsure about any requirement, the official GOV.UK pages are the authoritative source — do not rely on third-party summaries for critical details like fees, thresholds, or eligibility dates.