Skilled Worker visa documents: what you must provide

The Skilled Worker visa requires you to prove your identity, your job offer and sponsorship, your English language ability and, if you are bringing family, your relationship to them and the money needed to support them. Your partner and children must each complete a separate application and pay their own visa fee. The exact documents you submit depend on whether you apply from inside or outside the UK and on your personal circumstances, so the checklist below sets out what the rules require rather than a fixed list.

What the Skilled Worker visa itself requires

The Skilled Worker visa is available if you have been offered a job by a licensed sponsor and meet the eligibility criteria. The GOV.UK guidance states that you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor, be able to speak, read, write and understand English, and have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. The visa replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa, and the same conditions apply whether you are applying for the first time, extending or switching.

When you apply, you will need to prove your identity. The Home Office will tell you what you need to do when you apply. You will either use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, or have your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application centre. If you need an appointment, you will need to take your passport with you to the visa application centre.

Documents for your partner and children

If your partner or children are applying as dependants, they must provide evidence of their relationship to you. A dependant partner or child is defined as your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner; your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay; or your child over 18 who currently has permission to be in the UK as your dependant.

For your partner, you must prove one of the following: that you are in a civil partnership or marriage recognised in the UK; that you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply; or that you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but cannot live together, for example because you are working or studying in different places. If you are not living together, you will need to prove an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by showing that you communicate regularly, support each other financially, care for any children you have together, or spend time together as a couple.

For your child, they must live with you unless they are living away from home in full-time education, and 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.

Financial maintenance: how much you need

Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they are in the UK. The amounts are set out in the table below.

Person	Amount required
Partner	£285
One child	£315
Each additional child	£200

You, or your partner or child, will need to 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 this 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, or your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK, which 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. The GOV.UK guidance gives an example: you would need £600 to bring your partner and one child with you, and £1,270 to support yourself for your own application.

Applying from outside the UK

If you are applying from outside the UK, your partner and children must either apply online as your partner outside the UK or apply online as your child outside the UK. Each family member must 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 is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You will find this 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.

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; or they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored as a care worker or senior care worker. If they are outside the UK, they can apply to join you 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, 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 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’; or they are your child or partner and you are extending your visa or switching to this visa as a prison officer (code 3314). If they are outside the UK, they can apply to join you 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.

What to do next

Before you apply, check the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa guidance for the most current requirements, including the visa fee and the healthcare surcharge, which you must pay as part of your application. Confirm your certificate of sponsorship details with your employer, and gather evidence of your relationship to any dependants and the financial maintenance required. If you are extending your visa, the same identity and financial requirements apply, but the 28-day maintenance rule may not apply if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

Verify the exact documents you need on the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page, which sets out the full application process and the specific evidence requirements for your circumstances.