Why work in UK?
Average annual gross salary in UK is £35,000 to £45,000.
Average work hours per week: 36.6
Paid leave per year: 28 days
Relaxed policies for skilled workers
GET A WORK VISA IN THE UK
Discover the UK’s potential to offer you the best of job opportunities in industrial sectors like banking & finance, healthcare, IT, banking, and construction. Plan to work in UK by procuring a work visa that suits your professional requirements.
The UK work visa is a visa pathway that is highly encouraged to skilled workers around the world considering the UK is one of the strongest economies even after separating from the EU and going through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Understand the features, processes, and procedures related to work in UK. Learn what it takes to acquire a work visa and what are the possibilities in store for you to become a permanent resident in the UK. Let’s talk more about the UK work visa and the pathways that lead you to the opportunity to work in UK.
About the UK
Here are some interesting facts about the UK.
- The UK is in fact a group of 4 countries namely Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.
- The largest country in the UK is England.
- Heathrow in London is the biggest airport on the continent of Europe.
- London is the capital city of the UK. It’s also the biggest city in the UK.
- The Windsor Castle in the UK is the world’s largest inhabited castle.
- The oldest monument in the world, the Stonehenge, is in the UK.
- The UK has a diverse and multi-ethnic population with people from across the world coming to settle there.
- The UK is home to more than 130 universities. Cambridge and Oxford are the most prestigious among them.
- The Pound Sterling, UK’s currency, is one of the world’s strongest currencies.
- The UK is the third-largest economy in Europe after Germany and France.
- The biggest UK companies are HSBC, AstraZeneca, British Petroleum, and Unilever.
Top reason for choosing UK?
It’s a big decision to live and work in UK. Before you plan to take a work visa in the UK, learn the best reasons why it’s recommended to take a UK work visa.
- Access to a high-standard healthcare system known as NHS (National Health Scheme). You will get free or heavily subsidized medication in the country.
- UK’s public schools provide free education. Anyone who’s a legal resident in the UK can send their children to a UK public school.
- Owing to the long history of UK immigration and the multitude of immigrants who arrive in the country, the UK population has diversity as its salient characteristic.
- The UK sources skilled foreign workers and offers them a work visa in significant numbers.
- The country ensures that the interests of the employees are safeguarded. Any full-time worker in the UK is eligible to get at least 20 days of annual leave every year.
- It’s easy to travel from the UK to the rest of Europe, especially with budget airlines to fly you around.
- Skilled workers won’t find it hard to move to the UK. If you have a sought-after skill, your migration to the UK is easier than otherwise.
Prominent cities in the UK
Before moving to the UK on a work visa, learn about the most important cities in the country. Here they are:
- London – It’s the capital city of both England and the UK. Landmarks like the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square are situated in this city.
- Birmingham – It’s England’s second-largest city. It’s also one of the UK’s best destinations for shopping and conventions.
- Manchester – It’s the UK’s third-biggest city. It’s well-known for music, football, and its cultural scene.
- Leeds – It’s a city well-known to be a hub of higher education and business. It’s a city that gives you an amazing display of classic Victorian architecture.
- Oxford – It’s England’s famed university town. The city is home to the world-famous University of Oxford.
Top Occupations in demand
Here are the many options for a work visa offered by the UK. Check out some of the UK work visa options.
IT and Software
Engineering
Teaching
Nursing
Sales & Marketing
Healthcare
Hospitality
Human Resources Management
Accounting and Finance
Top IT skills in demand in the UK
The demand in the tech world is changing and the IT and tech skills have become a necessity for companies due to the latest trends. The skills that are in demand in the UK are as follows:
Most in-demand programming languages
- C++
- Python
- JavaScript
- SQL
- Java
For the front end technologies, JavaScript is being used. There are many businesses that are using these programming languages to make their [processes streamlined across all the systems.
DevOps
DevOps is combination of tools, cultural philosophy and practices that is used to automate the process between software development and it teams. This is the fastest growing skill in the UK and is in high demand.
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence is also an emerging technology and it is in high demand in the UK for different types of jobs mentioned below:
- Data Architect
- Data Warehouse Developer
- Data Analyst
Cloud Computing
Storage is always a necessity in the computer world and cloud computing has enhanced the computing power and data storage. Now the cloud computing market has become a fast growing industry and the cloud computing professionals are in high demand.
Cybersecurity
UK has faced many cybercrime attacks in the recent years. Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand to counter these attacks.
CRM
The CRM skills have been increased by 14 percent since last year. This has helped in providing jobs to more than 7.2 million professionals globally.
Top IT Designations in the UK
Job Title | Average starting salary |
Dev Ops Engineer | £40,000 |
Software Engineer | £35,000 |
Python Developer | £35,000 |
Data Scientist | £31,000 |
Software Developer | £27,000 |
Cyber Security Specialist | £25,000 |
Mobile Application Developer | £20,000 |
Top Industry in UK – Tier 2 Sponsor
Industry | Cloud Companies |
Information Technology | 4074 |
Retail | 2714 |
Manufacturing | 2372 |
Management | 2362 |
Hospitality | 2064 |
HR & Admin | 2024 |
BFSI | 1505 |
Engineering (Construction) | 807 |
List of UK Visa Sponsored Employers (Y-Directories) Tier – 2
Industry | Count |
IT | 5641 |
BFSI | 2651 |
Engineering | 1264 |
Healthcare | 2712 |
Hospitality | 983 |
Sales & Marketing | 1247 |
Education | 2629 |
Automotive | 435 |
Oil & Gas | 488 |
FMCG | 321 |
Accounting | 510 |
Restaurants | 1411 |
Pharmaceuticals | 415 |
Chemicals | 159 |
Construction | 1141 |
Biotechnology | 311 |
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | 954 |
Telecommunications | 250 |
Non-Profit/Volunteering | 883 |
Machinery | 655 |
Industry wise jobs on the Rise 2022 – UK – LinkedIn
Industry | Designation | Most Common Skills | Top Hiring Locations | Remote Jobs Availability |
Information Technology | Machine Learning Engineer | Deep Learning, TensorFlow, Machine Learning, Python | London, Cambridge, Edinburgh | 18.10% |
Data Scientist | ||||
Software Engineer | ||||
Data Engineer | ||||
Site Reliability Engineer | Terraform, Kubernetes, Amazon Web Services (AWS) | London, Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne | 41.30% | |
DevOps Consultant | ||||
System Administrator | ||||
Salesforce Administrator | Salesforce.com Administration, Salesforce.com Implementation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | London, Leeds, Sheffield | 28.20% | |
Salesforce Consultant | ||||
Customer Relationship Management Analyst | ||||
Business Analyst | ||||
Computer Vision Engineer | Computer Vision, OpenCV, Image Processing | London, Edinburgh, Cambridge | 26.50% | |
Software Engineer | ||||
Machine Learning Engineer | ||||
Data Engineer | Aache, Spark, Hadoop, Python (Programming Language) | London, Edinburgh, Manchester | 27.40% | |
Data Analyst | ||||
Business Intelligence Developer | ||||
Back End Developer | Go (Programming Language), Git, Amazon Web Services (AWS) | London, Manchester, Glasgow | 43.80% | |
Full Stack Engineer | ||||
Web Developer | ||||
Procurement | Import Specialist | Freight Forwarding, Customs Regulations, International Logistics | London, Felixstowe, Manchester, Dover | 3.40% |
Import Manager | ||||
Import Clerk | ||||
Freight Forwarder | ||||
Import Export Specialist | ||||
Sales & Marketing | Business Development Representative | Product Management, Product Strategy, Agile Methodologies | London, Glasgow, Oxford | 21.10% |
Strategy Associate | ||||
Vice President of Products | ||||
Director of Product Management, Chief Product Officer, Vice President of Product Strategy, Head of Product, Product Team Manager | ||||
Human Resource | Chief Human Resources Officer | Succession Planning, Culture Change, Talent Management, Employee Engagement, | London, Belfast, Manchester | 13.70% |
Talent Management, Chief People Officer, Vice President of Human Resources, Director of HR Operations | ||||
Diversity and Inclusion Manager | ||||
Talent Acquisition Specialist | Recruiting, Sourcing, Interviewing | Greater Manchester, Leeds | 23.00% | |
Talent Acquisition Manager, Recruiter, Delivery Consultant, etc. | ||||
Education | Career Counsellor | Coaching, Career Development, Training Delivery | London, Birmingham, Manchester | 20.60% |
Career Advisor | ||||
Writing/ Publishing & Media Communications | Content Designer | User Experience (UX), Content Strategy, Web Content Writing | London, Edinburgh, Manchester | 21.60% |
Content Coordinator, Brand Designer | ||||
Copywriter, Editor, Content Manager | ||||
Pharma/ Healthcare | Laboratory Operations Manager | Life Sciences, Molecular Biology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) | Glasgow, London, Manchester | 2.00% |
Laboratory Supervisor | ||||
Laboratory Assistant | ||||
Medical Laboratory Scientist | ||||
Laboratory Operations Manager | ||||
Environmental Science/ Health & Safety | Sustainability Manager | Sustainable Development, BREEAM, Sustainability Reporting, Environmental Awareness | London, Manchester, Bristol | 8.30% |
Public Health Officer | ||||
Project Manager, | ||||
Public Health Specialist |
Top 5 Industries in UK (General)
Industry | Employment number |
Supermarkets in the UK | 1,288,724 |
Hospitals in the UK | 852,944 |
Charities in the UK | 836,335 |
Temporary-Employment Placement Agencies in the UK | 708,703 |
General Secondary Education in the UK | 695,038 |
Top Companies in UK (Fortune 500)
RANK | NAME | REVENUES ($M) |
1 | Walmart | $5,59,151 |
2 | Amazon | $3,86,064 |
3 | Apple | $2,74,515 |
4 | CVS Health | $2,68,706 |
5 | UnitedHealth Group | $2,57,141 |
6 | Berkshire Hathaway | $2,45,510 |
7 | McKesson | $2,31,051 |
8 | Amerisource Bergen | $1,89,893.90 |
9 | Alphabet | $1,82,527 |
10 | Exxon Mobil | $1,81,502 |
Long-term work visa options
Skilled Worker visa
A Skilled Worker visa is for you if you want to move to the UK and do a job deemed eligible with an approved employer. This visa is a replacement for the earlier Tier 2 (General) Work Visa.
To be eligible for this work visa, you have to
- work for an employer in the UK who has received approval from the UK Home Office
- possess a sponsorship certificate from your UK employer with information about the job role that has been offered to you
- be employed in an occupation that’s on the list of eligible occupations
- be paid a minimum salary commensurate to the type of work you do
- be able to speak, write, read, and understand English at a level B1 on the CEFR scale
The validity of the visa is 5 years after which it has to be extended. You may even apply for settling in the UK permanently.
Health and Care Worker visa
This visa allows medical professionals to arrive and stay in the UK and do jobs deemed eligible with the NHS, a supplier for NHS, or in adult social care.
To be eligible for this work visa, you have to
- be a qualified nurse, doctor, health professional, or adult social care professional
- work for a UK employer who has received approval from the Home Office
- work in a health or social care job considered eligible by the UK government
- have a sponsorship certificate from your UK employer with information about the role you have been offered in the UK
- be paid a minimum salary commensurate to the type of work you do
A confirmed job offer must be acquired before applying for the visa. The validity of the visa is 5 years after which it has to be extended. You may even apply for settling in the UK permanently.
Intra-company visas
This work visa comes in handy when you want to move to stay in the UK and engage in employment in a job deemed eligible at your employer’s branch. This visa could be either of the 2 as given below:
- Intra-company Transfer visa – It’s for those arriving in the UK being transferred by your employer to a role.
- Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa – It’s for those arriving in the UK with the purpose of participating in a graduate training program for a specialist or managerial role.
To be eligible for this category of visas, you have to:
- be an existing employee of an organization that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
- possess a sponsorship certificate from your employer with information about the job role you have been offered in the UK
- be employed in a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
- be paid a minimum of £41,500 for an Intra-company Transfer visa or at least £23,000 it happens to be Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
Duration of Intra-company Transfer Visa is the shorter of the following:
- 5 years
- 14 days in excess of the time given on your sponsorship certificate
- the period of time that takes you to the maximum total stay allowed
Duration of Intra-company Graduate Trainee Visa is the shorter of the following:
- 12 months
- 14 days in excess of the time given on your sponsorship certificate
- the length of time that takes you to the maximum total stay allowed
Short-term work visas
Temporary Work – Charity Worker visa
This visa is for you if you want to do unpaid work of a voluntary nature for a charity.
Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa
This visa is for you if you have a job offer in the role of a creative worker in the UK.
Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa
This visa is for you if you
- Have a sponsor
- Want to arrive in the UK for a short period to get work experience/training, for research, for Overseas Government Language Program, or for a fellowship via an approved government authorized exchange scheme
- Meet other requirements for eligibility
Temporary Work – International Agreement visa
You are eligible to apply for this work visa if you will be available for a contract to work in a job covered by international law/treaty while in the UK. E.g., you will be
- working in a diplomatic household in the role of a private servant
- working for a foreign government
- giving a service contractually as a service supplier or an independent professional
Youth Mobility Scheme visa
You can apply for this visa if you
- Are aged between 18 and 30 years
- Are willing to live and work in the UK for not more than 2 years
- Are a national of certain countries including Australia or have certain types of British nationality
- Meet other criteria
With this visa, you can live and work in UK for not more than 24 months.
Graduate visa
With this visa, you can live and work in UK for not less than 2 years after you have completed doing a course in the country successfully.
To apply for this work visa, you must be in the UK. Besides that, you have to meet the following criteria:
- your current visa is a student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
- you earned a bachelor’s/PG/other eligible degrees from the UK for a minimum period of time with your student visa/ Tier 4 (General) student visa
- your education provider (university/college) has declared that you have successfully completed your course of study
The visa has a duration of up to 2 years. If you possess a Ph.D. or other doctoral qualification, the duration will be 3 years. The visa cannot be extended. To extend your stay you must switch to another type of visa.
How Y-Axis can help you
Y-Axis guides/counsels you for the UK immigration and work visa requirements.
FAQ
What is the Skilled Worker Visa?
The Skilled Worker Visa was launched to replace the Tier 2 (General) Sponsored Worker visas. With this UK work visa, businesses in the UK were able to sponsor European as well as non-European nationals to work in UK from January 1, 2021.
Since when was the migration route of Skilled Worker Visa accepting applications?
From December 1, 2020, the migration route of Skilled Worker Visa has been accepting applications. At the same time, the Tier 2 General route was closed and no new applications were accepted.
What's the Global Talent visa and how can I be eligible to apply for it?
A Global Talent visa lets you work in UK as a skilled worker if you are currently in a leading capacity, or potentially going to be in the near future, in the area of digital technology.
Digital technology includes sectors such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), financial technology (fintech), etc.
You may apply if you have won an eligible award.
I want to apply for a UK work visa to work abroad. Which work visa should I apply for?
You can work in the UK either on a long-term work visa or a short-term work visa.
The work visa required by you will be as per 4 different factors –
- Your skills and qualifications
- Whether you have a UK job offer and sponsorship
- Whether you intend to bring your family to the UK to join you
- The nature of work you will do in the UK
Who is authorized to assign a certificate of sponsorship to me to apply for a UK work visa?
A certificate of sponsorship can be issued only by a UK employer who has a valid sponsorship license.
How can I determine whether the job offer from the UK is coming from an employer who’s an approved sponsor?
You can check the Approved Sponsors’ Register published regularly by the UK Home Office. If you can find your employer on the list, you can rest assured the job offer is valid.
In case you don’t find your UK employer name on the list in the Register, it’s advised that you refrain from going ahead. It may be a bogus offer.
How can I get a job in the UK with no experience?
There are some jobs in the UK for which there is no need of work experience. These jobs include cleaning and driving jobs. In most of the jobs, employers need the work experience of at least one year. There are cases in which the employers do not want to waste time in training the employees. Getting work experience is not impossible. Rather than waiting for an advertisement for a job, you need to knock the doors of the companies and ask for jobs.
It is better to try for such organizations and ask them that you want to provide your services on a trial basis. The places where you can give a trial is advertising agency, factories, hairdressers shop, and many more.
What documents do I need to work in UK?
If you want to work in the UK, you have to submit different requirements. These requirements are:
- Certificate of sponsorship
- A valid passport
- Job title along with annual salary
- Occupation code of the job
- Name of the employer and the sponsor license number
If you do not have a certificate of sponsorship, you have to contact your employer and ask for it.
Do I require sponsorship to work in UK?
Yes! Usually you will need a sponsor to invite you to work in UK. The employers who are sponsoring you will provide a certificate of sponsorship. You need to have the required qualifications, work experience and skills for the jobs for which you have been invited to the UK through sponsorship.
The aim of providing the certificate of sponsorship is to provide support to the applications of the overseas workers. This certificate will also ensure the authorities that the employer will take all the responsibilities of the employees during their tenure of employment in the UK.
Who can sponsor me to work in UK?
Your employer has to sponsor you to migrate to UK to settle and work here. If you have required qualifications, skills, and experience for a job, your employer will sponsor you. Almost all the employers have the right to invite overseas workers for their organizations to fill up the vacant positions. The employers have to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship to the applicants so that they can use the number and apply for a work visa.
For how long are the work permits granted?
The work permits are granted for a day to three years. The visas can be extended after two or three years but this extension depends on the type of work visa that immigrants hold.
If my work visa is in process, can I start working?
You can work while your work permit application is in process. This depends on the current immigration status.
Do non UK residents pay National Insurance?
Yes! Non-residents have to pay the National Insurance if they are self-employed in the UK or they are sent by their employer. A certificate of continuing liability should be available with employers or employees. This certificate will be a proof that the employees do not have to pay asocial security contribution in the country in which they are working.
Can I work without NI number?
You can start working without the NI number but you need to apply for it and provide it to the employer. Some employers think that employees are not eligible to work if they do not have the NI number but this is not the case. An employer has to check your immigration permission which will allow you to work in UK. There are a few employers that will allow you to work only if you have the NI number. This is necessary if you are working in a recruitment agency.
Can you get paid without a National Insurance number?
Yes! You will receive the payment from your employer even if you do not have the NI number. In such a case, you have to pay a high amount of tax as you will not get the code that you are under tax-free threshold. This code has to be processed by your company by using an emergency tax code till the time HMRC issue you an NI number.
You will have the option to work for your entire tenure without the NI number as there is no legal requirement to have the number. Your employers may ask you to provide the NI number in the shortest possible time. This is happening because many payroll systems have been made in such a way that NI number has become mandatory.
How do I get National Insurance card?
The first thing that you need to make sure is that there is a need for a National Insurance Number or not. You can apply for the National Insurance Number only if you are living in the country or have the right to work in the country. In order to apply for the National Insurance card, you can send the application online after proving your identity.
The requirements for the application include:
- A passport from any country
- A biometric residence permit
- An identity card from the following countries
- A country in the EU
- Norway
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
If you do not have all these requirements, you can apply for the NI but in this case, you have to attend an appointment for the proof of your identity.
How do I prove my NI number?
Here are the requirements that are needed to prove your National Insurance number:
- P45 or P60
- A letter from HM Revenue and Custom in which tax or tax credit is mentioned
- Bank statements should be available which show the direct payment through a debit card. The payment has to be made for class-2 National Insurance contributions. Bank statements can also include the benefit payments and your NI number should be printed on the statement.
- Payslips, salary statements, work pension statement
- National Insurance number card which should not be handwritten
- Letter sent by a Pension Service or Jobcenter Plus
- Universal tax credits letter
- Job seekers allowance letter
What documents do you need to apply for a National Insurance number?
The requirements that are needed to apply for a National Insurance number are as follows:
Proof of identification
This proof will include your passport, national identity card, and driving license.
Proof of address
For the proof of address, you need to submit any one of the following
- Bank statement
- Rental contract
- Mortgage statement
Your reference number
You have to provide your reference number which is a nine-digit number which is issued during the time of securing your appointment. This number will be provided to you when your account is being created. You can also find the number on your appointment letter.
Who has right to rent in UK?
You will have the right to rent if any of the following applies to you:
- You belong to the Republic of Ireland or Britain
- You have indefinite leave to remain
- You have humanitarian protection or refugee status
- You have a pre-settled or settled status under the European Union settlement scheme
- If you are on a student or a work visa, you have the permission to rent a house
Can I work in the UK without a National Insurance number?
No! You cannot work in the UK without the national insurance number. You can start working if you are able to prove that you have the right to work in UK. But later you have to apply for the number.
You can apply for the national insurance number if you meet the following conditions:
- You are living in the UK
- You have received the work visa and get the right to work in UK
- You are seeking a job, or working, or have an offer letter to start work
There is no need of a national insurance number if you are starting an application for the benefits or student loan. If you want to apply to the European Union Settlement Scheme, the national insurance number is not needed.
How much is the National Insurance?
If you are earning £1,000 a week, you have to pay £97.13. The cost can be calculated in this way for wage of £1,000 per week
- For the first £242, you do not have to pay anything.
- If your earning is in between £01 and £967, you have to pay 13.25 percent or £96.06.
- If you are earning above 967, you have to pay £07 in addition.
The table below shows the national insurance for the year 2022 to 2023
Category letter | £123 to £175 (£533 to £758 a month) | £175.01 to £481 (£758.01 to £2,083 a month) | £481.01 to £967 (£2,083.01 to £4,189 a month) | Over £967 a week (£4,189 a month) |
A | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
B | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
C | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
F | 0% | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
H | 0% | 0% | 0% | 15.05% |
I | 0% | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
J | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
L | 0% | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
M | 0% | 0% | 0% | 15.05% |
S | 0% | 0% | 15.05% | 15.05% |
V | 0% | 0% | 0% | 15.05% |
Z | 0% | 0% | 0% | 15.05% |
How long does it take to get NI number in UK?
It takes around eight weeks to get a National Insurance Number. You need to call the application helpline in the following cases:
- The submission of the application is done more than 8 weeks ago
- You have moved to a new house after applying for the national insurance number
- Changes are made in your personal details after sending the application
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