Tier 2 (General) - skilled worker
The skilled worker category (Tier 2 General) is for people coming to the United Kingdom with a skilled job offer to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker.
Before you apply under the skilled worker category (Tier 2 General), you must have:
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a sponsor; and
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a valid certificate of sponsorship.
A sponsor is an employer who has been approved and licensed by the Home Office. A certificate of sponsorship will be assigned by the sponsor using the Home Office’s Sponsorship Management System.
When you apply you are awarded points based on your attributes, your English language skills, and available maintenance (funds).
You must score 50 points for having a Tier 2 (General) certificate of sponsorship, and for being paid an appropriate salary. These are known as your 'attributes'.
You can score 30 points for having a Tier 2 (General) certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor. When assigning your certificate, your sponsor will indicate whether they are assigning it because:
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the job is on the shortage occupation list; or
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your sponsor has completed a resident labour market test; or
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you are switching from a post-study category; or
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if you are already here under Tier 2 (General) and you are applying extend your stay, you will working for the same sponsor in the same job.
You must also score 10 points for English language skills and 10 points for maintenance (funds) or your application will be refused.
You must have 10 points for English language.
For applications under Tier 2 (General), the minimum appropriate level is level B1 of the Council of Europe's Common European Framework for Language Learning (CEFR).
There are three ways that you can score points for English language. You can:-
be a national of a majority English speaking country; or
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pass an English language test on the Home Office list of approved English language tests; or
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hold a degree that was taught in English and is equivalent to a United Kingdom bachelor's degree or above.
You must score 10 points for mainternance (funds). These will be awarded if you have:
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you have £800 in personal savings, which has been in your bank account for a continuous 90-day period ending no more than 1 calendar month before the date of your application; or
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your sponsor has an A rating and has confirmed in your certificate of sponsorship that it will maintain and accommodate you (to a level of £800 or more) until the end of your first month of employment in the UK if required.
