Skip to content
For London
Your situation
Employee, sponsoredThe Skilled Worker visa, for a job with a licensed UK sponsor. Includes EU citizens arriving now. 7 steps StudentThe Student visa, for a course at a licensed university or college. 5 steps EU, EEA or Swiss citizenSettled or pre-settled status if you lived here before 2021; otherwise a visa like anyone else. Irish citizens need nothing. 4 steps Youth Mobility SchemeUp to two years to live and work, for young nationals of participating countries. 4 steps Global TalentFor recognised leaders or emerging leaders in academia, research, the arts or digital technology. 4 steps Open a step on the roadmap to see what it involves. Rules change
Free movement ended in 2021, so EU citizens without EU Settlement Scheme status use the same routes as everyone else. Settlement is being reformed: the default qualifying period on most work routes is moving from five years towards ten, with reductions for some, so check the rule for your arrival date. This is a general guide, not legal advice. Confirm each step with UK Visas and Immigration, on GOV.UK before you rely on it.
Your roadmap · Employee, sponsored 7 steps 3–6 months before → to Year 3 onwards 1 Step 1: Find a job with a licensed sponsor3–6 months before + The employer must hold a sponsor licence; the public register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK lists them. The job must be at the required skill level and pay at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher, with lower rates for some new entrants. 2 Step 2: Get your Certificate of Sponsorship2–3 months before + The employer assigns a CoS, a reference number with the job's details. You must apply within three months of it being assigned, and the start date on it must be within three months of your application. 3 Step 3: Prove English and gather documents2–3 months before + Show English at the level the rules set for new applicants, through an approved test, a degree taught in English or your nationality. Have your passport, the CoS reference and, if your country is on the UK's list, a tuberculosis test certificate from an approved clinic. 4 Step 4: Apply online and pay6–8 weeks before + The application fee is £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for longer when applying from outside the UK, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 a year for the whole visa, paid up front. Give your identity either through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre. 5 Step 5: Set up your UKVI account and eVisaBefore you fly + Your visa is a digital record, an eVisa, held in a UKVI account and linked to your passport. Travel on the passport you applied with, or update the account before you fly. 6 Step 6: Arrive and prove your statusDay 0 + Employers check your right to work, and landlords your right to rent, with a share code generated from the UKVI account. Apply for a National Insurance number if your record does not already show one. 7 Step 7: Extend, then settleYear 3 onwards + Extend before the visa expires if the job continues. Indefinite leave to remain has been available after five years on this route, but the earned-settlement reforms move the default towards ten, so check the current rules well before you plan around a date. Get help with the move to London → Chat with Eva