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Skilled Worker visa cases in Britain: spouse applications, changing employer, ILR, Home Office delays, plus Canadian provincial skilled worker streams.
11 articles tagged Skilled Worker Visa
Shabana Mahmood announced care workers may reach ILR in 5 years on £25,000+ pay; other Skilled Worker visa holders face 10 years. Here's what's confirmed.
On 2 Nov 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled Earned Settlement, doubling the ILR wait from 5 to 10 years. Can skilled workers challenge it?
Yes, for now ILR still takes 5 years. Home Office is weighing 10 years, or 15 for low earners. Shabana Mahmood promised a final decision the week after 31 October 2026.
New rules for the Skilled Worker visa, lower salary thresholds from spring 2027, extended job-search periods. What changes await workers and entrepreneurs in the UK.
The Home Office grants at least 3 months of legal status regardless of your partner's visa type. Where to apply and what rights you keep — explained for 2026.
No job offer needed: Manitoba's Skilled Workers Overseas stream lets you qualify through a friend or relative, past study, or a strategic recruitment invite.
The Skilled Worker visa is the main UK work route for people with a job offer from an employer licensed as a sponsor by the Home Office. It replaced Tier 2 (General) in December 2020 under the points-based immigration system. The employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship, and the applicant must show that the role meets the required skill level, the salary rules and the English language requirement, with decisions made by UK Visas and Immigration.
The visa is tied to the sponsoring employer, so moving to a new job means a new Certificate of Sponsorship and a fresh application. Partners and children can usually apply as dependants, and time spent on the route can count towards indefinite leave to remain and, later, British citizenship.
The name causes confusion outside Britain: Canada's Federal Skilled Worker Program and provincial skilled worker streams such as Manitoba's lead to permanent residence rather than a sponsored temporary visa. Australia and New Zealand run their own skilled migration systems with separate eligibility rules and visa names.