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Tier 2 visas (for individuals)

• What is the Tier 2 General Visa?

• What is the health and social care visa?

• What are the benefits of the new visa?

• Who qualifies?

• How to apply

• What is the Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• How long can I have a Tier 2 ICT visa for?

• Can I settle/obtain ILR in the UK with a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Do I have to be sponsored by a UK company for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How long do I have to have worked for my employer for to be transferred to the UK under a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• What is the minimum salary I have to earn for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Does my job need to meet a minimum skill level for a Tier 2 General visa?

• Do I need to provide evidence of maintenance funds?

• Do I need to prove my English language ability?

• How do I apply for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How much does it cost to apply for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my application?

• Do I need to provide translations of my supporting documents for my visa application?

• Can I switch from a Tier 2 ICT visa to a Tier 2 General visa?

• How long will it take for my application to be considered?

• Services and pricing options

• What is the Tier 2 General visa?

• How do I get sponsored for a Tier 2 General visa?

• Do I need a job offer to be eligible for this visa?

• What is the minimum salary I have to earn for a Tier 2 General visa?

• Does my job need to meet a minimum skill level for a Tier 2 General visa?

• What is the Shortage Occupation List?

• What do I do if my employer doesn’t have a sponsor licence?

• How do I apply for a Tier 2 General visa?

• How much does it cost to apply for a Tier 2 General visa?

• How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

• Can I claim a refund for the Immigration Health Surcharge?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my application?

• Do I need to provide translations of my supporting documents for my visa application?

• How long will it take for my application to be considered?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• Do I need to leave the UK to apply for a Tier 2 General visa?

• Can I switch from a Tier 4 Student visa to a Tier 2 General visa?

• How long can I have a Tier 2 General visa for?

• Can I extend my Tier 2 General visa?

• Can I settle/obtain ILR in the UK with a Tier 2 General visa?

• Can I change employers on a Tier 2 General visa?

• Can I move to a new role with my current sponsor on a Tier 2 General visa?

• What is the Tier 2 cooling off period?

• My visa has been curtailed what do I do?

Global Talent

• Case Study

• Case Study

• Case Study

• Introduction to the Global Talent visa for research professionals

• What is the Tech Nation Global Talent visa?

• Services and pricing options

• What is the Global Talent visa?

• How do I apply for a Global Talent visa?

• Do I need a job offer to be eligible for this visa?

• Can I start my own business with the Global Talent visa?

• How much does it cost to apply for the Global Talent visa?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• How long can I have the Global Talent visa for?

• Does the Global Talent visa lead to settlement/ILR in the UK?

• How do I get endorsed for the Global Talent visa?

• How do I apply for endorsement?

• Can my endorsement application be fast tracked?

• How long until I receive a decision on my endorsement application?

• What supporting documents do I submit with my endorsement application?

• Should I apply under Exceptional Promise or Exceptional Talent?

• My endorsement application was refused, what can I do?

• What is the eligibility criteria for endorsement?

• What do I do once I have been endorsed?

• Digital technology applicants

• Arts and culture applicants

• What is the eligibility criteria for arts and culture applicants for the Global Talent visa?

• What is the eligibility criteria for fashion applicants for the Global Talent visa?

• What is the eligibility criteria for architecture applicants for the Global Talent visa?

• What is the eligibility criteria for film and television applicants for the Global Talent visa?

• Science, engineering, humanities and medicine applicants – eligibility criteria

• What is the endorsed funder route?

• How do I make my Global Talent visa application?

• Can I switch to the Global Talent visa?

• Do I have to submit my passport with my visa application?

• How long will it take to decide my visa application?

• Do I need to prove my knowledge of English as part of my visa application?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my Global Talent visa application?

Settle in the UK

• Case Study

• Case Study

• Services and pricing options

• How do I settle in the UK?

• What is Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)?

• Who can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain?

• Which visa types lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain ?

• Can I settle in the UK with a Tier 2 visa?

• What is 10 year long residence ILR?

• Can my family members apply for ILR?

• How much does an application for ILR cost?

• How long will it take for my ILR application to be decided?

• Can I lose my ILR?

• I have ILR, can I apply for British Citizenship?

• What is the eligibility criteria for ILR?

• What is the continuous residence requirement for ILR?

• I have been in the UK for 5 years, can I apply for ILR?

• Which visas allow me to apply for ILR in 2 or 3 years?

• How quickly can I apply for ILR?

• What is the English language requirement for ILR?

• What is the Life in the UK test?

• How do I apply for ILR?

• What supporting documents do I need to apply for ILR?

Tier 1 Investor

• Services and pricing

• How do I apply for a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Can family members apply at the same time?

• How much does it cost to apply for a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my application?

• Do I need to provide translations of my supporting documents for my visa application?

• How long will it take for my application to be considered?

• Can I apply for a Tier 1 Investor visa from inside the UK?

• Can you switch from a Tier 4 Student visa to a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• What are the eligibility criteria for an initial application for a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Can I apply for the Tier 1 Investor visa with £1million investment funds?

• What are the permitted sources of funds for the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Can I make my partner the main applicant for a Tier 1 Investor visa using funds held in my name?

• What type of investments qualify for the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Can I invest in property under the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Do I have to have a UK bank account to apply for the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Who manages my funds once they have been invested in the UK?

• Do I have to take an English language test before applying for the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• What are the eligibility criteria to extend my Tier 1 Investor visa?

• What is the Tier 1 Investor visa?

• How long can I have a Tier 1 Investor visa for?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• Can my children study in the UK as dependants of a Tier 1 Investor visa holder?

• Once I have a Tier 1 Investor visa, can I travel and live outside the UK?

• How long does it take to settle/obtain ILR in the UK with a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• To apply for ILR under the Tier 1 investor visa, how many days absence from the UK can I have?

• Once I have obtained ILR, do I need to maintain my investment in the UK?

• Can ILR be revoked if I live outside the UK?

• Can I apply for citizenship if I have a Tier 1 Investor visa?

• Are there any changes expected to the Tier 1 Investor visa category?

Entrepreneurs

• What is the Start-up visa?

• How do I apply for a Start-up visa?

• Do I need a job offer to be eligible for this visa?

• Can I be employed whilst holding the Start-up visa?

• How much does it cost to apply for the Start-up visa?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• How long can I have the Start-up visa for?

• What are the differences between the Start-up visa and the Innovator visa?

• Does the Start-up visa lead to settlement/ILR in the UK?

• How do I get endorsed for the Start-up visa?

• What is an endorsing body?

• How do I apply for endorsement?

• What happens once I have been endorsed?

• How do I make my Start-up visa application?

• Am I eligible to apply for a Start-up visa?

• Can I switch to the Start-up visa from my current visa?

• How long will it take to decide my Start-up visa application?

• Do I need to prove my knowledge of my English as part of my Start-up visa application?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my Start-up visa application?

• What is the Innovator visa?

• How do I apply for the Innovator visa?

• How much do I have to invest to apply for the Innovator visa?

• Can I work for another business whilst holding the Innovator visa?

• I am a co-founder of a business, can I apply for the Innovator visa with my co-founder?

• Can I apply for an Innovator visa by joining an existing business?

• How much does it cost to apply for the Innovator visa?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me?

• How long can I have the Innovator visa for?

• Does the Innovator visa lead to settlement/ILR in the UK?

• How do I get endorsed for the Innovator visa?

• How do I apply for endorsement?

• What happens once I have been endorsed?

• How do I make my Innovator visa application?

• Am I eligible to apply for an Innovator visa?

• Can I switch to an Innovator visa from my current visa?

• How long will it take to decide my Innovator visa application?

• Do I need to prove my knowledge of my English as part of my Innovator visa application?

• What supporting documents do I need to provide with my Innovator visa application?

• Is the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa scheme still open to new applicants?

• Can I extend my Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa?

• Can I switch to a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa from my current visa?

• Can I apply for settlement/ILR in the UK if I already have a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa?

• Is the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa scheme still open to new applicants?

• Can I switch to a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa from my current visa?

• Can I extend my Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa?

• Can I switch from a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa to the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa?

• Can I apply for settlement ILR in the UK if I already have a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa?

Students

• Do I need a visa to study in the UK?

• Do I need to be sponsored for a study visa?

• How do I know if my education provider can sponsor me for a student visa?

• What is a “CAS” (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)?

• Can I use a CAS more than once?

• How long before my course begins can I travel to the UK?

• Can I obtain a CAS to extend my studies in the UK?

• Can I obtain a CAS to start a new course of study in the UK?

• Can I apply for ILR/to settle in the UK with a student visa?

• Can I bring my family to the UK with me under my student visa?

• What is the Tier 4 (General) student visa route?

• When does the Tier 4 (General) student visa route close?

• Do I need to prove my knowledge of my English as part of my student visa application?

• What documents are needed for a Tier 4 (General) student visa application?

• Can I switch to the student visa from my current visa?

• Can I extend my Tier 4 (General) student visa?

• What is the Student visa route?

• Who does the Student visa route apply to?

• How is the Student visa route different to the old Tier 4 (General) Student visa route?

• I am an EU citizen, do I need a visa to study in the UK?

• When is the earliest date I can apply for a Student visa?

• What is the financial requirement for the Student visa route?

• What is the English language requirement for the Student visa route?

• What is the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)?

• Under the Student visa route, how long am I able to study for in the UK?

• Can I switch from my current UK visa to the Student visa?

• What documents do I need to provide with my Student visa application?

• Can I be employed under a student visa?

• Can I work full time with a student visa?

• What counts as inside and outside ‘term-time’?

• What information do I need to give my employer to prove that I can work?

• What is the Post-Study Work visa?

• When can I apply for the Post-Study Work visa?

• Am I eligible for the Post-Study Work visa?

• What are my visa options after my course of study ends?

Business

Sponsor licences

• What is the Resident Labour Market Test?

• What is the requirement for ‘key personnel’?

• How to apply for a sponsor licence

• Case Study

• Services and pricing options

• About the Sponsorship Management Service

• Tier 2 Sponsor Management training course

• Right to Work training

• Immigration compliance audit

• What is a sponsorship licence?

• When would I need a sponsor licence?

• Who are the ‘Key Personnel’?

• What is the Sponsor Management System (SMS)?

• How do I apply for a sponsor licence?

• What supporting documents do need I for a sponsor licence application?

• How much is the sponsor licence application fee?

• What is the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)?

• What are the requirements for an advertisement under the RLMT?

• Do we have to carry out a full recruitment process?

• When is the RLMT not required?

• What is a SOC Code?

• What is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

• Restricted CoS or Unrestricted CoS?

• How do I get a restricted CoS?

• What happens when a CoS has been issued?

Sponsor duties

• About the Sponsorship Management Service

• Tier 2 Sponsor Management training course

• Right to Work training

• Immigration compliance audit

• What are my ongoing duties as a sponsor?

• How is sponsor compliance monitored?

• What happens during a UKVI compliance visit?

• What are the consequences for non-compliance?

• What happens if the sponsor licence is suspended?

• What happens if the licence is downgraded?

• What happens if the sponsor licence is revoked?

• What happens if a visa is curtailed?

Tier 2 visas (for businesses)

• What other steps do I need to take if I am a sponsor?

• Can I claim a refund for the Immigration Health Surcharge? – Business

• What is the Tier 2 General Visa?

• What is the health and social care visa?

• What are the benefits of the new visa?

• Who qualifies?

• How to apply

• What is the Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How long can a worker stay in the UK for on a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How much does it cost to apply for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Which is better – Tier 2 General visa or Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Do we need a different sponsor licence for Intra-Company Transfers?

• Is there a minimum salary payable for sponsorship under the Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Are allowances and bonuses included in the minimum salary?

• Does the job need to meet a minimum skill level for a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• How long does the worker have to have been employed overseas before they can be transferred to the UK?

• What type of Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is needed for sponsorship under a Tier 2 ICT visa?

• Services and pricing options

• About the Sponsorship Management Service

• Tier 2 Sponsor Management training course

• Right to Work training

• Immigration compliance audit

• What is the Tier 2 General visa?

• Can my company sponsor an employee for a Tier 2 General visa?

• What is the minimum salary for Tier 2 General sponsorship?

• What is the minimum skill level for a Tier 2 General sponsored job?

• What is the Shortage Occupation List?

• My employee has asked that the company ‘certifies their maintenance’, what does this mean?

• How much does it cost to apply for a Tier 2 General visa?

• How much is the Immigration Skills Charge?

• How long should we sponsor a Tier 2 General visa for?

• Can we sponsor a student for a Tier 2 General Visa?

• Can we promote a sponsored worker?

• Can my sponsored worker move to a new employer?

• What happens when we dismiss a sponsored worker or their employment ends?

• What is the Tier 2 cooling off period?

Right to work checks and civil penalties

• Right to work checks post Brexit

• Right to work checks for students

• Case Study

• Right to Work training

• What is a Right to Work Check?

• Who should carry out a Right to Work Check?

• Who should I carry out a Right to Work Check for?

• Can I outsource the Right to Work Check?

• Do I have to carry out a Right to Work Check for contractors and the self-employed?

• Should I check the Right to Work of apprentices?

• When should I carry out a Right to Work Check?

• What documents can I accept for a Right to Work Check?

• Can a driving licence be used to evidence Right to Work?

• Can an expired passport be used to evidence Right to Work?

• How do I carry out a Right to Work Check?

• What evidence do I need to retain of a Right to Work Check?

• How long do I have to retain evidence of a Right to Work Check?

• Do I need to repeat the Right to Work Check?

• What additional evidence do I need to retain for students?

• Who is an illegal worker?

• What do I do if someone cannot prove their Right to Work?

• What is the ‘statutory excuse’?

• What are the risks of non-compliance?

• How much is the illegal working civil penalty?

• Can I challenge or appeal a civil penalty?

The UK's post-Brexit immigration system

• Review of the Shortage Occupation List: 2020

• What is the SoL?

• How often are changes made to the SoL?

• How is the SoL relevant under the current immigration system?

• How will the SoL be relevant under the new 2021 immigration system?

• What roles are expected to be added to the new SoL?

• Overview of the changes to the UK’s immigration system from 2021

• What is the average timeframe to gain sponsorship?

• Is this likely to change as we move towards the transition on 1st January?

• If we recruit relatively low numbers of people, is it worth paying to be a sponsor?

• We are a NHS Trust with a subsidiary company who provide estates and facilities service to the Trust. Will they need their own sponsorship licence or due to the fact that the company is whole owned by the Trust could the Trust sponsor the individual?

• Is there a cost for applying for a sponsor licence?

• From January 2021, will we not need to advertise the role to be sponsored or create a full pack for the role in case of a UKVI audit?

• In your professional opinion do you think the likes of lower level manufacturing and healthcare roles could be reconsidered in the future?

• What are the re-branded names for the Tier 2 General visa and the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa from 1 January 2021?

• If we recruit prior to 1 January 2020 but their employment won’t start until after this date, when should we start the CoS application?

• Will organisations need to increase their CoS allocation now, ready for 1 January 2021?

• Doctors and Nurses are currently on the Shortage Occupation List, will that continue or will that change? Especially with regards to proving the RLMT?

• Can an Intra-Company Transfer visa be transferred to a Skilled Worker visa at a later date?

• Does the Health and Care Visa come into effect from August this year or next?

• Do you have any further info on the Health and Social Care Visas?

• Is the Health and Care Visa inclusive of pharmacists and other pharmacy staff?

• Is it correct that individuals coming via the new Health and Care visa cannot then apply for ILR? If so, can they still apply under the usual Tier 2 General route?

• Is the Health & Care visa exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge and/or the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge? If so, from what date?

• The Home Office website says: If you’re an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, you can continue to use your passport or national identity card to prove you can work in the UK until 30 June 2021. Between 1 January and 30 June 2021, how do we check if an EU national needs a visa or has the right to work?

• Can we ask staff for evidence that they have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme?

• If an EU national has permanent residency already do they still have to sign up to the EU Settlement Scheme?

• If a new applicant (EU national) applies to an advertised role in January 2021, how do I know if I need to apply for a visa, or if they have registered under the EU Settlement Scheme if I can’t ask them?

• Will current EU students apply for settlement status in the same way as EU workers?

• Who is advising EU nationals that they need to apply for the Settlement Scheme? UKVI?

• Roisin mentioned a letter that can be sent to EU staff about the EU Settlement Scheme, please can you share a copy?

• Can you clarify the position on retrospective right to work checks post 1 July 2021 for individuals starting prior to that date?

• In regards to ILR, does it matter if the ILR sticker is in an expired passport?

• Is it OK from Jan 2021 for an organisation to state that they will only hire new staff for low/non-skilled roles who have the right to work in the UK?

• The UK’s post-Brexit immigration system – recruiting and retaining talent from 1 January 2021