Skilled Worker applications

Before the application is made

The certificate of sponsorship, the occupation code, the salary and the start date all need to align with the requirements in force on the date of application. Discrepancies between the certificate and the application are a frequent cause of difficulty.

Changes during the visa

Changing employer, changing role, a significant change in salary, or the end of sponsored employment each have consequences for immigration status, and several of them require a new application.

How we help

A solicitor advises the applicant, or the sponsor, on the requirements that apply, reviews the evidence, prepares the application, and advises on timing where a start date is approaching.

Who this page is for

• Applicants with a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship assigned or expected
• Workers switching into the route from other leave already held in the UK
• Sponsored workers extending leave, changing employer, or changing role or salary
• Employers who want the immigration side of a recruitment prepared properly
• Applicants whose application is delayed or has been refused

How the process works

• A solicitor confirms the requirements and the timetable that apply on the facts
• The certificate of sponsorship details are checked against the intended application
• Written advice on the evidence needed from the worker and, where relevant, the employer
• Documents are reviewed and any discrepancy resolved before submission
• The application is prepared and approved by a solicitor before it is submitted
• Where a decision is outstanding beyond the published service standard, escalation correspondence is prepared

Evidence and documents

Applications are usually supported by the certificate details, identity and travel documents, evidence of the role, salary and hours, and any qualification or English language evidence relied on. Where earlier leave has been held, that history needs documenting too. Dependants applying at the same time need their own relationship and, where relevant, financial evidence.

Where applications most often run into difficulty

• Application details that do not match the certificate of sponsorship
• Start dates agreed with an employer before the immigration timetable was considered
• Changing employer or role without the new application that may be required
• A gap between the end of sponsored employment and the next application
• Dependant applications prepared as an afterthought

Home Office processing times and priority-service availability are published by the Home Office and are outside any solicitor's control.

Fees

We agree fees in writing before substantive work begins, and we confirm what is included in the scope of work. How we charge, and the Home Office fees that are payable in addition to our professional fees, are explained on our fees page.

If you would like the position on your own facts reviewed, make an enquiry and we will confirm the next step in writing. An enquiry is a request for a consultation; it is not advice, and it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.