Checking candidate’s eligibility for a Skilled Worker visa

The most important requirement for a Skilled Worker visa applicant is to have a job offer from an employer with a valid sponsor licence.

Meeting the sponsorship requirements is normally the responsibility of the employer, who should issue their candidate with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship prior to the application.

The position must be on the list of eligible occupations and the salary can’t be lower than the required level.

Once the employer meets the requirements of the sponsor and can offer a genuine vacancy, the eligibility of the candidate should be properly assessed.

How to check the eligibility of a candidate?

First, check the nationality of the applicant and the country they are applying from. This is because EU nationals are exempt from submitting biometric enrolment and scanning the passport will be sufficient to verify their identity and proceed with the application.

Citizens of English speaking countries are not required to provide confirmation of their English language knowledge and the application will be much easier and less time consuming for them.

In addition, applicants from certain countries do not need to provide tuberculosis check results, thus, will save time as they do not need to book a test in specialised medical centres.

If the candidate applies from a country where they are not a citizen, they’ll need to provide proof of residence in this country. Otherwise, they will have to go to their home country to apply.

English language requirement is one of the most important. Applicants should prove their knowledge of English at least at level B1 in all aspects (speaking, listening, reading and writing).

The acceptable proof can be:

A certificate for a degree that was taught in English
A certificate issued by the approved language centre

The candidate should also prove that they have enough money to support themselves and their family members in the UK once the visa is granted.

At the moment the sufficient maintenance funds are £1,270 for the main applicant (and if applicable £285 for the partner and £315 for one child), held in the applicant’s personal bank account for at least 28 days in a row, the balance closing date must be within 31 days prior to the date of the application.

Proof of funds will not be required if the sponsor confirms maintenance for the applicant in their certificate of sponsorship.

Those applying for a Skilled Worker visa in education, health or social care sectors must provide a criminal records certificate for any country they have been present in for 12 months or more—whether continuously or in total—in the 10 years before the date of the application, while they were aged 18 or over.

Those already in the UK seeking to extend their stay are exempt from the requirement of providing a criminal record certificate.

Ensure the eligibility of your candidates for a hassle-free sponsorship process

All the above factors should be properly assessed to check if the identified candidate is eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa or what should be done so they could meet the requirements.

Checking candidate’s eligibility for a Skilled Worker visa