For most new UK spouse and partner visa applicants, the minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross a year. That figure applies where the first successful partner-route application was made on or after 11 April 2024. It can be met through permitted income, cash savings or, in some circumstances, a combination of the two. There is…
A refused Standard Visitor visa does not necessarily prevent you from applying again, but the next step depends on why the application failed. An ordinary Standard Visitor refusal generally carries no right of appeal and the Visitor route is not included among the routes eligible for administrative review. In most cases, the practical option is…
The SOC code used for a Skilled Worker application affects whether the job is eligible for sponsorship and which going rate applies. Since 22 July 2025, most new Skilled Worker jobs must be skilled to RQF level 6 or above, although exceptions apply to eligible occupations on the Immigration Salary List, Temporary Shortage List and…
Children under 18 become British citizens by registration if they are not already British. Naturalisation is an adult route, but turning 18 does not always make it the only option: some registration entitlements, including section 1(4), remain available to adults. The child registration fee is £1,000. See British citizenship after ILR. Entitlement or discretion Some…
Once your UK entity begins genuine trading, you do not have to leave the Expansion Worker route immediately. However, the sponsor should add a route, such as Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker, to its existing licence. UKVI expects a UK trading presence within two years. The route itself is explained in our UK…
If you are scaling a UK company or bringing an overseas business here, the right route depends mainly on your UK presence and growth profile. The Scale-up route lets qualifying high-growth companies sponsor skilled workers for the first six months of a two-year grant. The UK Expansion Worker route under Global Business Mobility is for…
If you are scaling a UK company or bringing an overseas business here, the right route depends mainly on your UK presence and growth profile. The Scale-up route lets qualifying high-growth companies sponsor skilled workers for the first six months of a two-year grant. The UK Expansion Worker route under Global Business Mobility is for…
You can switch between many UK visa routes without leaving the country, provided the new route allows an in-country application and you meet its requirements. Visitors are commonly barred from switching into work or study routes, while people whose permission has expired face overstaying rules. A valid application made before your current permission expires can…
The key distinction is both the immigration route and where the worker is applying from. A Defined Certificate of Sponsorship is required for a Skilled Worker applying for entry clearance from outside the UK. An Undefined CoS is used for a Skilled Worker applying from inside the UK and for workers on other sponsored routes,…
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to six months. The Home Office must be satisfied that you are a genuine visitor: you will leave at the end of the trip, will not make the UK your main home through frequent or successive visits, are coming for a permitted purpose and can fund the…
