Do you need clarification on Scale-up Worker Visa and Skilled Worker Visa? Is it getting difficult for you to choose which route to take up? If you are struggling with any of these questions, we are here to help you understand everything. If you want to learn more about these visa routes and decide which is best for you, keep reading this blog.
Overview of Scale-up Worker Visa and Skilled Worker Visa
Skilled Worker Visa
Anyone with a job offer for a qualified skilled position in the UK from a Home Office-approved sponsor may apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa. Specific employment that satisfies certain skill and pays standards must be sponsored by an employer that has been authorized by the Home Office in order for applicants to obtain a UK Skilled Worker Visa.
Scale-Up Worker Visa
With the appropriate Scale-up Sponsor Licence and job offers from Scale-ups, immigrants can apply for entry clearance and permission to work in the UK under the Scale-up visa route. It provides both a sponsored application path and an unsponsored application route, unlike the skilled worker route. Similar to the skilled worker path, applicants must demonstrate in their initial application for this category that they are supported to hold a position that satisfies the below-listed standards for education, experience, and remuneration.
What are the requirements for a Scale-up Worker Visa?
A scale-up worker visa is available to skilled workers whose employers need them to work in the UK. You must have a skilled job and earn more than £33,000 per year. A certificate of sponsorship from your employer is required before you can apply for this visa. The certificate must include
- Full details of your qualifications and experience;
- details about any gaps in employment or training;
- evidence that you are able to support yourself financially while working in the UK (for example, a bank statement showing current earnings).
It can be difficult to meet the requirements for a scale-up worker visa. You must prove that you have experience working in that field and can provide evidence of it. For example, you may need to show proof of employment or qualifications from previous jobs.
What are the requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa?
It’s easier to get a skilled worker visa than a scale-up worker one.
- You need to be earning a minimum of £25,600 per year.
- There’s no limit on how long you’ve been working in the UK as an employee or self-employed person.
- You must have a job offer from a UK employer.
- You also don’t have to be a graduate (although we do recommend getting some sort of qualification).
Dynamic Staffing Services can help you to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa and make the process quick and hassle-free. Contact us today at +91-11-40410000 or mail us at enquiry@dss-hr.com.
How Exactly Does Sponsorship Operate?
Skilled Worker Visa
While skilled workers are granted permission to work, they must be sponsored in qualifying employment. Migrants still need their employer’s sponsorship and must be needed in their position for the coming future in order to settle.
Scale-Up Worker Visa
Application for a sponsored visa is required before applying for a scale-up visa. They’ll have to demonstrate that they have job offers from sponsors who have Scale-up Sponsor Licences that meet the requirements. It is required to be sponsored for a minimum of six months.
The migrant will require a new Certificate of Sponsorship and will need to submit a new application for entrance clearance/permission to remain as a sponsored Scale-up Worker if they desire to change their employer, sponsor, or occupation code during this time. The applicant of a Scale-up Worker Visa may submit both an unsponsored and sponsored application after receiving initial approval for a two-year period. Let us get into the details.
Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)?
A candidate must demonstrate that they have been allocated a valid Certificate of Sponsorship in order to be granted permission to work as a Skilled Worker. This criteria also applies to first-time Scale-up applicants. The quantity of individuals that may be sponsored as Scale-up migrants or Skilled Workers is unrestricted.
However, the fact that a CoS is legitimate does not ensure that the worker will be given clearance for entrance, permission to enter, or permission to stay. In order to qualify for this route, applicants must make sure they satisfy the conditions of the sponsored route. There are two types of sponsored certificates: Defined and Undefined.
Read to know more: UK Government made modifications in Tier 2 visa
Defined vs. Undefined Sponsorship Certificate
Defined CoS
A skilled worker requesting entrance clearance from outside the UK must provide a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship. There are no restrictions on the number of Defined Certificates that may be issued; they are not allotted from the sponsor’s annual allotment. Sponsors must submit a request for a Defined CoS allocation. Contrary to Undefined CoS allocation requests, particular information on the migrant must be given. The CoS can only be given to the migrant for whom the request was filed when the allocation has been received.
Undefined CoS
In order to apply for authorization to stay in the UK from within the UK, skilled workers must be issued Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship. Workers applying through any other sponsored route, such as the Temporary Worker or Global Business Mobility routes, must also be assigned to it. Regardless of whether they are requesting entry clearance, entry permission, or stay permission, this is the case.
Read to know more: How to Hire Overseas Workers to fill Recruiting Gaps in the UK
Are Applicants able to switch to the Route within their own Country?
Unless the candidate is in the UK, switching to the Scale-up route and the Skilled Worker route is feasible from within the country as a visitor, a short-term student, a parent of a student, a seasonal worker, a domestic helper in a private household, or outside the immigration rules.
What is the Minimum Skill level for both Routes?
Yes, it’s true that both approaches require a certain level of proficiency. It is not possible to fund every role. The employment responsibilities that the immigrants will perform must be taken into account by sponsors, as well as whether those positions are listed in the Appendix of Skilled Occupations as being qualified for the specific routes.
And both applicants for the Skilled Worker route and Scale-up applicants must be sponsored in a skilled function of at least Required Qualification Framework level 3, while both require sponsorship in a skilled role of at least Required Qualification Framework level 6. Applicants must persuade the Home Office that they are being sponsored to fill a real vacancy in order to proceed through either route.
Do Applicants Need To Be Paid Certain Salary Levels?
Skilled Worker Visa
In most circumstances, skilled workers must exhibit a minimum yearly wage of at least £25,600 or the industry standard, whichever is higher. There are some exceptions, such as if you do not qualify as a new entrant, you should be aware that a candidate who has received a job offer for a position in a shortage occupation may be paid a wage that equals or exceeds £20,480 per year and 80% of the market rate for the occupation. Therefore, it’s crucial to identify the right occupation code for your position and to see if it’s on the Shortage Occupations List.
Scale-Up Worker Visa (Sponsored)
It is required of applicants to demonstrate that they will make at least £33,000 annually, or the market rate for the position. Compared to the path for Skilled Workers, this has a greater wage threshold. In order to choose the appropriate going role for the route, candidates must take their occupation code into account, much like with the Skilled Worker route.
Scale-Up Worker Visa (Unsponsored)
In cases where applicants are reapplying for permission to remain as Scale-up migrants after previously receiving permission as Scale-up migrants, they must demonstrate that they have earned at least £33,000 per year in the UK through PAYE each month for at least half of their time working under the Scale-up Worker program. Self-employment is permissible, but migrants cannot rely on their earnings from it to achieve these criteria.
What is the Financial Requirement for Scale-up and Skilled Worker Visa Route?
The answer is that there is a financial requirement for both approaches. Only those seeking entry clearance or those who have resided in the UK for less than a year must demonstrate that they meet this condition. If they possess an A-rated license, sponsors who are participating in the Skilled Worker route may confirm the migrant’s maintenance.
Period of Grant for each Category
Skilled Worker Visa
A skilled worker is given entrance clearance and permission to stay for up to 14 days after the expiration of their sponsorship certificate, which could be up to five years from the date of the certificate. After five consecutive years in this category, migrants may be eligible for settlement.
Scale Up Worker Visa
Entry clearance or permission to stay will be granted to applicants for a two-year period. After that, they may request a three-year extension. After 5 continuous years in this category, migrants may be eligible for settlement.
Can the Employee Work Outside of Their Sponsored Role?
Skilled Worker Visa
Unless the additional work is deemed to be supplementary employment, the candidate may only work in the position for which they are being sponsored. The migrant must continue to work in the position for which they are being sponsored, and the additional employment must be in a profession that is at the same professional level as the work for which the Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned, be in a shortage occupation, or both.
Additionally, outside of the CoS-covered working hours, no more than 20 hours each week is permitted. If the candidate satisfies the aforementioned qualifications, they are exempt from notifying the Home Office prior to accepting further employment.
Scale-Up Worker Visa
A sponsored Scale-up will be permitted for the first six months of their tenure. The scale-up workers are required to do the employment specified on their Certificate of Sponsorship for their Sponsor. Like before, a new application must be submitted if the employee wants to switch employers during this time.
Self-employment and volunteer work are both acceptable forms of labor outside of this position, with the exception of professional sports. Migrants are no longer compelled to work for their initial sponsor after the initial six-month term and have complete permission to work (except as professional sportsmen).
Benefits of Scale-up Visa and Skilled Worker Visa
Skilled Worker Visa
The Scale-up visa is the ideal option for particular types of enterprises due to a number of significant advantages. Here are a few of the Scale-Up Visa’s primary advantages:
- It is categorized as a route for contract employees. As a result of cheaper sponsorship prices, employers might save a lot of money.
- An applicant can quickly expand their company by hiring highly trained migrant employees if they apply for a Scale-up sponsor license.
- Exemption from the Immigration Skills Charge, which must be paid for visas for skilled workers.
- Compliance responsibilities for Home Office sponsorship licenses are only valid for six months.
- Fees might be reduced by up to £5,000 per applicant if they work for the company for five years.
- If you currently have a sponsor license that has been approved, you may simply add the scale-up sponsor license to it.
Scale-Up Worker Visa
The skilled worker visa also has certain significant advantages that make it the ideal option for some kinds of firms in various circumstances. Here are a few of the primary advantages of the skilled worker visa:
- Employers do not need to pay employees a minimum of £33,000 annually, as is the case with the Scale-up visa. The yearly minimum for a skilled worker visa is £25,600.
- Going the skilled worker approach doesn’t require that your company be expanding quickly or significantly.
- In terms of the range of roles, it is less specialized. A more limited range of highly trained positions is the focus of scale-up.
- Increased security since Scale-up visa holders are permitted to switch employment or employers after six months.
- In particular, if you believe your business would wish to continue hiring foreign employees after the first four years, it might be beneficial in the long run.
- If a skilled worker wishes to switch employers or jobs within the five-year visa period, they must apply for a new visa. Having a skilled worker visa makes it simpler to keep them.
Scale-up Worker Route Vs. Skilled Worker Route: Which one is better?
In addition to not requiring sponsorship after the initial six months of entry clearance or authorization to remain in this category, the Scale-up option is more flexible in terms of work outside the sponsored role.
A Scale-up Sponsor Licence is necessary to obtain, but fewer employers are likely to fit the definition of a scale-up. This can indicate that there aren’t as many sponsorship opportunities in this field. But, to go up straight initially to a UK skilled worker visa can be the best option for you if you are looking to go abroad.
And, in this journey of applying for and getting the skilled worker visa, Dynamic Staffing Services can guide you from the beginning till the end.
Reach out to us today: Dynamic Staffing Services
Why Choose Dynamic Staffing Services and How can we help?
If you’re interested in applying for a scale-up worker visa or skilled worker visa, we strongly recommend that you contact some that specialize in immigration law like Dynamic Staffing Services. We at DSS offer free advice and assistance with your application as well as checking whether they can help with any of your legal issues.
So, whatever is your query you can always consider us and we have a reason for you to choose us. Would you like to know how we are different? Let’s get into that:
- The 47 years of expertise working with businesses in many industries and sectors is one factor that sets Dynamic Staffing Services apart from the competition. As a result, we are well-versed in the requirements for success.
- We have a large candidate database and a staff of experts who can assist you. It implies that if you want to find the best candidate, this is where you should start looking.
- We give you more possibilities compared to other employment companies.
- You have a choice among several packages depending on the employment process type.
- DSS is known for being dependable and trustworthy.
In conclusion, the main difference between the two types of visas is that a scale-up worker visa is designed to attract experienced workers who will move with their families, while a skilled worker visa is more suitable for single people who do not have family ties in the UK.
You can read out to us for more details at +91-11-40410000 or email us at enquiry@dss-hr.com. We’ll respond to you as quickly as we can!
FAQ
Can the Skilled Worker Visa and Scale-up Visa Routes Lead to Settlement?
Yes, as long as participants fulfill the conditions for either route, immigrants traveling, either way, may be eligible for settlement.
Can the Applicant Bring Their Dependents?
In both cases, the primary applicants are allowed to accompany their dependent partners and minor children.
What is the English Language Requirement for both routes?
The CEFR Level B1 in Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing is the minimum standard for English language proficiency for Scale-up and Skilled Workers, respectively.
Where Can I Find an Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship?
An immigrant must be given Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship from the sponsor’s yearly allotment.
Can I get help with my application?
Yes, there are several companies offering advice and assistance with your application including some that specialize in immigration law such as Dynamic Staffing Services. For more details, you can reach out to DSS at +91-11-40410000 or mail us at enquiry@dss-hr.com.
