Tier 2 Visa Requirements

What are the Tier 2 Visa requirements?

The Tier 2 Visa was the main immigration route for skilled workers who wished to enter the UK to take up employment.

Eligible applicants were to have received a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from a UK-based employer. They must also score 70 points against several requirements, such as maintenance, appropriate salary, English language, and holding a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

Depending on the Tier 2 Visa category, applicants were required to meet different criteria. In 2020, the UK government replaced the Tier 2 visas with other visas. For example, the Tier 2 General Visa became the Skilled Worker Visa.

Get in touch with our immigration experts to find out how we can guide you through each step of applying for the work visas that replaced the tier 2 visas discussed below.

Tier 2 (General) Visa requirements

Tier 2 General Visa eligible applicants must score 70 points against three conditions, which are:

• 50 points for attributes
• 10 points for maintenance
• 10 points for English language

Applicants under the age of 18 need written consent from their parents or legal guardian and from those who will take care of them in the UK.

If the sponsor is a limited company, the applicant must not own more than 10 percent of the business’ shares, unless their gross annual salary is £159,600 or higher.

Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer requirements

The Tier 2 ICT Visa is available for those who have been offered a role in the UK branch of their overseas organization.

Eligible applicants must:

• Score 50 points for their Attributes, which include holding a Certificate of Sponsorship and earning an appropriate salary
• Have received a job offer from a UK-based employer with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship. To award the required 30 points, the job must be at Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF)
• Score 10 points for maintenance

Tier 2 (Sportsperson) requirements

Before you submit your Tier 2 (Sportsperson) application, you must ensure that you meet the following requirements:

• You must be an internationally established player or coach at the highest level
• Your sponsor must hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship
• Your sponsor needs to obtain an endorsement for your form the appropriate governing body for your sport
• Your activities in the UK must make a significant contribution to the development of your sport at the highest level in the UK
• You must intend to be based in the UK only for the duration of your permission to stay, meaning that you must go back to your home country when your visa expires
• You must also meet the English Language and maintenance (available funds) requirements requested by the Tier 2 category

Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) Visa requirements

You can apply for a Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa if you have been offered a valid job within a faith community (either as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order) in the UK.

Tier 2 (MoR) applicants must score a minimum of 70 points against the following criteria:

• 50 for attributes
• 10 for the English language, although the minimum required level is lower than the one for Tier 2 (General) applications
• 10 for maintenance

Successful applicants must have an in-depth knowledge of their role and genuinely intend to undertake the position for which their CoS was assigned.

Requirements to extend your Tier 2 Visa

Your leave to remain can be extended if your skills level and salary are still appropriate for your role within your company.

To renew your Tier 2 Visa, you need:

• A new Certificate of Sponsorship
• Up-to-date evidence of your maintenance funds
• Biometric evidence, including your fingerprints and a picture of yourself.

Depending on your core duties, your employer may also ask you to complete a higher level of English qualification.

If your circumstances have changed since your first application, you need to notify the Home Office before you request a visa renewal.

Requirements to make a Tier 2 Change of Employment

If you are staying with your sponsor but changing your role, you will need to make a change of employment application if:

• A different Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) is required
• Your new job is in the same SOC code, but your new salary is less than the required rate
• You are changing from a position which is in the shortage occupation list to one which is not on it
• Your pay reduces from the level indicated on your current CoS, and the reduction is due to maternity, paternity, sick or adoption leave lasting a month or more
• There is a change to your core duties meaning that your position changes within the same SOC code – provided that your pay remains above the acceptable rate

What is the English Language requirement?

As a part of your application, you must score 10 points for your English language skills, unless you are applying for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa or a Tier 2 (General) as a doctor, dentist, nurse or midwife. Your English proficiency must be equivalent to level B1 or above, although a higher level may be required for Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) applicants.

If you are unable to score 10 points for your English proficiency, your application will be refused, even if you meet all the other requirements.

You will be awarded 10 points for your English language level if you:

• Are a national of a majority English speaking country
• Hold a degree that was taught or researched in English, and that is equivalent to a UK degree
• Have passed an English language test at the appropriate level
• Have met the English proficiency criteria when given a previous grant of leave in the UK

What are the requirements for switching from a Tier 4 Visa into Tier 2?

International pupils who are currently on a Tier 4 Visa may be able to switch into a Tier 2 status. Eligible applicants must:

• Currently be sponsored by a Tier 4 sponsor, which can be either a UK-based or overseas higher education, provider
• Have completed, or be applying no more than three months before the expected completion date of, a course of study leading to a UK recognised bachelor’s or master’s degree, or a UK Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education (PGDE)
• Have completed a minimum for 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD or equivalent level
• Have undertaken their period of study while they had valid entry clearance, leave to enter or leave to remain
• Meet the requirement relevant for their Tier 2 Visa category

What is the maintenance requirement?

To be eligible for a Tier 2 visa, you must score 10 points against the maintenance requirement. This means that you must:

• Have personal savings of at least £945, which must have been held for 90 consecutive days, or
• Already have been granted entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain as a Tier 2 migrant or a work permit holder
• Have an A-rated (premium), A-rated small or medium-sized enterprise, or A-rated sponsor who can certify on your CoS that they will maintain and accommodate you up to the end of your first month of employment

What is the genuine vacancy requirement?

A genuine vacancy is one which:

• Requires the jobholder to perform specific duties and responsibilities
• Meets all the requirements of the Tier 2 (General) relevant category
• Does not include lower-skilled duties
• Is not tailored to exclude suitable qualified or skilled settled workers
• Does not contain an incorrect job description to make it appear to meet the Tier 2 requirements deliberately
• Does not include a role that does not exist to enable a migrant to apply to enter the UK

For help with your visa application, you can get in touch with our London, Manchester, or Birmingham immigration lawyers, or use the office finder to find the closest branch to you.