After completing the academic or higher Education course with a student visa in the UK, you may be eligible to switch to a Skilled Worker visa. The amendments of the immigration rules are expected to allow more graduates to have job opportunities due to lower level of salaries threshold required for Skilled Worker visas. This route also permits dependant family members who are also eligible to switch their dependant family visas in the UK. This route will also allow you to apply for settlement if you work for five years or more. However, a short-term student visa holders do not qualify to switch to the Skilled Worker visa.

Requirements to Switch from Student (Tier 4) visa to Skilled Worker visa

In order to switch to a Skilled Worker visa, you need to satisfy and meet the following conditions:

You must have a Confirmation of Sponsorship for a visa from the employer you wish to work for.

Your job offer is a genuine vacancy.

Your job meets an appropriate skill level.

Your sponsor has to pay any required Immigration Skills Charge.

You have English proficiency of at least CEFR level B1 (for IELTS 4.0).

You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds.

Financial requirements are exempted if you have stayed in the UK for more than 12 months on a student visa. In addition, there is no need to submit a tuberculosis test and a criminal record certificate for switching to Skilled Worker visa within the UK.

Recruitment as a new entrant

If all of the following conditions are met, you may be considered a new entrant:

Applicants are automatically considered new entrants if they are under the age of 26.

Your most recent visa was as a student visa and must not have exceeded 2 years after the expiration of your student visa. .

On your student visa, you have completed one of your Bachelor's, Master's, Doctor's or other Doctor's qualifications, Graduate Certificate of Education, or Graduate of Professional Education.

You have completed (or applied for) the above mentioned courses three months prior to the scheduled completion date, or have completed a PhD course in the UK for at least 12 months.

There are also several other ways to qualify as a new employee.

If your most recent visa is a Graduate Entrepreneur;

You have completed a Ph.D. in chemistry, biology, physics, social and humanities,

Your job if offered as higher education teaching professionals;

If your job offer is in a UK regulated profession and you are working towards a recognized professional qualification for that profession;

If you are working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job you are being sponsored for;

What are the advantages of entering the labour market as a new entrant?

Under the Skilled Worker visa rules, the employers must pay immigrants more than the general salary threshold (£25,600) or as specified on the Standard Occupation Code. However, new entrants to the labour market are entitled to a lower salary which equals or exceeds both £20,480 and 70% of the going rate for the occupation. This is a fairly low figure and can be expected to provide more employment opportunities for the new entrants.

Is there an age limit to switch to Skilled Worker?

There is no upper age limit to be considered as a new entrant and to switch to the Skilled Worker visa. However, you must be over 18 years old on the date of application.

Period granted when switching from a student visa to a Skilled Worker visa

Student visa holders who have switched to Skilled Worker visas will be granted permission to stay up to 14 days after the end of their Certificate of Sponsorship. If they apply as new entrants, they cannot be granted for more than 4 years in total. They should meet the relevant general salary requirement to extend their Skilled Worker visas.

Eligibility to settlement

Skilled Worker route is one of the settlement routes. To be eligible for settlement, you have to stay for continuous 5 years under this route. The period of stay on the student visa cannot be combined with the period of applying for settlement. In addition to the length of stay, the requirements for knowledge of the life in the UK, sponsorship, salary, validity and suitability must be met.

Traveling abroad

The applicants should be aware that they may face problems when re-entering the UK after a trip abroad whilst their Tier 4 visa or student visa were still valid or near expiration. Upon arrival, the immigration officer will need to be satisfied that you are going to apply to switch or extend your leave. If you wish to submit your Skilled Worker application, you should not plan to travel abroad until your application is successful and you receive a new BRP card.