Working in the UK
The UK's work routes divide into three kinds. Sponsored routes — Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Scale-up, Minister of Religion and the Global Business Mobility family — need an employer with a sponsor licence to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for a specific job. Endorsed routes — Global Talent and Innovator Founder — replace the sponsor with an endorsing body that vouches for the person or the business plan. Unsponsored routes — Youth Mobility, High Potential Individual and UK Ancestry — depend on age, education or descent and let you work for anyone.
The comparison table below shows, for each route, whether sponsorship is needed, how long a grant lasts, whether dependants can come and whether the route leads to settlement. Those four questions decide most cases. The salary thresholds and skill levels that govern the sponsored routes were raised in 2025, and the English requirement for Skilled Worker rose to B2 in January 2026; the guides state the current figures and the dates they changed.
Where two routes could both apply — Skilled Worker or Global Talent, Skilled Worker or Ancestry, Global Talent or Innovator Founder — the comparison pages set the differences side by side.
| Route | Sponsorship | Typical duration | Dependants | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa | Required — CoS from a licensed employer | Up to 5 years, extendable | Yes — restricted for new applicants in RQF 3–5 shortage-list jobs | ILR after 5 years under current rules |
| Global Talent visa | None (endorsement instead) | 1–5 years, extendable | Yes | ILR after 3 or 5 years depending on category |
| High Potential Individual (HPI) visa | None | 2 years (PhD 3); not extendable | Yes | No — switch to a settlement route |
| Youth Mobility Scheme visa | None | 2 years (3 for some nationalities) | No | No — switch to a settlement route |
| Innovator Founder visa | None (endorsement instead) | 3 years, extendable | Yes | ILR after 3 years if success criteria are met |
| Global Business Mobility routes | Required (linked overseas business) | Assignment-based; up to 5 years in any 6 (Senior or Specialist) | Yes | No — switch to a settlement route |
| Health and Care Worker visa | Required — CoS from a licensed health/care sponsor | Up to 5 years, extendable | Yes (medium-skilled restrictions apply to new applicants) | ILR after 5 years under current rules |
| UK Ancestry visa | None | 5 years, extendable | Yes | ILR after 5 years under current rules |
| Temporary Work visas | Required (CoS / scheme operator) | 6–24 months by sub-route | Yes, except Seasonal Worker | No |
| Scale-up Worker visa | Required for the first 6 months only | 2 years, then 3-year unsponsored extensions | Yes | ILR after 5 years under current rules |
| Minister of Religion visa (T2) | Required — CoS from a licensed religious organisation | Up to 3 years and 1 month on entry, extendable | Yes | ILR after 5 years under current rules |
- Skilled Worker visa Sponsorship, the £41,700 salary threshold, degree-level job requirement, B2 English and the path to settlement — the UK's main work visa explained.
- Global Talent visa For leaders and potential leaders in academia, digital technology and arts — no sponsor, no salary threshold, settlement in 3 to 5 years.
- High Potential Individual (HPI) visa Two years of unsponsored UK work rights for recent graduates of top-ranked universities worldwide — no job offer needed.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa A working-holiday visa for 18–30s (some countries to 35) from partner countries: two years of unrestricted work, no sponsor, £340.
- Innovator Founder visa For founders building an innovative, scalable business in the UK — endorsement required, no minimum investment, ILR possible after 3 years.
- Global Business Mobility routes Intra-company transfers and overseas business assignments: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker and related routes.
- Health and Care Worker visa The discounted Skilled Worker route for health professionals: lower fees, no health surcharge, and how the 2025 care-worker closure changed it.
- UK Ancestry visa Five years of unrestricted UK work rights for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent — no sponsor, and a route to settlement.
- Temporary Work visas The six short-term sponsored routes — Seasonal, Creative, Charity, Religious, Government Authorised Exchange and International Agreement — compared in one place.
- Scale-up Worker visa Sponsored for six months, then free: how Scale-up differs from Skilled Worker, which employers qualify, the salary test, the unsponsored extension and settlement.
- Minister of Religion visa (T2) The settlement route for ministers, missionaries and members of religious orders sponsored by a UK religious organisation: the sponsor, B2 English, and the path to ILR.