Visa Types — United Kingdom

Important Preliminary Notes

UK immigration rules, fees, and salary/income thresholds change frequently (often twice a year). The figures below reflect rules generally in effect as of 2024, using an approximate exchange rate of £1 = $1.27 USD (verify current rate). Always confirm current fees and requirements at gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration before applying, as the Home Office revises fees and thresholds regularly.

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1. Skilled Worker Visa

Who it's for: Foreign nationals with a confirmed job offer from a UK Home Office-licensed sponsor.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from licensed employer
• Job at required skill level (RQF 3 / A-level equivalent or above)
• Salary meeting general threshold (~£38,700/year or "going rate" for occupation, whichever higher; lower thresholds for shortage occupations/new entrants)
• English language proficiency (B1 CEFR)
• Maintenance funds (£1,270) unless sponsor certifies support

Processing time: ~3 weeks (outside UK) / ~8 weeks (inside UK); priority service (5 working days) available for extra fee

Cost:

• Visa fee: £719 (≤3 years) / £1,420 (>3 years) — ~$913 / ~$1,803 USD
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• Employer pays Immigration Skills Charge separately (£364–£1,000/year)

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2. Health and Care Worker Visa

Who it's for: Doctors, nurses, and social care professionals with a job offer from an NHS or CQC-regulated care provider.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Job offer in eligible healthcare/social care occupation
• CoS from approved health/care sponsor
• English B1, maintenance funds as above

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £284 (≤3 years) / £569 (>3 years) — ~$361 / ~$723 USD
• Discounted IHS: £776/year — ~$986/year

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3. Global Talent Visa

Who it's for: Leaders or potential leaders in academia/research, arts & culture, or digital technology.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Endorsement from an approved body (e.g., Royal Society, Tech Nation successor bodies, Arts Council England) OR
• Qualifying prize (e.g., Nobel Prize)
• No job offer or sponsor required
• No salary threshold

Processing time: ~3-8 weeks for endorsement + 3 weeks for visa decision

Cost:

• Endorsement application: £524 — ~$665 USD
• Visa fee: £192 — ~$244 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• Path to settlement in as little as 3 years (exceptional talent) or 5 years

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4. Innovator Founder Visa

Who it's for: Experienced entrepreneurs starting an innovative, viable, and scalable business in the UK.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Endorsement from an approved endorsing body
• Innovative business idea (not a franchise)
• No minimum investment funds required (removed in 2023 reforms)
• English B2 level

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £1,036 — ~$1,316 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year

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5. Scale-up Visa

Who it's for: Skilled workers with a job offer from a fast-growing, Home Office-approved UK "scale-up" business.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Job offer at RQF 6 (graduate level) from qualifying scale-up sponsor
• Salary at least £34,600/year or going rate
• Only needs sponsorship for first 6 months

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £719 — ~$913 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year

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6. Student Visa

Who it's for: International students accepted onto a course at a UK licensed education provider.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• Sufficient funds for tuition + living costs (£1,334/month outside London, £1,483/month in London)
• English language proficiency
• Age 16+

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £490 — ~$622 USD
• IHS: £776/year (discounted student rate) — ~$986/year

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7. Graduate Visa

Who it's for: International students who have completed an eligible UK degree, allowing post-study work.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Valid Student visa at time of application
• Successful completion of degree at UK Higher Education Provider with track record of compliance
• No sponsor needed; unrestricted work rights

Processing time: ~8 weeks (typically faster)

Cost:

• Visa fee: £822 — ~$1,044 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year (2 years for bachelor's/master's; 3 years for PhD) — ~$1,314/year

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8. Family Visa (Spouse/Partner)

Who it'sfor: Partners (spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners in a relationship akin to marriage for 2+ years) of British citizens or persons settled in the UK.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Genuine and subsisting relationship
• Minimum income requirement: sponsor earning £29,000/year (as of 2024; scheduled to rise further toward £38,700 in stages) OR savings of £88,500+ as alternative
• Adequate accommodation in the UK
• English language requirement (A1 initially, progressing to A2/B1 for extensions/settlement)
• Applicant and sponsor over 18

Processing time: ~12 weeks (outside UK); ~8 weeks straightforward cases inside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £1,846 (outside UK) — ~$2,344 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year, typically paid for 2.5 years upfront — ~$1,314/year
• Route to settlement after 5 years (or 10-year route if income requirement not fully met)

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9. Parent of a British/Settled Child Visa

Who it's for: Non-British parents seeking to remain in/enter the UK to care for a British citizen or settled child.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Child is British citizen, settled, or has lived in UK 7+ years
• Applicant has sole or shared parental responsibility
• Genuine and ongoing involvement in child's upbringing
• Adequate maintenance and accommodation (no fixed income threshold like spouse visa, but must show self-sufficiency)

Processing time: ~12 weeks outside UK; ~8 weeks inside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £1,846 (outside UK) — ~$2,344 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• 5-year route to settlement typically

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10. Ancestry Visa

Who it's for: Commonwealth citizens who can prove a UK-born grandparent.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Commonwealth citizenship
• One grandparent born in UK (including Channel Islands/Isle of Man)
• Age 17+
• Able and intending to work in the UK
• No English language requirement at entry

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £637 — ~$809 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• Leads to settlement after 5 years

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11. Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

Who it's for: Young people (18-30, or 18-35 for some countries) from participating countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and others) for temporary work/travel.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Age 18-30/35 depending on nationality
• Citizen of participating country
• £2,530 in savings
• No dependents
• Annual quota limits per country (ballot system for some nationalities)

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £298 — ~$378 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• Valid for 2 years, not extendable, no direct settlement route

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12. Visitor Visa (Standard Visitor)

Who it's for: Tourists, business visitors, those attending conferences, or short-term family visits (non-immigration route, but commonly used).

Key eligibility requirements:

• Intention to leave UK at end of visit
• Sufficient funds for stay
• No intention to work or claim public funds
• Genuine visitor purpose

Processing time: ~3 weeks

Cost:

• 6-month visa: £115 — ~$146 USD
• 2-year visa: £432 — ~$549 USD
• 5-year visa: £771 — ~$979 USD
• 10-year visa: £963 — ~$1,223 USD
• No IHS required (visitors use NHS at point of care, subject to charges)

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13. High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa

Who it's for: Recent graduates from top-ranked global universities (non-UK), allowing UK work without a job offer.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Degree from university on the Home Office's eligible list (updated annually, includes institutions like Harvard, MIT, Tokyo University, etc.)
• Degree completed within last 5 years
• English B1 level
• Maintenance funds (£1,270)

Processing time: ~3 weeks outside UK

Cost:

• Visa fee: £1,015 — ~$1,289 USD
• IHS: £1,035/year — ~$1,314/year
• Valid 2 years (bachelor's/master's) or 3 years (PhD); no direct settlement route (must switch to another category)

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14. Investor/Entrepreneur Routes (Closed)

Note: The Tier 1 Investor Visa was closed to new applicants in February 2022 due to concerns over illicit finance. The Innovator Visa was replaced by the Innovator Founder Visa in April 2023. No direct investment-only visa currently exists in the UK system.

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15. Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — Settlement (Not a Visa, but Final Step)

Who it's for: Those who have completed qualifying residence period on an eligible visa route.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Continuous residence (typically 5 years, sometimes 3 or 10 depending on route)
• Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK (KoLL test + B1 English)
• No excessive absences (generally <180 days/year)
• Good character (criminal record checks)

Processing time: ~6 months (standard); priority (5 working days) and super priority (next day) services available for extra fee

Cost:

• ILR fee: £2,885 — ~$3,664 USD
• No IHS required at this stage

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Key Considerations & Disclaimers

• Dependents: Most work and study visas allow partners/children to apply as dependents, each paying separate visa fees + IHS.
• Salary thresholds are reviewed periodically and tend to increase — the Skilled Worker threshold rose significantly in April 2024.
• Exchange rates fluctuate — recalculate USD equivalents at time of application using current rates (e.g., xe.com).
• Priority/super priority services (5-day or next-day decisions) typically cost an additional £500–£1,000+.
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is paid upfront for the entire visa duration, not annually in installments — this significantly increases upfront costs (e.g., a 5-year Skilled Worker visa requires £5,175 IHS paid at once).
• Always verify current figures at gov.uk or consult an OISC-registered immigration adviser or immigration solicitor, as this field changes frequently and errors in DIY applications can result in refusals.

More about immigrating to United Kingdom