Tier 2 Change of Employment

Tier 2 immigration candidates can do a Tier 2 change of employment whilst in the UK, however the process of obtaining a 

Certificate

 of Sponsorship must be repeated and a candidate must be reassessed against the points test.

Much like standard 

applications

 for UK visas, the sponsoring company, rather than the individual is responsible for applying for this type of UK visa service.

Benefits

Applications for UK visas of this class enable candidates to change their position and employer once in the country if another specific offer of employment is obtained.

Unlike some of the alternative routes to work permit in Britain, such as the Youth Mobility Scheme, candidates are permitted to work full time for their sponsoring employer throughout the duration of their stay.

You may find our information on Tier 2 Intra Company Transfers a helpful resource. 

Duration

This type of permit for working in the UK may be granted for a period of between one day and five years depending on the length of time requested by the company offering the sponsorship.

The duration of a change of employment visa application is also at the discretion of the Home Office. Working permits and change of job permits are temporary immigration services and as such are not intended as a route to settlement.

Unlike a UK business visit visa, or travel visa, permits of this kind allow the holder to work in a specific role but they do not provide the freedom to live and work in the UK per se.

However, when it comes to this type of UK immigration, cases where a candidate has been continuously in the United Kingdom in possession of the same permit for five years, it may be possible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) often referred to as Permanent residency. Beyond this, subject to qualification it may be possible to apply for UK citizenship through the process of British naturalization.

Eligibility Criteria

Position

The position for which the change of employment working visa is being sought must meet National Vocation Qualification (NVQ) level 3 or above. If the candidate in question works in a specific profession, they may be required to register with the relevant governing body. For example, doctors must be GMC registered.

A candidate applying for a permit to work in the UK must possess one of the following:

• A relevant degree.
• A non-relevant degree and 1 year of experience.
• An HND level qualification, which is relevant to the offered position.
• An HND level qualification, which is not relevant to the post on offer plus 1 year of relevant full time work experience at NVQ level 3 and above.
• No degree and three years of relevant experience.

Shortage Occupations

Employers who need to fill a position which is included on the United Kingdom shortage list via Working Permit sponsorship of a candidate are not required to advertise the vacancy before sponsoring an applicant.

This is because the occupation in question is regarded as too difficult to fill from within the resident UK and EU work force.

In all cases where a position is in a non-shortage list occupation, the company offering the sponsorship must be able to demonstrate that they have attempted to recruit from within the resident EU work force by advertising the position.

In these circumstances; a role must be advertised for at least 28 days in a national broadsheet newspaper, relevant trade journal and/or a relevant website.

Multiple Entry Permits

Permits of this kind are not eligible for change of employment and in these circumstances, a new application must be submitted.