If you have not previously been given permission to stay in either of these categories, you should read the section on initial applications.
How long you can extend your stay
If you are given leave to remain (permission to stay) as a highly skilled worker from inside the United Kingdom, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum period of three years. When the end of this period approaches you will need to apply to extend your stay
The conditions you must meet if you want to extend your stay
Extending your stay is dependent on the following conditions:
you have no recourse to public funds (which means you will be unable to claim most benefits paid by the state);
you have been given entry clearance, or leave to enter or remain as a highly skilled migrant or as a post-graduate doctor or dentist;
you were previously given entry clearance or leave to remain as a highly skilled migrant and that was not subject to a condition prohibiting employment as a doctor in training.
You should check your Eligibility according to your current visa.
Under PBS and transitional arrangements you should meet 75 points for attributes, 10 points for English knowledge and 10 points for Maintanence.
You must show that you have enough funds in personal savings to support yourself.
You should also assess the potential costs of living in the United Kingdom. If you are applying for permission to stay (known as 'leave to remain'), this will be based on past living expenses. you should make sure that you have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants you have.
if you are applying for permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'leave to remain') you should have £800 in available funds.
Application form:
Some sections of the application form do not apply to your category. You should only complete the sections that are relevant to your application.
You can dowmload the application form from UK VISA : Application Forms section under PBS or Tier 1 and HSMP.
Application form under PBS for an extension application if you are already inside the United Kingdom.
Section A - payment details
Page 1 of the application form contains the payment details. The current fees and details of how you can pay are on the tier 1 page.
Section B - personal details
You should complete this section of the application form fully. If you do not provide all your personal details they will not process your application.
Section C - passport or travel document details
You should give details of your current and all previous passports and travel documents.
Section D - immigration history
You should give details of your current immigration category, where and when you obtained it and when your permission to stay ends.
Sections E and F - personal history
You should complete this section of the application form fully. The information you provide in this section may be checked with other agencies, so you should make sure you include all relevant details. If necessary you can continue your answers to this section on a separate sheet of paper.
Section N - points assessment - age
You should complete this section by giving your age.
Section O - points assessment - qualifications
You should give details of any higher education, vocational or professional qualification(s) you are claiming points for, and confirm which documents you are sending as proof of these qualifications. You should read the supporting evidence page for qualifications for full details of the documents you should send with your application.
Section P - points assessment - previous earnings You should show how you are claiming points for previous earnings. You should read the supporting evidence page for previous earnings for full details of the documents you should send with your application.
Section Q - points assessment - United Kingdom experienceYou should state if you are claiming points for United Kingdom experience. You should read the supporting evidence page for United Kingdom experience for full details of the documents you should send with your application.
Section V - points assessment - English languageYou should state if you are claiming points for English language. You should read the supporting evidence page for English language for full details of the documents you should send with your application.
Section W - points assessment - maintenance (funds)You should state if you are claiming points for maintenance (funds). You should read the supporting evidence page for maintenance (funds) for full details of the documents you should send with your application.
Section X - public fundsYou should complete this section even if you are not receiving any public funds.
Section Y - declarationsYou must sign and date your completed application form. Your application will not be valid unless you complete this section.
Section Z - representative details and declarationsYou should only complete this section if a legal representative is making the application on your behalf.
Summary sheet-You should complete this section to make sure you have provided us with all the information we require to process your application
Extention application form under PBS and HSMP
Form for extension application Tier 1 general
PBS dependent extention application form
Form for extension application under HSMP
Application Fee:
The fee you must pay if you are inside the UK
Postal applications:
All other applicants (including applications for extension within the highly skilled worker category if you are currently in the United Kingdom under HSMP) is ----- £820
Dependant applications for your spouse, partner or children under 18 if they are sent together with your own form cost per dependant is ---- £50
Dependant applications for children over 18, or any dependant applications sent separately or later, cost---- £465.
applying in person
All other applicants (including applications for extension within the highly skilled worker category if you are currently in the United Kingdom under HSMP) is ---- £1,020
Dependant applications for your spouse, partner or children under 18 if they are made at the same time as your own application cost per dependant is ---- £50 .
Dependant applications for children over 18, or any dependant applications made separately or later, cost ---- £665
The fee you must pay if you are outside the UK
There are two different fees for the highly skilled worker category:
£250 if you submit a valid HSMP approval letter with your application (this is because you have already paid for the approval letter), which is payable in local currency; and
£675 for all other applicants, which is payable in local currency.
Any dependant applications accompanying your application form must pay £675, payable in local currency.
If your dependants are applying under the transitional arrangements and you have an HSMP approval letter, your dependants must show a copy of the HSMP approval letter when making their application to confirm that they are entitled to the transitional fee.
Sponsored students
If you are in the United Kingdom as a postgraduate doctor or dentist or as a student and are being sponsored, or if your sponsorship ended in the last 12 months, we must receive consent from your sponsor to give you permission to stay.If your sponsor does not give this permission, we will refuse your application.
If you received private sponsorship during your studies, we do not need your sponsor's consent.
You should send an original letter from your sponsor giving us their consent for us to allow to you stay in the United Kingdom.
You must send your original passport or travel document and the original passport or travel document of all dependants.
Dependants
If you have dependants who wish to join or remain with you in United Kingdom, you or they should complete the separate dependant application form.
Dependants should state if they are submitting their application at the same time as your application. This tells us that both applications should be considered together.
If you are the main applicant and you have already received official notification from us that your application has been successful, this should also be indicated in this section.
Dependants should also state the category under which you have submitted an application
Dependants should also satisfy maintance requirment by providing valid proof.
Your photographs
You must send two recent passport photographs of yourself and any dependants for whom you are including applications. All the photographs must have the name of the person in the picture written on the back.
All the photographs should: color 45mm x 35mm in size taken against a grey or cream background with clear and of good quality and not be framed or backed and not be digitally altered and be full face, without sunglasses, hat or head covering unless you wear this for religious reasons.
The photograph you send will be used on your visa (known as vignette) which is fixed in your passport.
Proof of Qualification:
If you have been awarded a qualification, you must provide the original certificate of award.
Proof of Previous earnings:
It is essential that earnings are corroborated by more than one source, You must send at least two different types of supporting document for each source of earnings claimed. Each piece of supporting evidence must be from a separate source and support all the other evidence so that together they clearly prove the earnings claimed.
For example, when sending documents for salaried employment, you should not send payslips together with a letter from the employer, because we consider both of these documents to be from the same source.
You must send at least two of the following from different sources as proof of your earning
What the bank statements must show:
Bank statements you send must be on official bank stationery, and must show each of the payments that you are claiming. If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account you should also send a supporting letter from the bank on company headed paper confirming that the documents are authentic. Alternatively, electronic bank statements with the official stamp of the bank that issued the statements will be accepted. The stamp must appear on every page of the statement.
What the payslips and letter from employer must show:
These should be either formal payslips or on company headed paper. If payslips are on unheaded paper or you receive all pay slips online, you must authenticate the evidence by asking the employer to sign and stamp a printout.If you send payslips, they must cover the whole period claimed (for example, if payslips are produced monthly, you must provide the payslip for each month of the period claimed).
What the employer's letter must show:
You must send a letter on company headed paper from your current and/or previous employer(s) which clearly shows:
your earnings during period claimed; and
the date and amount of each
payment; and
your gross and net pay; and
that it is dated after the
period for which earnings are being claimed.
What the tax documents must show:
We define tax documents as:
However, while we have included tax documents in the list of acceptable documents, they will rarely be of use. This is because tax documents are usually produced at the end of a fixed tax period and will therefore not show the entire period for which you are claiming previous earnings unless they are for the exact period claimed. You should therefore be cautious about using these documents unless you are sure they show the exact amount of earnings for which you are claiming points.
What the letter from your managing agent or accountant must show:
You must send a letter from your managing agent or accountant on headed paper confirming the gross and net pay for the period claimed. The letter should give a breakdown of salary, dividends, profits, tax credits and dates of net payments earned. If your earnings are a share of the net profit of the company, the letter should also explain this.A person you pay to manage a business for you.Tax credits are payments from the government to help people living in the United Kingdom with everyday costs. Someone with at least one child may be able to claim a child tax credit. Someone on a low wage may be able to claim a working tax credit. More information is on the website of HM Revenue & Customs.A share of a company's profits, paid to people who have invested in it (for example by buying shares).
What the invoice explanations or payment summaries must show:
You must send summaries or explanations created by your managing agent (who is usually an accountant). These explanations should include a breakdown of the gross salary, tax deductions and dividend payments made to you. The total gross salary and dividend payments should be the same as your earnings. The payment summary should enable us to check that these correspond with the net payments into your personal bank account.
What the company or business accounts must show:
Accounts must show both a profit and loss account (or income and expenditure account if the organisation is not trading for profit) and the balance sheet should be signed by a director. Accounts should meet statutory requirements and should clearly show the net profit made over the earnings period to be assessed.
Examples of document combinations to provide Employees who receive a salary.
Examples of document combinations for Contractors
If you are a contractor who does not operate either through your own company or as an employee, you may send:
Examples of document combinations for Self-employed earnings within a business or company structure
If you have worked in a self-employed capacity in your own business or company structure and have chosen to keep your earnings within the business or company, you could send:
Proof of United Kingdom experience
proof of United Kingdom experience of work or study you may send to support your application to the highly skilled worker category (Tier 1 General) under the points-based system to work in the United Kingdom.
Proof of your previous earnings made in the United Kingdom
There are no specific documentary requirements for claims for earnings made in the United Kingdom because the necessary documentation will have been sent to prove your earnings to score points in the attributes area.
Proof of your United Kingdom study experience
The specified document is:
an original letter from the United Kingdom institution or United Kingdom based overseas institution at which you studied.
This must be an original letter, on the official headed paper of the awarding institution and bearing the official stamp of that institution. It must have been issued by an authorised official of that institution.
Proof of English language
Proof of Maintenance (funds)
Evidence must be in the form of cash funds. Other accounts or financial instruments for example, shares, bonds and pension funds, regardless of notice are not acceptable.
If you wish to rely on a joint account as evidence of available funds, you must be named on the account along with one or more other named individual.
For applications made either in the United Kingdom or overseas, all evidence must be dated no more than one month before the application is submitted.
The documents are one or a combination of the following:
Check out the related information on:
Tier 1 General: Eligibility
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant
Note:- Please note that original provisional MBA certificates are not acceptable.
Alternative evidence: If you are unable to provide your original certificate
Self-employed transitional route:
If you are self-employed, were granted permission to stay as a highly skilled migrant before 8 November 2006 and want to extend your stay,
you must send the following documents:
HSMP approval letter (now closed)
A letter from UK border agency that confirms you have passed the first stage of the application process for the Hi hly Skilled Migrant Programme because you have the skills and experience required. HSMP approval letters are valid for six months from the date of issue.
You do not have to be in continuous employment during the 12-month period being assessed, so:
If you claim for a period that is more than the 12 months, we will assess the most recent period of 12 months for which you have sent evidence.
Assessment of previous earnings
They assess your gross salary before tax. This also applies if you are self-employed and draw a salary from your business.
If you earned the money in a country with no tax system, they will consider your total earnings for the period.
If you are self-employed, your earnings are assessed on the profits of your business before tax. If you have a share of a business, your earnings are assessed on your share of the business's net profits before tax.
Your overall total earnings can include those from several sources of work, including salaried employment and self-employed activities.
Earnings do not need to have been with a single employer, and can be considered from full-time, part-time, temporary and short-term work.
Earnings may include, among other things:
Unearned sources of income that we will not consider as previous earnings include:
Allowances
convert your earnings into pounds sterling (GBP)
Earnings made overseas must be converted into pounds sterling so that we can assess them. The exchange rate we use is the one produced by OANDA.
You should use the closing spot exchange rate on the OANDA website on the last day of the period for which you have claimed earnings in that currency.
If you are switching from the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
If you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'leave to remain') as a highly skilled migrant or worker, the period over which your earnings are to be assessed must:
If you do not show the right period of assessment for earnings, we assess your earnings in the 12 months immediately before your application. If you do not show enough earnings, you may not have enough points to apply.
United Kingdom experience:
The points awarded for United Kingdom experience in an initial application
You can score 5 points for United Kingdom experience if:
You will also meet the English language requirement if:
Maintenance (funds)
You must score 10 points for maintenance (funds) or your application will be refused. Evidence must be in the form of cash funds.
If you are applying for permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'leave to remain') and have £800 in available funds. You must have the £800 in your account for at least three months before you apply, and be able to send documents that show the money has been there for three months.
If you are applying to a British overseas entry clearance post for permission to come to the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') and have £2,800 in available funds.What to do if you have an HSMP approval letter already
If you have an HSMP approval letter, you should read the section on transitional arrangements for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).
What points you have to score to apply as a highly skilled worker
To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the highly skilled worker category, you must pass a points-based assessment.You must score:
If you do not score a minimum of 75 points for your attributes and 10 points for English language and 10 points for available maintenance (funds), your application will be refused.
Fee: If you are inside the United Kingdom.
Applying by post:
There are two different fees for postal applications under the highly skilled worker category:
Applying in person:
If you apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices, there are two different fees:
Fee: If you are outside the United Kingdom.
There are two different fees for the highly skilled worker category:
To pay inside the United Kingdom.
Payment by any other method is not accepted.
To pay outside the United Kingdom.
you can find out more about the process in the country you are applying from and download the application forms.
Check out the related information on:
Tier 1 General: Eligibility
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant
What points you have to score to apply as an entrepreneur
To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the entrepreneur category, you must pass a points-based assessment.
You must score:
If you do not score a minimum of 75 points for your attributes and 10 points for English language and 10 points for available maintenance (funds), your application will be refused.
Fee: If you are inside the United Kingdom
Fee: If you are outside the United Kingdom
What documents you must send for an initial application
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following in original:
Maintenance (funds)the documents must show:
If you are applying from within the United Kingdom, the balance must show that you have had at least £800 in your account at all times over the three-month period.
If you are applying from outside the United Kingdom, the balance must show that you have had at least £2,800 in your account at all times over the three-month period.
Evidence must be in the form of cash funds. Other accounts or financial instruments for example, shares, bonds, pension funds, regardless of notice period are not acceptable.
If you wish to rely on joint account as evidence of funds, you must be named on the account along with one or more other named individual(s).
For applications made either in the United Kingdom or overseas, all evidence must be dated no more than one month before the application is submitted
The documents for maintenance (funds)are:
What documents you must send for an extension application
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
Where to send the form if you are applying from inside the United Kingdom
Attach your cheque or postal order for the fee to page one of the application form, and send them with your supporting documents and passport(s). You can send in more documents as long as they reach before a decision has been made.
Your application must arrive during normal business hours (0830 to 1630, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.
You should send your form to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ
If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1PA
If you are sending applications for your dependants at the same time as your own application, make sure all applications are sent together in one envelope so the dependant applications are considered free of charge. Dependant applications sent separately or later will have to pay a fee and we will not consider them unless you pay the right fee.
If you are a dependant applying separately (not at the same time as the main applicant), you should send your form to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1 (Dependants)
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ
If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1 (Dependants)
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1SA
Where to send the form if you are applying from outside the United Kingdom
you can find out more about the process in the country you are applying from and download the application forms from our UK VISA Application Forms section.
Check out the related information on:What points you have to score to apply as an investor
To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the investor category, you must pass a points-based assessment.
You must score 75 points for access to £1,000,000 that is disposable and in a financial institution, or £2,000,000 in personal assets and £1,000,000 in a loan, which are known as attributes.
Fees: If you are inside the United Kingdom
Fees: If you are outside the United Kingdom
Once your fee has been received by the visa application centre, the fee is charged and cannot be refunded.
You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of the application, or will not consider your application and will return both the application form and part payment to you.
What documents you must send for an initial application
If you do not provide all the original documents they need when you make your application, the case may be refused on the grounds that insufficient evidence has been provided, and the fee will not be refunded.
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
Documents for money
Documents for Source of money
Documents for joint funding
Documents for Money that can be transferred:
What documents you must send for an extension application
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
Check out the related information on:
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant
Eligibility- points you have to score to apply as a post-study worker
To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the post-study worker category, you must pass a points-based assessment.
You must score:
If you do not score a minimum of 75 points for your attributes and 10 points for English language and 10 points for available maintenance (funds), your application will be refused.
Cost: If you are inside the United Kingdom
For postal applications:
For applications at a public enquiry office:
Types of payment accepted inside UK:
The payment slip must be filled in fully and accurately.
Payment may be made by:
Payment by any other method is not accepted.
You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of the application, or we will not consider your application and will return both the application form and part payment to you.
They start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Clearance takes place:
Cost: If you are outside the United Kingdom
If you send more than one application, each application will cost the standard fee. Once your application is received by the payment handling service, the fee is charged and cannot be refunded.
Types of payment accepted outside UK:
If you are applying from outside the United Kingdom you can find out more about the process in the country you are applying from and download the application forms.
Where to send the form if you are applying from inside the United Kingdom
Attach your cheque or postal order for the fee to page one of the application form, and send them with your supporting documents and passport(s). You can send in more documents as long as they reach before a decision has been made.
Your application must arrive during normal business hours (0830 to 1630, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.
You should send your form to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ
If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1PA
If you are sending applications for your dependants at the same time as your own application, make sure all applications are sent together in one envelope so the dependant applications are considered free of charge. Dependant applications sent separately or later will have to pay a fee and we will not consider them unless you pay the right fee.
If you are a dependant applying separately (not at the same time as the main applicant), you should send your form to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1 (Dependants)
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ
If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:
UK Border Agency, Tier 1 (Dependants)
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1SA
Where to send the form if you are applying from outside the United Kingdom
If you are applying from outside the United Kingdom, you can find out more about the process in the country you are applying from and download the application forms from our UK VISA Application Forms section.
What documents you must send
You must send two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
How points are awarded for English language:
If you score 75 points for your attributes, which are a United Kingdom qualification, studying at a United Kingdom institution, your immigration status during United Kingdom study and/or research and the date of award of qualification, you will satisfy the English language requirement.
How points are awarded for Maintenance funds:
The documents for maintanace funds are:
If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account these must contain all of the details listed above. In addition, you will need to send a supporting letter from your bank, on headed paper, confirming that the statements are genuine. Alternatively, electronic bank statements with the official stamp of the bank that issued the statements will be accepted. The stamp must appear on every page of the statement.
We will not accept statements which simply show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that you hold enough funds for the full period required.
Building society passbook covering the previous three-month period.
Check out the related information on:
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant
Check out the related information on:
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant