What is the Skill level for Skilled Worker visa (work visa)
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, a job offered to a migrant has to be at least RQF Level 3 or above. It is explained on gov.uk website What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . In a nutshell, the job has to be at least A-Level graduate. This means that the job requires at least that skill level, not that a worker must have A-Level qualification. To get an idea what jobs are accepted is to read the Home Office Skilled Occupations appendix. As a tip from us, when you check the Appendix, please do not overlook the Table 5 there that lists the occupations that do NOT qualify.
What jobs are eligible for Skilled Worker visa
The list of jobs that qualify for Skilled Worker visa are in the Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations – Immigration Rules – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . The Table 1 is where most of the qualifying jobs are listed. It includes highly skilled jobs, such as software programmers, IT managers, Accountants, HR Managers, etc. However, it also has less skilled roles that qualify for Skilled Worker visa.
As an example, on the list you see such jobs as: Painters and decorators, Floorers and wall tillers, Plasterers, Carpenters and joiners, Bricklayers and masons, Electricians and electrical fitters, Gardeners and landscape gardeners, Chefs, Bakers and flour confectioners, Fishmongers and poultry dressers, Butchers, Catering and bar managers, Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors.
When reading the Appendix Skilled Occupations it is also important to read carefully the list of jobs that do not qualify for Skilled Worker visa. Those jobs are in Table 5. It is worth noting that Care workers and home carers are due to be included in the eligible professions early next year (2022) for an initial time period of 12 months, but the exact date has not yet been announced. You can read more about this in our blog here Care workers added to Health and Care Visa – Thaxted Legal
| 6145 Care workers and home carers | • Care assistant • Care worker • Carer • Home care assistant • Home carer • Support worker (nursing home) |
