Eligible jobs including wage levels for Tier 2 Visa

Tier 2 employers

A Company, who is on the UK Home Office list of Tier 2 (General) licensed sponsors, can issue a certificate of sponsorship to a potential employee who would not otherwise be allowed to work in the UK. If you want to be in the UK under Tier 2, you must be sponsored by an employer who has a Tier 2 sponsor license.

As per Home Office statistics, most jobs for which people are sponsored under Tier 2 are in the following sectors:

·         Information and communications

·         Health and social work

·         Professional, scientific and technical

·         Education

·         Financial and insurance

Shortage occupations

Shortage occupations are jobs that employers find difficult to fill using settled workers only. If a job is on the shortage occupation list, your employer does not have to carry out the resident labour market test before offering the job to you. There is a list for the whole of the UK and a separate list that applies only to jobs in Scotland. This list is regularly reconsidered.

PhD level jobs

PhD level jobs are basically research posts. You do not necessarily have to have a doctorate degree in order to be offered a PhD level job, and some occupations that require a PhD are not on the list of PhD level jobs. They are still subject to the resident labour market test. However, the advertising requirements for PhD level jobs are more relaxed than for most other posts and an employer will be able to offer you employment if you are the best applicant even if settled workers who apply could undertake the work.

Skill levels

If you are not already in the UK with Tier 2 or work permit immigration permission, the minimum skills level for most occupations is described as National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 6. The lists of jobs that are at this level and above are in the Immigration Rules Adjunct.

One exception to this requirement applies to you if you have a specified job in one of the creative sector occupations (artists, authors, writers, actors, entertainers, presenters, dancers, choreographers, or product, clothing and related designers), in which case the minimum skills level is NQF level 4.

The other chance that could apply to you is if you have an offer of a job that is on the list of shortage occupations.

Wage levels

The lowest wage you can be paid for a Tier 2 (General) job is £20,800 (£20,500 if your certificate of sponsorship is issued before 6 April 2015). The minimum wage for each different occupation varies and you will find the relevant wage for your job in the tables we refer to above in Skills levels of Tier 2 jobs. In many cases, the minimum wage is more than this, and you cannot be sponsored under Tier 2 if your job will pay less than the minimum wage associated with your occupation.

Sometimes wages below £20,800 are mentioned in the occupations tables. This is because some people who are already in the UK with Tier 2 or work permit immigration permission (leave) can rely on lower wage levels if they need to apply to extend their leave. There is also an exception for nurses and midwives who are working towards registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. If these two exceptions do not apply to you, you cannot rely on wages lower than this minimum level.

For example, from 6 April 2015, the minimum wage in table 2 (occupations skilled to NQF level 6 and above) for tax advisers is £19,800 for new entrants. If you meet the definition of new entrant, the lowest wage you can be offered is £20,800. If you do not meet the definition of "new entrant", the minimum wage you can be paid is £33,900 (the "experienced worker" rate).

New entrant

Tier 2 (General) applicants who meet the definition of "new entrant" can rely on the lowest wage for each occupation, subject to a minimum of £20,800 (£20,500 if your certificate of sponsorship was issued before 6 April 2015).

You meet the definition of "new entrant" if you fall within one of the following categories:

You are under 26 years old on the date when you make your Tier 2 immigration application

Your Tier 2 sponsor recruited you by carrying out a university milk round (check with your employer if that applies to you)

You meet the requirements of the post-study work exemption from the resident labor market test.

Job adverts - Do you have permission to work in the UK?

Students sometimes believe they cannot apply for a job, because the job description or specification appears to say that you need existing permission to work in the UK.  The employer is unlikely to be saying that you need existing work permission in order to apply for or be interviewed for the job.

The employer is probably correctly saying that you need to have permission to work in order to start the job. For those with current Tier 4 leave, or those coming to the end of Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) or Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) leave, this would usually mean being sponsored by the employer under Tier 2.

If you need Tier 2 immigration permission in order to stay in the UK for work, you should check before applying whether the employer has a Tier 2 sponsor license.