Foreigners must first have to a job offer from a UK company that is a licensed sponsor company and this company must be registered with the UK Home Office.

South Africans can apply for this visa if a licensed sponsor company has issued them with their unique Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) number. The Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), contrary to its name, is not a paper document but rather a virtual document which carries a specific reference number. This reference number is specific to you and the job that you have been offered so can only be used once.

Since the 1 January 2021, the UK employer is no longer required to conduct a resident labour market test. This test previously required the UK employer to show that no 'settled worker' is available for a particular job vacancy.

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:

• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ (COS) from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do

Other UK work visas for example include the Health and Care Worker visa and Intra-Company routes but there are also other visa types.

You must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa:

• you’re a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
• your job is eligible for this visa
• you’ll be working for a UK health and care sector employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• you’ll be paid the minimum salary or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing - whichever is higher

There are 2 Intra-Company routes:

• Intra-Company Transfer: this is for established employees who are being transferred by their overseas employer to do a skilled job for a linked employer in the UK
• Intra-Company Graduate Trainee: this is for employees taking part in a structured graduate training programme who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a linked employer in the UK

Please be aware: Not just any UK company can offer you employment therefore first check with Visa Box as there are lots of fake offers of employment (scams).

How to spot a scam:

• You have been offered a job without a face to face or telephonic interview
• the remuneration offered doesn't match the type of job you will be doing
• the offer of employment doesn't specify your name and the signature on the document often doesn't match the name of the signatory
• often these offers of employment will have a stamp on them which is clearly not real
• offers often come from big firms like Chevron, Sony etc
• they may request that you pay money to further the process. You should never have to pay to get a job
• The job offer is to fill a position that you have no prior experience in.

Accreditation and Registrations

Visa Box's services comply with the Immigration Acts of the countries we service. Our consultancy services are unavailable through government channels. The application forms used during the immigration process can also be collected free of charge at any relevant immigration office.