UK SKILLED WORKER VISA FOR SWISS RESIDENTS

The UK Skilled Worker Visa is available to Swiss citizens (and non-Swiss citizens) residing in Switzerland who have an offer of an eligible skilled job in the UK from a Home Office-approved sponsor. This visa can lead to settlement, and applicants can be joined by dependent partners and children.

To obtain a UK Skilled Worker Visa as a citizen of Switzerland (or another nationality) residing in Switzerland, you must be sponsored for a specific job that meets certain skill and salary requirements by a UK employer licensed by the UK Home Office.

If you are a Swiss citizen (or non-Swiss citizen) resident in Switzerland interested in setting up a new business in the UK or you own an existing UK business, you may be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa via self-sponsorship by your own UK company instead.

There is no cap on the number of people who can enter the UK on the Skilled Worker route.

Requirements for a UK Skilled Worker Visa in Switzerland

To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa via an application in Switzerland, you must satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following criteria:

• Age: You are aged 18 or over.

• Sponsorship: You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do.

• Genuine Vacancy: Your job offer is a genuine vacancy.

• Skill Level: Your job is at an appropriate skill level.

• Salary: You will be paid a salary that equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code.

• Immigration Skills Charge: Your sponsor has paid any required Immigration Skills Charge.

• Language: You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0).

• Financial: You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds.

• Criminal Record: You have provided a criminal record certificate if required.

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The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances. Speaking to an immigration lawyer specialising in UK immigration law is advisable for expert advice.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Requirement for a UK Work Visa from Switzerland

To obtain a UK Skilled Worker Visa from Switzerland, you must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do. Your Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued by a UK employer authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job under the Skilled Worker route.

Your UK sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors unless you were last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and are applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in your last permission.

Your Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued not more than 3 months before your UK Skilled Worker Visa application date and must include specific mandatory information:

• Details of your name, job, and salary.

• A start date no more than 3 months after your Skilled Worker Visa application date.

• Confirmation that the Certificate of Sponsorship has not been used in a previous application that was either granted or refused and has not been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office.

Genuine Vacancy Requirement for Residents of Switzerland

If you are applying for a UK work visa from Switzerland, you must prove to the Home Office that you are being sponsored to undertake a genuine vacancy and are capable of fulfilling the role for which your Certificate of Sponsorship has been assigned.

If there are reasonable grounds to believe the job does not exist, is a sham, or has been created mainly to facilitate your visa application, your application will be refused.

The Home Office must be satisfied that you are not entering an arrangement where you fill a temporary or permanent position or undertake contract work providing an ongoing routine service to a third party who is not your sponsor.

Immigration Skills Charge Requirement for Swiss Residents

If you apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa in Switzerland, your sponsor must have paid any required Immigration Skills Charge in full. This charge applies to each foreign worker that a sponsoring UK employer seeks to employ and must be paid each time a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned to a migrant.

UK Skilled Worker Visa Skill Level Requirement for Individuals in Switzerland

If you wish to apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa from Switzerland, the job you are being sponsored for must be an eligible job at or above a minimum skill level. Under the Skilled Worker Visa route, the role must be skilled to at least RQF level 3, equivalent to A-levels.

A formal qualification is not required; the skill level of the job itself determines eligibility. The Home Office outlines eligible jobs in Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List. You must be sponsored for a job in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed in these appendices, unless you are extending as a care worker or home carer, for which different rules apply.

Your sponsor must choose an appropriate occupation code. If the Home Office believes your sponsor has not chosen the most appropriate code, your application may be refused. The Home Office will assess factors such as the genuine need for the job, your skills, qualifications, and experience, and the sponsor’s compliance history with the immigration system.

English Language Requirement for Residents of Switzerland

Swiss (and non-Swiss) passport holders applying for a UK Skilled Worker Visa from Switzerland must demonstrate English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to at least level B1 (intermediate) in all four components: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

You will satisfy the English language requirement if you:

• Are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

• Have passed a Secure English Language Test.

• Have been awarded a degree taught in English.

• Obtained a GCSE/A Level or Scottish Highers in English while at school in the UK.

• Have already shown you met the requirement in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay.

Skilled Worker Visa Minimum Salary Requirement for Swiss Citizens and Non-Swiss Passport Holders

In order to qualify for a UK Skilled Worker Visa in Switzerland, UK employers must pay the skilled worker a salary that meets or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code. This applies to both individuals holding Swiss citizenship and non-Swiss citizenship.

• The general salary threshold is £38,700 per year for most jobs, with possible reductions to £34,830 or £30,960 if the worker scores ‘tradable points’.

• Exceptions include workers previously granted permission before 4 April 2024, Health and Care ASHE salary jobs, and jobs with national pay scales, where different thresholds apply.

If the general salary threshold is higher than the going rate for the occupation, you must be paid at least the general threshold. If the threshold is lower, you must be paid at least the going rate.

Tradable Points

Certain attributes allow for a lower salary under the tradable points system:

• A relevant PhD allows a salary of £34,830 and 90% of the going rate.

• A PhD in a STEM subject allows a salary of £30,960 and 80% of the going rate.

• Jobs on the Immigration Salary List allow a salary of £30,960 and the going rate.

• New entrants to the labour market may be paid £30,960 and 70% of the going rate.

Financial Requirement for Swiss Residents

If you are a Swiss citizen (or non-Swiss citizen) living in Switzerland, you will need at least £1,270 in cash funds, held for 28 consecutive days ending not more than 31 days before your application date. Exemptions include having a fully A-rated sponsor willing to meet your maintenance costs or if you have been in the UK for 12 months or more at the application date.

Criminal Record Certificate Requirement for Persons Living in Switzerland

For certain jobs, you must provide a criminal record certificate for any country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years since age 18.

Switching into the Skilled Worker Visa Route in the UK

Swiss nationals (and individuals of other nationalities) already in the UK with permission may switch into the Skilled Worker route unless they were last granted permission as a Visitor, Short-term student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or outside the Immigration Rules. Special conditions apply if you were previously a Student.

Duration and Conditions of Stay

If your application for a UK Skilled Worker Visa is approved, you will receive entry clearance or permission to stay for a period ending 14 days after the end date of your Certificate of Sponsorship, up to a maximum of 5 years. There is no maximum length of stay under the Skilled Worker route. You may work in the job you are sponsored for, undertake supplementary employment, and study, but you cannot access public funds.

Settlement as a Skilled Worker

To qualify for settlement, citizens of Switzerland (and non-Swiss citizens) must:

• Have spent a continuous 5-year period in the UK.

• Pass the Life in the UK test (unless aged 65 or over).

• Have a Home Office approved sponsor who requires your continued employment.

• Be paid at least the general salary threshold or the going rate for settlement.

Dependants of Skilled Workers

Skilled Workers can be joined or accompanied by a dependent partner and/or children under 18.

How Our UK Immigration Lawyers in Switzerland Can Help

Through the Swiss office of our UK immigration law firm, we are delighted to offer a comprehensive range of UK immigration legal services to Swiss citizens (and non-Swiss citizens) residing in Switzerland.

Our UK visa and immigration services encompass expert guidance on all UK visa routes for Swiss residents, along with a fully-managed UK visa application preparation service tailored for Swiss citizens (and non-Swiss citizens) in Switzerland.

Our team of specialist UK immigration lawyers assists employers and skilled workers across various industries. We can help you plan to meet your start date in the UK and align your career progression with your UK immigration goals.

Our immigration team also assists UK employers (including Swiss companies with a branch in the UK) in obtaining Skilled Worker sponsor licences, maintaining the highest rating, and complying with sponsor duties.

We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive, providing clear and reliable immigration advice to residents of Switzerland as part of a professional and friendly service.

For professional assistance and expert advice on a UK Skilled Worker Visa application from Switzerland, contact our British visa specialists in Switzerland on +41 21 588 07 70 or complete our enquiry form below.