Skilled Worker route
The Skilled Worker route is a UK immigration route that allows employers with a sponsor licence to recruit workers from outside the UK for eligible skilled roles.
To use the Skilled Worker route, the employer must hold a sponsor licence and the role must be on the eligible occupations list, meet the minimum salary threshold for the relevant SOC code, and be a genuine vacancy. The worker applies for a Skilled Worker visa using a Certificate of Sponsorship issued by the employer. The visa is tied to the specific employer and role. The Skilled Worker route replaced the Tier 2 (General) route after the UK's post-Brexit points-based immigration system came into effect in December 2020.