Embarking on your UK career journey starts with a successful visa application from your home country. The entire process is managed online, from completing the detailed application form to submitting your documents and proving your identity. While convenient, this digital process involves several crucial stages where accuracy and attention to detail are paramount.
Our team of expert immigration advisors specialises in managing Skilled Worker applications from all over the world. We provide comprehensive, step-by-step support to navigate the entire online journey, ensuring your application is submitted correctly, efficiently, and with the best possible chance of a swift and successful outcome.
The Application Process: From Starting Your Form to a Final Decision
The journey to securing your UK Skilled Worker visa from overseas can be broken down into clear, manageable steps.
Step 1: Prepare Your Documents
Before you even begin the online form, you must gather all the essential documents required for your application. This includes your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), proof of English language ability, your passport, and any other supporting evidence specific to your circumstances, such as financial documents or a criminal record certificate. Our comprehensive document checking service ensures you have everything you need, perfectly prepared, from the start.
Step 2: Complete the Online Application Form
You must complete the official application form on the GOV.UK website. This is a detailed form that will ask for information about your personal details, your sponsor, your job, your finances, and your immigration history.
- Convenience and Control: A key feature of the online system is that you do not have to complete the form in a single session. You can save your application and complete it later, allowing you the flexibility to gather information and review your answers carefully.
- Expert Review: Our service includes a full, meticulous review of your completed form before it is submitted, catching any potential errors or omissions that could jeopardise your application.
Step 3: Prove Your Identity
This is a critical part of the process where you officially verify your identity with the UK Home Office. The method you use will be determined by your nationality and the type of passport you hold. The online system will tell you exactly which route you must follow.
- Route 1: The ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ App (The Digital Route): If you have a biometric passport, you will likely be able to use this secure smartphone app. It allows you to scan your passport’s chip and your face, submitting your identity details digitally. The main advantage is that you will not need to attend an in-person appointment, which can save you significant time and travel.
- Route 2: The Visa Application Centre (VAC) Appointment (The In-Person Route): If you are not eligible to use the app, you will need to book an appointment at your nearest VAC. Here, you will have your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken (your biometric information). You will need to bring your passport to this appointment. Be prepared that your nearest VAC may be in a different city or even a neighbouring country.
Step 4: Wait for Your Decision
Once you have submitted your online form, paid the fees, and provided your biometric information, your application is under consideration.
- Standard Decision Time: You can typically expect to receive a decision on your application within 3 weeks.
- Potential Delays: You will be contacted if your application is complex and is likely to take longer. This could be because your documents need to be verified, you are required to attend an interview, or due to your personal circumstances (e.g., a criminal conviction).
- Faster Decisions: In many countries, you can pay for a ‘Priority’ or ‘Super Priority’ service to get a much faster decision, often within a few working days. You will be told if this is available when you apply.
After You Apply: Your Decision and Next Steps
You will be notified of the outcome of your application via email. This decision email is a crucial document that will explain what you need to do next to collect your visa and prepare for your travel to the UK. If your application is successful, you will typically receive a visa vignette (sticker) in your passport, which is valid for 90 days to allow you to enter the UK.
How Our Experts Streamline Your Overseas Application
Applying from another country can feel daunting. Our specialist team removes the stress and uncertainty from the process.
- Global Expertise: We have experience with applications from all over the world and understand the nuances of different visa application centres.
- Seamless Process Management: We guide you through every step, from document preparation to booking your VAC appointment or using the ID check app.
- Troubleshooting and Support: We are on hand to answer your questions and provide support throughout the waiting period.
- Maximising Success: Our meticulous approach ensures your application is as strong as it can possibly be, from start to finish.
Begin your UK career journey with confidence. Contact our expert Skilled Worker visa team today for a comprehensive consultation on your application from outside the UK.
About the Author:
Farzad Ghods is an international lawyer specialising in UK immigration law. He is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Immigration Advisors Authority (IAA) in the United Kingdom, and is also a member of the Iran Bar Association. He brings over fourteen years of professional legal experience to his practice.