Skilled workers

The Tier 2 (General) category is for foreign nationals who have been offered a skilled job to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker.

Before you apply, you must read the Tier 2 policy guidance, which you can download from the right side of this page.

Limit on Tier 2 (General) workers applying from abroad

For the year from 6 April 2012 to 5 April 2013, a maximum of 20,700 skilled workers can come to the UK under Tier 2 (General) to do jobs with an annual salary below £150,000.

There is no limit on the number of workers coming to the UK to do jobs with an annual salary of £150,000 or above.

Do you need a Tier 2 visa to come to the UK?

Tier 2 is part of our points-based system, which is for migrants from outside Europe. You do not need to apply under the points-based system if:

• you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland – the European nationals section describes your right to work in the UK;
• you are a British overseas territories citizen, unless you are from one of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus;
• you are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK because at least one of your grandparents was born here – the UK ancestry section explains how you can apply;
• your partner or (if you are under 18) one of your parents has permission to stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system – you should apply as their dependant; or
• you have no conditions or time limit attached to your stay.

The Tier 2 (Minister of religion) category is for people who have been offered employment or posts or roles within their faith communities in the UK as:

• ministers of religion undertaking preaching and pastoral work;
• missionaries; or
• members of religious orders.

Pastoral duties include:

• leading worship regularly and on special occasions;
• giving religious education to children and adults by preaching or teaching;
• officiating at marriages, funerals and other special services; and
• offering counselling and welfare support to members of the congregation; and
• recruiting, training and co-ordinating the work of any local volunteers and lay preachers.

Work as a missionary is not just preaching and teaching. It can include:

• the organisation of missionary activity (but should not be administrative or clerical, unless filling a senior post);
• supervising staff;
• co-ordinating the organisation of missionary work;
• being in charge of a particular activity such as accounts/finance, personnel management or IT; and
• translating religious texts – this is missionary work, not clerical work.

The work in a religious order must be in the order itself, or outside work directed by the order.

If you are a member of a religious order and you want to study for a qualification, a formal full-time course of study or training in an academic institution not looked after by the order, you should not apply to Tier 2 (Minister of religion. Instead, you should apply as a student under Tier 4 of the points-based system – the Studying in the UK section contains more information.

Working full-time as a teacher in a school run by a church or missionary organisation does not count as missionary work. If this is the work that you will be doing, you must apply as a teacher under the Tier 2 (General) category. The Tier 2 (General) section contains more information.

If you want to come to the UK as a religious worker for a shorter time, you should apply under Tier 5 (temporary worker – religious worker). The Tier 5 section contains more information.

Before you apply under Tier 2 (Minister of religion), you must read the Tier 2 policy guidance, which you can download from the right side of this page.

Do you need a Tier 2 visa to come to the UK?

Tier 2 is part of our points-based system, which is for migrants from outside Europe. You do not need to apply under the points-based system if:

• you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland – the European nationals section describes your right to work in the UK;
• you are a British overseas territories citizen, unless you are from one of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus;
• you are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK because at least one of your grandparents was born here – the UK ancestry section explains how you can apply;
• your partner or (if you are under 18) one of your parents has permission to stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system – you should apply as their dependant; or
• you have no conditions or time limit attached to your stay.

The Tier 2 (Sportsperson) category is for elite sportspeople and coaches who are internationally established at the highest level, and will make a significant contribution to the development of their sport. Your application will need to be endorsed by your sport’s governing body.

If you want to come to the UK as a sportsperson for a short time, you should apply under Tier 5 (Temporary worker – creative and sporting).

Do you need a Tier 2 visa to come to the UK?

Tier 2 is part of our points-based system, which is for migrants from outside Europe. You do not need to apply under the points-based system if:

• you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland – the European nationals section describes your right to work in the UK;
• you are a British overseas territories citizen, unless you are from one of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus;
• you are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK because at least one of your grandparents was born here – the UK ancestry section explains how you can apply;
• your partner or (if you are under 18) one of your parents has permission to stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system – you should apply as their dependant; or
• you have no conditions or time limit attached to your stay.

This section explains how you can come to the UK or remain here as an intra-company transferee under Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) of our points-based system.

This category is for employees of multinational companies who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a UK branch of the organisation, either on a long-term basis or for frequent short visits. There are 4 sub-categories:

• Long-term staff – for established, skilled employees to be transferred to the UK branch of their organisation for more than 12 months to fill a post that cannot be filled by a new recruit from the resident workforce
• Short-term staff – for established, skilled employees to be transferred to the UK branch of their organisation for 12 months or less to fill a post that cannot be filled by a new recruit from the resident workforce
• Graduate trainee – this route allows the transfer of recent graduate employees to a UK branch of the same organisation, as part of a structured graduate training programme which clearly defines progression towards a managerial or specialist role
• Skills transfer – this route allows the transfer of new graduate employees to a UK branch of the same organisation to learn the skills and knowledge required to perform their job overseas, or to impart their specialist skills or knowledge to the UK workforce.

Before you apply, you must read the Tier 2 policy guidance, which you can download from the right side of this page.

Do you need a Tier 2 visa to come to the UK?

Tier 2 is part of our points-based system, which is for migrants from outside Europe. You do not need to apply under the points-based system if:

• you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland – the European nationals section describes your right to work in the UK;
• you are a British overseas territories citizen, unless you are from one of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus;
• you are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK because at least one of your grandparents was born here – the UK ancestry section explains how you can apply;
• your partner or (if you are under 18) one of your parents has permission to stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system – you should apply as their dependant; or
• you have no conditions or time limit attached to your stay.