UK visa system

Immigration system composed of 5 "tiers" which replace all the previous work and study permits.

1. exceptional talent
2. skilled workers
3. low-skilled workers
4. students
5. temporary workers

• work + study visas: divided into 5 tiers
• visitor visas
• family visas (ancestry, family of a settled person)
• ...

As of 2015 Tier 4 visa holders may no longer switch to another UK visa category from inside the UK when their studies finish, such as Tier 2 or Tier 5 work visas.

Tier 4 students must now leave the UK and apply for a UK work visa from outside of the country.

Multiple entry visa + visa type (e.g., short-term study visa)

• Tier-4 visa (long-term)
• Short-term study visa
• Standard visitor visa (but only if studies is not the main purpose of the visa. Like wine-tasting study as a tourist attraction)

Short-term study visa.

Links: proof

Indefinite Leave to Remain

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) allows you to live and work in the UK. It’s also referred to as 'settlement'.

In order to be eligible for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in certain categories, applicants are required to demonstrate that they have spent a “continuous” period of 5 years’ residence in the UK. 

The difference between ILR and naturalization is that the ILR status can be lost if you live outside UK for more than two years, while the British citizenship allows citizens to exit and enter the country without any restrictions, as it is issued for life.

• If you’ve been away from the UK for more than two years, your ILR or settled status will be lost. You will have to apply for a Returning Resident visa.
• While ILR doesn’t let you vote in UK elections, having Citizenship gives you voting power, just like any other British citizen. You can even stand for public office.

1. Check that you’ve held ILR for at least 12 months.

After you’ve held ILR status for at least one year, you can apply for citizenship. If you’re married to a British citizen, you don’t need to wait a year to apply.

Ensure you meet the residency requirements.

You must not have:

• Spent more than 90 days outside the UK in any 12 months
• Spent more than 450 days outside the UK during your five years of UK residency

2. Meet the “good character” requirement.

To become a British citizen, you’ll have to be of good character. During your time spent living in the UK, you’ll need to have followed the laws and respected its rights and freedoms. This means doing things like paying your income tax and National Insurance contributions, among others.

Various background checks will be performed, so ensure you’ve always been on the right side of the law and been completely honest in your application.

It takes up to six months to process a citizenship application, and you are required to attend a citizenship ceremony within three months of your application being approved. A standard adult British passport usually takes about six weeks to be issued.

It's about the EU Settlement Scheme.

• pre-settled: you're from EU, and did NOT live in UK for 5 years yet.
• settled: you're from EU, and lived in UK for 5 years already.

https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/what-settled-and-presettled-status-means

Your close family members can join you in the UK before 31 December 2020 (or before 31 December 2025 for spouses and civil partners of Swiss citizens). They’ll need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme once they’re here.

You have to hold the work visa for 5 years, other visas don't count.

https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk/y/you-have-a-work-visa/tier-2-general-visa

Yes, but you need to apply for the work visa anew.

https://immigrationlawyers-london.com/blog/changing-jobs-whilst-tier-2-visa.php

On 11 September 2019 the UK Government announced the creation of a new graduate immigration route. The route will be open to international students who entered the UK in the academic year 2020/21 onwards and have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at reputable higher education institutions.

Successful applicants on this route will be able to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK for a maximum period of two years. Graduates will also be able to switch into skilled work visas once they have found a suitable job. 

https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/after-your-studies/work-visas

• You’ll usually need to be paid at least £30,000 per year 
• 
  
• have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job
• show you’re being paid an appropriate salary for your job
• prove your knowledge of English
• have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK
• show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years
• have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country
• provide a criminal record certificate from any country you’ve lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, if you’ll be working with vulnerable people

https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/eligibility

https://workpermit.com/immigration/united-kingdom/tier-2-visa-skilled-workers

No.

But employer must ensure that I have 3 years of experience.

In order to satisfy the skills threshold, the employer must ensure that the employee has one of the following:

• A UK degree-level qualification;
• A Higher National Diploma (HND) qualification that is relevant to the employment;
• An HND-level qualification that is not relevant to the employment plus one year's full-time work experience that is relevant to the employment, and which is at N/SVQ Level 3 or above; OR
• At least 3 years' experience using the skills acquired by working in the position for which the permit is sought. Such experience must have been gained at N/SVQ Level 3 or above.

https://www.visabureau.com/united-kingdom/visas-and-immigration/work-permit/work-permit-requirements

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779795/2019-02-19_Tier_2_5_Register_of_Sponsors.pdf

Bachelor



Postgrad is a degree which requires a previous degree for entry (or significant work experience) and is not a graduate degree, so MA, MSc, PhD or MD



Half a year.