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If you’re a construction worker looking to enter the UK, you need to understand your visa options, the requirements, rules you need to follow, and how to optimise your chances for success.
This blog dives into the available routes for individuals looking to come to the UK on a construction-based visa, and how you need to navigate new immigration rules.
The immigration options for the UK construction industry
The primary immigration route for the construction industry in the UK is the Skilled Worker visa. To get a job in this sector as a skilled worker, you need an eligible job offer from a Home Office-approved UK sponsor, who will provide you with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
Your job must be a construction-based job on the eligible occupations list. Such roles include:
- Bricklayers and masons
- Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
- Carpenters and joiners
- Plasterers
- Product managers and directors in construction
This is not an exhaustive list of all the eligible occupations, so we’d recommend consulting the eligible occupations list linked above to find your specific trade/job role.
To be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, your role must meet a minimum salary threshold (unless it is on the immigration salary list), and you need to meet the English language requirement.
Other routes for a visa in a construction role include Graduate, Youth Mobility Scheme, and Shortage Occupation visa routes:
- Graduate visa - A post-study work visa which allows eligible students who have completed a UK degree to stay on and work in the country for up to two years.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa - A temporary visa which allows young people to live, work and study in the UK for two or three years (depending on nationality).
- Shortage Occupation visa - Many roles are on the ‘temporary shortage occupation list’. These roles are always shifting and changing based on what is needed in the industry.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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