Glossary
Plain-English definitions of every term you'll encounter when navigating UK visa sponsorship, for both job seekers and employers.
The section of the Immigration Rules listing countries exempt from English language tests and the approved SELT tests accepted for UK visa routes.
The section of the Immigration Rules listing every SOC 2020 occupation code eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship, together with its going rate, reduced-rate thresholds, and points options.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance from the FCDO, required before applying for a visa to study or research certain sensitive subjects in the UK.
A local property tax charged by councils in England, Scotland, and Wales based on valuation bands. All residents aged 18+ are liable — but full-time students, including those on student visas, are exempt.
The digital document a UK employer must issue before a worker can apply for a Skilled Worker visa.
When the Home Office cuts short a visa holder's leave, typically after their sponsor's licence is revoked or they breach visa conditions.
How a Skilled Worker can switch employers in the UK — what's allowed, what triggers a new visa application, and the risks involved.
How long a Certificate of Sponsorship remains valid, what happens if it expires before the visa is granted, and what workers should do.
The requirement to have lived in the UK without exceeding permitted absences, essential for qualifying for Indefinite Leave to Remain and British citizenship.
A self-identifier used by people of South Asian origin (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and others), derived from the Sanskrit word for homeland. Widely used across the UK diaspora to describe shared South Asian cultural identity.
Two types of Certificate of Sponsorship — one for entry clearance, one for in-country switches — with different rules and allocation processes.
A legal concept — separate from residence or nationality — that identifies your permanent home in law. Historically central to UK tax planning for non-doms, and still relevant for inheritance tax.
The UK's proposed ILR reform replacing the 5-year pathway with a 10-year baseline, reducible to 5 years for earners above £50,270 or public service workers. Assesses character, contribution, integration, and residence.
The post-Brexit scheme that allowed EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 to apply for Settled Status (permanent residency) or Pre-Settled Status (5-year leave).
Pre-travel permission required for nationals of visa-free countries visiting the UK from April 2025. Costs £10, valid for two years, and covers multiple trips.
Mandatory pre-travel permission for nationals of six Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE) who do not need a UK visa but must register each trip online.
The UK's digital immigration status record, accessed via a UKVI online account. It replaced the physical Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from 31 December 2024.
The minimum salary threshold for a specific SOC code, derived from ASHE data, that sponsored workers must be paid.
An unsponsored UK work visa for recognised and emerging leaders in academia, research, arts, culture, and digital technology. No job offer required — eligibility is based on an endorsement from a designated body.
The two-year post-study work visa that allows international graduates of UK universities to work without a sponsor.
A UK work visa for recent graduates of top global universities outside the UK. No job offer required. Allows unrestricted work for 2 years (3 for PhDs) before switching to a sponsored route.
A fast-tracked, reduced-fee variant of the Skilled Worker visa for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
The upfront fee paid by visa applicants for access to NHS services during their stay, currently £1,035 per year of leave granted.
Permanent residence status in the UK, usually granted after five years of continuous lawful residence, removing the need for further visa applications.
The list of occupations eligible for a 20% salary discount under Skilled Worker sponsorship, replacing the old Shortage Occupation List.
The unique identifier (e.g. AB 12 34 56 C) used for tax and National Insurance purposes — required for all workers in the UK.
A reduced Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, set at 70% of the going rate (minimum £33,400/year), available to workers under 26, recent graduates, PhD students, and certain visa switchers.
The legal process of becoming a British citizen, typically available to ILR holders who have lived in the UK for at least 6 years and meet residency, character, and language requirements.
The historic UK tax concept of being domiciled outside the UK, which until April 2025 allowed the remittance basis to shelter foreign income from UK tax. Now replaced by the FIG regime.
The UK payroll tax system where employers deduct income tax and National Insurance from wages before paying — payslips are key evidence of salary compliance for sponsored workers.
The UK's framework — introduced in 2021 — that scores visa applicants against mandatory and tradeable criteria totalling 70 points.
The formal steps parties must follow before issuing court proceedings in England and Wales, including sending a letter before action and attempting to resolve the dispute.
Chinese internet slang meaning to emigrate, derived from the character 潤 (rùn, to moisten) because its romanisation sounds like the English word 'run'. The term became widespread during the 2022 Shanghai lockdowns.
The UK Home Office's official list of companies approved to sponsor overseas workers on the Skilled Worker route and other sponsored work visa categories. Published monthly on gov.uk.
The mandatory employer verification that every employee has legal authorisation to work in the UK before and during employment.
The Regulated Qualifications Framework level used to assess whether a job role qualifies for Skilled Worker sponsorship (now RQF 6+).
The mandatory verification that landlords in England must carry out to confirm every adult tenant has legal immigration status before granting a tenancy.
The automatic extension of your existing visa conditions when you submit an in-time application to extend or switch your UK visa. Keeps you lawfully resident while the Home Office processes your application, but travel outside the UK ends it immediately.
An approved English language test required for many UK visa routes, taken with a Home Office-approved provider such as IELTS for UKVI.
The legacy list of roles in short UK supply, replaced in 2024 by the Immigration Salary List with different rules and discounts.
The primary UK work visa route for overseas nationals with a job offer from a licensed sponsor, requiring 70 points under the points-based system.
SOC codes are Standard Occupational Classification numbers that determine whether a role qualifies for Skilled Worker sponsorship and set its minimum salary.
An unannounced or pre-announced audit by Home Office officials to verify a sponsor is meeting its licence obligations.
The Home Office licence a UK employer must hold before it can legally hire overseas workers on a sponsored route.
The A or B rating assigned to every UK sponsor licence. A-rated sponsors can take on new overseas workers. B-rated sponsors are under a Home Office action plan and cannot assign new Certificates of Sponsorship until restored to A.
The Home Office powers to suspend or permanently revoke a sponsor's licence for compliance failures, leaving sponsored workers at risk.
A 9-character alphanumeric code that visa holders generate online to prove their immigration status to employers, landlords, and other organisations.
The Home Office's online portal that licensed sponsors use to manage their licence, assign Certificates of Sponsorship, and report changes about sponsored workers.
A self-employed individual running a business on their own. Sole traders cannot hold a UK sponsor licence, so they cannot sponsor overseas workers for visas.
An arrangement where an employee gives up part of their salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit. For sponsored workers, this can reduce pay below the visa salary threshold and risk non-compliance.
The legal test that determines whether you are UK tax resident for a given tax year, based on the number of days spent in the UK, automatic tests, and connections to the country.
A subset of the Immigration Salary List identifying occupations with time-limited 20% salary discounts due to recognised UK labour shortages.
The predecessor to the Skilled Worker visa, abolished in December 2020 when the UK's points-based immigration system launched.
The legal requirement for landlords in England and Wales to place tenancy deposits in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, ensuring the deposit is safeguarded and returned fairly at the end of the tenancy.
A time-limited facility (2025–2028) allowing former non-doms to bring previously untaxed foreign income and gains to the UK at a reduced flat tax rate instead of their marginal rate.
Remaining in the UK after leave to remain has expired without valid status — a breach of immigration law with consequences including entry bans. Covers the 14-day exception and Section 3C leave.
The entry sticker placed in a passport for overseas visa applicants, valid for 30 days to enter the UK before collecting a Biometric Residence Permit.