2. Eligibility
You must have all of the following to be eligible for a Tier 2 (General) visa:
a certificate of sponsorship reference number
an ‘appropriate’ salary
the required level of English
You must also have £945 in savings - this is to prove you can support yourself. You must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply, unless you’re exempt.
You don’t need to have £945 in savings if your sponsor is fully approved (‘A-rated) and they have stated on your certificate of sponsorship that you won’t claim benefits during your stay.
There are some additional rules if you’re currently in the UK on a Tier 4 (General) visa and you want to switch to a Tier 2 (General) visa.
Certificate of sponsorship
A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document.
Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number.
They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, eg how much you’ll be paid.
You’ll need to add your certificate of sponsorship reference number to your application form - you can only use it once.
Your certificate of sponsorship is valid for 3 months from the date it’s assigned to you.
Appropriate salary
The job you’re offered must pay £20,800 or more, unless your current or last permission to stay in the UK is as:
a Tier 2 (General) migrant before 6 April 2011
a Jewish agency employee
operational ground staff of an overseas-owned airline
a minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order
a representative of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation
a work permit holder
an unregistered nurse but your salary will be at least £16,271 while you’re doing your supervised practice or £21,478 after you have Nursing and Midwifery Council registration - and you’ll still be sponsored as a nurse by the same sponsor after you’re registered