If I am already in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, do I need to leave the UK if I want to change employer?

If you did not previously hold a UK visa (other than as a visitor), it is likely that you were required to submit your initial Skilled Worker application from outside of the UK. You may also have been required to attend an in-person biometric appointment at an overseas visa application centre. Fortunately, if you are changing employers, you can submit your application from within the UK.

If you are in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and you are changing employers, you will need to submit a Skilled Worker Change of Employment application. Your application can be submitted from within the UK and, therefore, the application process can be much smoother than the initial Entry Clearance application. Dependants of Skilled Workers can also submit such applications from within the UK.

The Home Office have recently introduced a new system which allows some eligible applicants, applying from within the UK, to enrol their biometrics through an app as opposed to at an in-person biometric appointment. From our experience, this new process has significantly sped up the application process when submitting a Skilled Worker Change of Employment application, however, as this is a digital system, applicants may also experience delays due to technical issues.  

It is important to note that when submitting a Skilled Worker Change of Employment application from within the UK, if you do leave the UK whilst your application is pending, your application will be treated as withdrawn. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure you remain in the UK until you have received a decision and your new immigration documents.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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