Can I work before my Skilled Worker visa is granted?
- Lace Law
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
If you have submitted an in-time application to stay in the UK as a Skilled Worker, and that application is pending, you may be able to undertake employed work if you already had a type of immigration permission which allowed you to work at the time you made your application.
For example, if you had permission to stay as a Graduate at the time your Skilled Worker application was made, you would normally be allowed to continue working or take new employment until the outcome of your new application is communicated to you. This is because the work conditions for a Graduate permit employment (excluding as a professional sportsperson) and you would be able to demonstrate this through a Right to Work check. This also applies if you had another type of permission which allowed you to work full-time.
For those who had permission to be in the UK as a Student, there are additional factors to consider. Work conditions for students normally permit 10 or 20 hours of employed work per week during term time and unlimited hours outside of term time. If a student is able to satisfy all of the following criteria, they can start working in full-time employment:
The student is, or has been, studying a full-time course at degree level or above with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance;
The student has made a valid application for permission to stay as a Skilled Worker before the expiry of their student visa;
The application for a Skilled Worker visa was made no more than 3 months before their course completion date;
The Certificate of Sponsorship contains a start date no earlier than the course completion date;
A decision has not been made on their Skilled Worker application.
Example A student is studying a full-time degree course at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. The student's course end date is 30 July 2026 and they have permission to stay in the UK as a student until 30 October 2026. A Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned to the student on 24 June 2026 with a work start date of 30 September 2026. The student makes an in-time Skilled Worker application on 1 July 2026. A Right to Work check confirms the student can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time outside of term time. The student is therefore able to begin working in this new position on a full-time basis from 1 July 2026.
Contact us today if you are unsure about your permission to work, are thinking about making a Skilled Worker application, or if you need help with a related issue.
