Student Visa
Study permit
Temporary visa to study with a licensed student sponsor if you are 16 or over. A later Graduate visa is a separate temporary permission, not settlement.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
Home / Countries / United Kingdom
What does it take to move to United Kingdom? Processing, cost, job offer and permanent residence
This visa is commonly searched as Tier 2 (General). The authority states that it has replaced Tier 2 (General).
3 pathways verified against an official source. Facts on this page come from those records — not from unsourced scores or blurbs.
Verified 2026-08-15 against UK Visas and Immigration.
What language evidence and skills assessment does United Kingdom name?
- Language evidence: Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider
- Credential assessment: Ecctis assessment if your qualification is from outside the UK
How long do these United Kingdom routes take, what do they cost, and do they lead to permanent residence?
Every cell is a sourced value or an explicit statement that nothing is stored. Amounts stay in the published currency.
- Student Visa
United Kingdom
- Residency
- Temporary — not a permanent-residence route on its own
- Job offer
- Not stated
- Points
- No threshold published
- Application fee
- GBP 558
- Funds
- From GBP 1,171
- Processing time
- No duration published; the authority points to a guidance tool
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
- Skilled Worker Visa
United Kingdom
- Residency
- Temporary on grant; permanent residence is a later application after 60 months
- Job offer
- Required
- Points
- No threshold published
- Application fee
- From GBP 819
- Funds
- From GBP 1,270
- Processing time
- No duration published; the authority points to a guidance tool
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
- High Potential Individual Visa
United Kingdom
- Residency
- Temporary — not a permanent-residence route on its own
- Job offer
- Not stated
- Points
- No threshold published
- Application fee
- GBP 880
- Funds
- From GBP 1,270
- Processing time
- No duration published; the authority points to a guidance tool
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
Which United Kingdom routes lead to permanent residence later?
- Skilled Worker Visa
United Kingdom
Which United Kingdom routes do not lead to permanent residence on their own?
- Student Visa
United Kingdom
- High Potential Individual Visa
United Kingdom
Do I need a job offer for these United Kingdom routes?
The authority says a job offer is required
- Skilled Worker Visa
United Kingdom
The authority does not state whether a job offer is required
The verified record does not state whether a job offer is required. Absence of the field is not a no — check the official source below.
- Student Visa
United Kingdom
- High Potential Individual Visa
United Kingdom
What these authorities do not publish
Union of the absences recorded on this destination's routes. Each row quotes the reason stored on that record.
Processing time
- Student Visa
UKVI publishes weeks, not months. Outside the UK the Student row is '3 weeks'. Inside the UK the Student row is '8 weeks'. Overview pages say you will 'usually' get a decision in those times and that you may wait longer. No month range is stored.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
- Skilled Worker Visa
UKVI publishes weeks, not months. Outside the UK the Skilled Worker row is '3 weeks'. Inside the UK the Skilled Worker row is '8 weeks'. Overview says 'usually' and that you may pay for a faster decision. No month range is stored.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
- High Potential Individual Visa
UKVI publishes weeks, not months. Outside the UK the HPI row is '3 weeks'. Inside the UK the HPI row is '8 weeks'. Overview says 'usually'. No month range is stored.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
Minimum education
- Student Visa
Page requires an offer from a licensed student sponsor, not a named prior education level. Previous stored value 'high_school' was unsourced and has been removed.
Not yet verified against an official source
- Skilled Worker Visa
Eligibility is an eligible job, an approved sponsor, a certificate of sponsorship, and the salary rules. No diploma (or other) education minimum is published. Previous stored value 'diploma' was unsourced and has been removed.
Not yet verified against an official source
Minimum language level
- Student Visa
Official requirement is CEFR B2 or B1 by course level, not the app enum 'intermediate'. The enum has been removed; see languageRequirement.
Not yet verified against an official source
Compare across countries: all comparisons · How long these routes take · Which routes grant permanent residence on grant · Which routes lead to permanent residence later · Do I need a job offer
Verified pathways
Skilled Worker Visa
Work Permit
Work visa for an eligible job with a Home Office approved sponsor. You must have a job offer. Usual salary is at least £41,700 a year or the going rate, whichever is higher. After 5 years you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
High Potential Individual Visa
Work Permit
Temporary permission for 2 years (3 with a PhD) if you were awarded a qualification by an eligible overseas university in the last 5 years. No job offer required. Not a route to settlement. Yearly application cap.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration · verified 2026-08-15
Not yet verified
These names appear in searches. We have not checked them against an official source, so this page states no fees, timelines, or settlement outcomes for them.
United Kingdom — Global Talent visa
UnverifiedA UK work visa for people endorsed in academia, arts, or digital technology. It does not require a job offer.
Not yet verified against an official source