Scale-up Worker visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Scale-up Worker visa
Stay length	2 years (extendable by 3 years)
Application fee	£937 per person
Healthcare surcharge	Usually £1,035 per year
Personal savings requirement	At least £1,270 held 28 days
Eligibility timing	Apply up to 3 months before starting
Processing time	3 weeks outside UK; 8 weeks inside
Work rights	Permitted; unsponsored work allowed after 6 months
Study rights	Permitted
Medicare / Healthcare access	Covered via immigration healthcare surcharge
Travel facility	Multiple entry; travel abroad and return
Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)	Eligible after 5 years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Eligible partners and children permitted
Visa record type	Electronic Certificate of Sponsorship reference

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Purpose and Overview

The Scale-up Worker visa allows individuals to come to or stay in the UK to work in an eligible role for an approved, fast-growing UK business (scale-up business) for at least 6 months.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a Scale-up Worker visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• Approved Sponsor: You must have a confirmed job offer from a Home Office-approved scale-up business. The employer must either be endorsed by an approved endorsing body or have grown by an average of 20% per year in employment or turnover over the prior 3 years (with at least 10 employees at the start of that period). Check the register of licensed sponsors.
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): Your employer must issue an electronic CoS reference number confirming your role details. You must apply within 3 months of receiving it.
• Eligible Occupation: The job must be on the table of eligible occupations.
• Minimum Salary: You must be paid at least the UK minimum wage, comply with working hours rules, and earn whichever is higher:
  • £39,100 per year
  • The specific "going rate" for the occupation code
• English Language Proficiency: You must prove English proficiency at CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding.
• Financial Requirements: You must have at least £1,270 in personal funds unless exempt.

Knowledge of English

You can prove your English ability by:

• Being a national of an exempt English-speaking country.
• Having a UK school qualification started before age 18 (GCSE, A Level, Scottish National Qualification 4/5, Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher).
• Having a degree taught in English from a UK institution, or a non-UK degree validated by Ecctis.
• Passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at level B2 (level B1 applies if extending a Scale-up visa held before 8 January 2026).

Exempt countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA.

Costs and Financial Maintenance

Required Fees

• Application Fee: £937 per applicant and dependant.
• Healthcare Surcharge: Usually £1,035 per person per year.

Personal Savings

• Main applicant: £1,270
• Partner: £285
• First child: £315
• Each additional child: £200

Funds must be held continuously for at least 28 days, ending within 31 days of the visa application date.

Exemptions: You do not need to show savings if you have lived in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or if your employer certifies maintenance up to £1,270 on your CoS under "sponsor certifies maintenance".

Stay, Extensions, and Settlement

• Initial Stay: Granted for 2 years.
• Extensions: You can apply to extend for 3 years at a time without a new sponsor if you worked in your sponsored role for at least 6 months and met PAYE earnings requirements for at least half of your most recent stay.
• Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain): You can apply after 5 continuous years in the UK.

Extension PAYE Earnings Thresholds

Earnings must be paid through PAYE (self-employed income does not count) and earned for at least half the visa period (e.g., 12 months of a 2-year visa):

CoS Issuance Date / Circumstance	Minimum Annual PAYE Rate
CoS issued on or after 22 July 2025 (or previous extension)	£39,100
CoS issued 4 April 2024 to 21 July 2025	£36,300
CoS issued 12 April 2023 to 3 April 2024	£34,600
CoS issued on or before 11 April 2023	£33,000

Rights and Conditions

Permitted Activities

• Work in your sponsored job for at least 6 months.
• Leave or change your job after 6 months without notifying the Home Office.
• Take on additional employment or self-employment.
• Study (an ATAS certificate may be required for sensitive subjects at PhD level or above).
• Undertake voluntary work.
• Travel abroad and re-enter the UK.
• Bring eligible dependants.

Restrictions

• Public Funds: No access to most state benefits or the State Pension.
• Sports: Cannot work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.
• First 6 Months: You cannot change employers during your first 6 months unless you apply to update your visa with a new CoS. (Updating is not required if changing to another eligible role with the same employer).

Family Provisions (Dependants)

Eligible partners and children can apply to accompany or join the main visa holder. Their visas will end on the same date as the main applicant's.

Eligible Dependants

• Partner: Spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner (living together for at least 2 years, or in a committed relationship for 2 years if unable to live together).
• Children: Under 18 at application, or over 18 if currently in the UK as a dependant. Children must live with the applicant (unless in full-time education) and cannot be married or in a civil partnership.
• UK-Born Children: Do not automatically acquire British citizenship; an online application for a dependant visa must be made before travelling outside the UK or before the child turns 18.

Dependant Work and Study Rights

• Dependants can study and work (except as a professional sportsperson or coach).
• Dependants cannot access public funds.

Documents Required

• Valid passport or travel document proving identity and nationality.
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number, job title, occupation code, salary, employer name, and sponsor licence number.
• Proof of English language proficiency.
• Bank statements showing required maintenance funds (unless exempt or certified on CoS).
• Certified translations for any documents not in English or Welsh.
• Tuberculosis test results (if from a listed country).
• Valid ATAS certificate (if researching sensitive subjects at PhD level or above).
• Proof of relationship for dependants (e.g., marriage certificate, proof of 2 years cohabitation, child birth certificates).
• For extensions: Proof of PAYE earnings (payslips, P45, P60, bank statements, employer PAYE reference).

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online up to 3 months before the job start date listed on the CoS.

1. Submit Application Form:
   • Apply from outside the UK
   • Extend inside the UK
   • Switch from another visa inside the UK
   • Update visa (change sponsor in first 6 months)
2. Prove Identity and Submit Evidence:
   • Use the UK Immigration: ID Check smartphone app to scan your biometric ID document, or
   • Book an appointment to provide biometric information (fingerprints and photo) at a Visa Application Centre (overseas) or UKVCAS service point (inside the UK).
3. Pay Fees: Pay the visa application fee and healthcare surcharge online.

Processing Times

• Outside the UK: Usually 3 weeks.
• Inside the UK (Extensions, Switching, Updates): Usually 8 weeks.
• Priority processing may be purchased in eligible locations to get a faster decision.

Important Warnings

• Travel Restrictions During In-UK Applications: If applying inside the UK to switch, extend, or update your visa, you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until a decision is made. Leaving the area will automatically withdraw your application.
• Switching Restrictions: You cannot switch to a Scale-up Worker visa in the UK if you are on a visit visa, short-term student visa, Parent of a Child Student visa, seasonal worker visa, domestic worker visa, immigration bail, or leave outside the immigration rules. You must leave the UK and apply from abroad.
• Student Visa Switchers: Students can only switch if they have finished their course, have a job start date after course completion, or have completed at least 24 months of full-time PhD study.
• Starting New Jobs: If updating your visa to change employers during the first 6 months, you should not start the new job until the new permission is confirmed.