For highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs and recent graduates from UK universities

You do not need a job offerwhen you apply to enter or stay in the UK in these categories, but you will need to pass a points-based assessment.

For skilled workers with a job offer

If your prospective employer in the UK is willing to sponsor you, you can apply to come or stay here to do a skilled job.

For temporary workers with a job offer

If your prospective employer in the UK is willing to sponsor you, you can apply to do certain types of temporary work here.

Other categories

You can also apply to work in the UK as adomestic worker; as the sole representative of an overseasfirm; or as arepresentative of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation.

Who can apply as an entrepreneur?

You can apply under the entrepreneur category now if you are:

• in the United Kingdom and want to make an initial application as an entrepreneur; 

• already in the United Kingdom as an entrepreneur and want to extend your permission to stay within your existing category;

• already in the United Kingdom as a business person or innovator and want to extend your permission to stay in the entrepreneur category;

• applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the entrepreneur category.

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Who can apply as an investor?

Unlike our work permit scheme (soon to be replaced by sponsored workers (Tier 2), you do not need a job offer to apply under the investor category. When you apply you are awarded points based on your ability to invest £1,000,000 in the United Kingdom.

You can apply under the investor category now if you are:

• in the United Kingdom and want to make an initial application as an investor (known as switching);

• already in the United Kingdom as a tier 1 investor or as an investor under the former category, and want to extend your permission to stay within the tier 1 investor category;

• applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the investor category.

What is the post-study worker category?

The post-study worker category allows us to retain the most able international graduates who have studied in the United Kingdom. It also enhances the United Kingdom's overall offer to international students.

Post-study workers are free to look for work without having a sponsor for the length of their leave.

The category provides a bridge to highly skilled or skilled work. If you are granted permission to stay as a post-study worker, we expect that you will switch into another tier of the points-based system as soon as you are able to.