Scale Up Visa vs Skilled Worker Visa: Key Differences

Last updated: 10 April 2024

The Scale Up visa and the Skilled Worker visa are both long-term sponsored work visas which allow you to live and work in the UK, bring your dependant family members, and gain permanent settlement after 5 years. However, as we will discuss in this article, there are some important differences between the Scale Up visa and the Skilled Worker visa which to be aware of.

Scale up visa vs Skilled worker visa: Job Flexibility

As a Scale Up visa holder, you will enjoy considerable job flexibility. After just 6 months in the UK, you can:

• Continue working in your sponsored role
• Switch roles in the same company without informing the Home Office
• Switch companies without informing the Home Office
• Take on jobs which do not require sponsorship and therefore are not on the standard occupation list
• Become self-employed

On the other hand, as a Skilled worker visa holder, you will need to reapply if you change jobs or employers on a Skilled Worker visa at any time during the life of your visa. In addition, there are certain Skilled Worker visa work restrictions that prevent you from working outside of your main employment. Specifically, the rules state that you can only take on an additional job as a Skilled Worker visa holder as long as this does not exceed 20 hours per week and it is in the same occupation code as your main role or in a shortage occupation.

Furthermore, for sponsoring employers, there are some key differences between the Scale Up and Skilled Worker sponsor licence requirements. Scale Up sponsor licence applicants must be a qualifying Scale-up sponsor. A qualifying Scale-up sponsor is one that has an annualised growth of at least 20% in the 36 months before applying and has had at least 10 employees throughout this time. Alternatively, it is possible to be endorsed by an approved endorsing body as a Scale Up sponsor. The minimum salary that Scale Up sponsors must pay is £36,300 (or the ‘going rate’ for the occupation code) which is lower than the Skilled Worker route at £38,700.

Visa renewal for Scale Up visa and Skilled Worker visa

Scale up visas are initially granted for 2 years, while Skilled Worker visas are issued for anywhere between 1 and 5 years, depending on the duration of the length of the employment contract. Both visa types can be extended beyond the initial period granted by the Home Office.

Scale Up visa renewal

When it comes to renewing a Scale Up visa, there are 2 renewal pathways available; sponsored and unsponsored. The Scale Up visa unsponsored pathway means that having worked for a period of initial 6 months, holders can extend their visa even if they are no longer sponsored. They can also become self-employed or a director without relying on an employer to sponsor their stay in the UK.

Scale Up visas can be extended multiple times by up to 3 years, assuming applicants continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Skilled worker visa renewal

Under the Skilled Worker route, only the sponsored renewal pathway is available. As such, Skilled Worker visa renewal applicants must continue to hold the same sponsored role (with the same SOC code) with their original employer. Skilled Worker visas can also be extended multiple times as long as applicants continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Visa requirements for Skilled worker visa and Scale Up visa

There are some key differences in the visa requirements between the Skilled Worker visa and Scale Up visa routes, as follows:

• Employer: Skilled Worker visa applicants must have an offer of employment for at least 12 months from an eligible employer with a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence. Scale Up visa applicants must have an offer of employment for at least 6 months from an eligible Scale Up business with a valid Scale Up sponsor licence. Scale up visa applicants who have already held this type of visa for 6 months will no longer be required to be sponsored by a UK sponsor licence holder.

• Role: Skilled Worker visa applicants must have an eligible Skilled Worker occupation, and Scale Up visa applicants must have a job on the list of eligible Scale Up Worker occupations. The Scale-up visa has a skill level of RQF 6 or while the Skilled Worker visa is RQF 3 or above.

• Salary: Skilled Worker visa applicants must have a minimum salary of £38,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for their role. Scale Up visa applicants must have a salary of £36,300 per year or the ‘going rate’ for their role.

Both visa types require applicants to meet the general visa requirements. This includes the ability to read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. Applicants must also have at least £1,270 in funds to support themselves when they first come to the UK.

Visa fees

The application fee for the Skilled Worker visa is as follows:

• Applications made outside the UK:
  • Up to 3 years: £719 per person
  • Over 3 years: £1,420 per person
• Applications made inside the UK:
  • Up to 3 years: £827 per person
  • Over 3 years: £1,636 per person

The application fee for the Scale Up visa is £822.

Applicants for both visa types must also pay the healthcare surcharge of £1035 per year. This provides access to healthcare while in the UK.

Indefinite Leave to Remain

After 5 continuous years on a Skilled Worker visa or Scale Up visa, holders and their dependant family members can apply to settle permanently in the UK (also referred to as Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR). Applicants must meet the applicable ILR eligibility requirements.

Scale Up ILR applicants must earn a salary of at least £33,000 (if they got their last Certificate of Sponsorship on or before 11 April 2023) or £36,300 (if they got their last CoS on or after 4 April 2024), when they apply. Skilled Worker ILR applicants applying for settlement before 4 April 2030 must still have a salary of at least £29,000 per year (if they had a Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024), or £38,700 after 4 April 2024.

ILR applicants under both routes must also meet the English language requirements and pass the Knowledge of Life in the UK test.