Work visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Scale-up Worker Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Work for one of the UK’s fast-growing businesses, with the freedom to change jobs after 6 months. We check your employer, job, salary and English against the Rules, and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is a UK Scale-up Worker visa?
The Scale-up Worker visa lets you come to or stay in the UK to work for a fast-growing business that the Home Office has approved to sponsor Scale-up Workers. You must work in your sponsored job for the first 6 months. After that you can change job, take on more work or become self-employed, without a new visa.
The rules are in Appendix Scale-up of the Immigration Rules. Your first visa lasts 2 years. You can then extend for 3 years at a time without a sponsor, if your PAYE earnings meet the threshold, and apply to settle (indefinite leave to remain) after 5 years.
✓This is your visa if…
- You have a job offer from a business approved to sponsor Scale-up Workers
- The job is skilled to degree level (RQF 6 or above) and you’ll do it for at least 6 months
- You’ll be paid at least £39,100 a year, or the going rate for the job if higher
- You can prove English at level B2, or you don’t need to
→Look at another route if…
- Your employer can sponsor you, but not on the Scale-up routeSkilled Worker visa →
- You graduated from a university on the Global Universities List in the last 5 yearsHigh Potential Individual visa →
- You’re a leader or potential leader in research, arts or digital technologyGlobal Talent visa →
- You want to set up your own business in the UKInnovator Founder visa →
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Is your employer approved to sponsor Scale-up Workers?On the register of licensed sponsors, ‘Scale-up Worker’ appears in the route column.
Is the job skilled to degree level (RQF 6 or above), and will you do it for at least 6 months?It must be in an eligible occupation code.
Will you be paid at least £39,100 a year, and at least the going rate for your job?Only guaranteed basic pay counts, not bonuses or allowances.
Can you prove English at level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening?A degree taught in English or a UK school qualification can count. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries don’t need to prove it.
Have you held £1,270 for 28 days, or will your employer certify your maintenance?Not needed if you’ve been in the UK with permission for 12 months or more.
If you’re in the UK, are you on a visa you can switch from?You can’t switch from a visitor, short-term student, seasonal worker or domestic worker visa.
Eligibility
UK Scale-up Worker visa requirements
Your first application is sponsored by your employer. Extensions are unsponsored and depend on what you’ve earned. You must meet every requirement on the day you apply.
Your employer and your job
- A job offer from an employer approved to sponsor Scale-up Workers and rated A
- Your employer qualifies through an approved endorsing body, or by growing by an average of 20% a year in staff or turnover over the 3 years before approval, with at least 10 employees at the start
- A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) issued no more than 3 months before you apply, with a start date within 3 months of applying
- An eligible occupation code skilled to degree level, in a genuine job you’ll do for at least the first 6 months
Your employer chooses the occupation code. If it doesn’t match the duties you’ll actually do, the application can be refused.
The salary requirement
- You must be paid at least £39,100 a year and the going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher
- Only guaranteed basic pay counts: not overtime, bonuses, allowances or your employer’s pension contributions
- Pay for hours over 48 a week doesn’t count towards £39,100
- The job must pay at least the minimum wage and follow working time rules
There are no reduced salary rates on this route, unlike the Skilled Worker visa.
English language
- An approved English test (SELT) passed in the last 2 years, a UK degree, or an overseas degree taught in English and confirmed by Ecctis
- A GCSE, A level or Scottish qualification in English, from a UK school you started before you were 18
- No proof needed if you’re a national of a majority English-speaking country, such as Australia, Canada or the USA
If you proved English at the level you need in an earlier successful application, you don’t have to prove it again.
Extending without a sponsor
- You must have worked for your sponsor as a Scale-up Worker for at least 6 months. No new certificate is needed
- PAYE earnings equal to at least £39,100 a year for at least half of your most recent visa: 12 months of a 2-year visa
- Lower figures apply if your last certificate was older: £36,300 (4 April 2024 to 21 July 2025), £34,600 (12 April 2023 to 3 April 2024) or £33,000 (before then)
- Self-employed and overseas earnings don’t count. Statutory family leave and sick leave can, if your pay met the level when it started
Changed jobs after your first 6 months? Only the PAYE salary from each job counts, so check it before you apply.
Savings, family and status
- No savings needed if you’ve been in the UK with permission for 12 months, or your A-rated sponsor certifies your maintenance on your certificate
- Your partner and children under 18 can join you. Partners must be married, in a civil partnership, or have been together 2 years
- You must be 18 or over. In the UK, you can’t switch from a visitor, short-term student, seasonal worker, domestic worker or Parent of a Child Student visa, or from permission outside the Rules
- A TB test if you’re coming from a listed country
Your family can work (except as sportspeople) and study, but can’t claim most benefits.
Documents
Scale-up Worker visa documents: the easy part
Your first application rests on your certificate of sponsorship. Extensions rest on your payslips. Either way, problems usually come from the detail.
What everyone needs
- Your passport or other travel document
- Your certificate of sponsorship reference number, from your employer
- AProof of your English, or that you don’t need it
- £Proof of savings, unless your employer certifies maintenance or you’re exempt
- Payslips, P60s and bank statements, when you extend
- Proof of your relationship, for a partner or children applying with you
Plus a TB test if you’re coming from a listed country, an ATAS certificate if your employer says you need one, and certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Scale-up Worker visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £937 per person, from inside or outside the UK, plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year: £2,070 for the first 2-year visa. Most decisions take about 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks in the UK.
Applying from outside or inside the UK
| Visa feethe same for each family member | £937 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge2-year visa at £1,035 a year | £2,070 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore an English test, TB test and savings | £3,007 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and the health surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. Children under 18 pay a surcharge of £776 a year. An extension costs the same fee, plus the surcharge for its 3 years. Your employer pays £55 for your certificate of sponsorship and can’t pass it on to you; there’s no Immigration Skills Charge on this route. Our consultation fees →
Job offer and certificate
Before you applyYour employer assigns your certificate of sponsorship. Apply within 3 months of getting it, and no more than 3 months before your start date.
Apply and get a decision
Usually 3 weeks from outside the UKAbout 8 weeks in the UK. You prove your identity with the ID Check app or at an appointment.
Your sponsored job
First 6 monthsWork for your sponsor. Changing employer in this time needs a new certificate and a new application.
Extend
After 2 years3 more years each time, without a sponsor, if your PAYE earnings meet the test.
Settle (ILR)
After 5 yearsA PAYE job paying at least £39,100, those earnings in 24 of the last 36 months, and the Life in the UK test. English at B2 if you apply from 26 March 2027.
Avoid a refusal
Common Scale-up Worker visa refusal reasons
Most problems come from the employer’s licence, the job details or the earnings evidence. These are the issues we check first.
Employer not approved for Scale-up
Your certificate must come from an A-rated sponsor approved for the Scale-up route. A Skilled Worker licence on its own isn’t enough.
We check: that your employer’s licence covers the Scale-up route.
Pay that doesn’t count
Only guaranteed basic pay counts. Overtime, bonuses, allowances and pay for hours over 48 a week are left out.
We check: your pay against £39,100 and the going rate for your code.
Doubts about the job
The Home Office can refuse if the occupation code doesn’t fit, the job isn’t genuine, or you’d be hired out to another business.
We check: the code and the role against what you’ll actually do.
Missing the earnings test
To extend, only PAYE salary counts. Self-employed earnings, overseas pay and months below the threshold don’t.
We check: your payslips and P60s before you change jobs or apply.
English evidence that doesn’t count
A test must be an approved SELT passed in the last 2 years, and an overseas degree needs Ecctis to confirm it was taught in English.
We check: your evidence or exemption before you book anything.
Savings not held long enough
If you need to show £1,270, it must have been held for 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of your application.
We check: your statements, or whether your employer can certify maintenance.
How we help
Our Scale-up Worker visa services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application, and your family’s, from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your employer’s licence, your job, salary and English, and tell you plainly about any risk.
Evidence review
We check your certificate details, English evidence, savings and family documents before you apply.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application and your family’s, with a cover letter where it helps.
Extension and ILR
We check your PAYE earnings and help you extend without a sponsor, then settle after 5 years.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused, we explain your options, including administrative review, and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser where your case needs a higher level of advice.
FAQs
Scale-up Worker visa questions, answered
How is it different from a Skilled Worker visa?
You’re tied to your sponsor only for the first 6 months. After that you can change job, add work or become self-employed without a new visa, and you extend without a sponsor if your PAYE earnings meet the test. The salary threshold is £39,100 rather than £41,700, but there are no reduced rates, and your employer doesn’t pay the Immigration Skills Charge.
Can I change employer in the first 6 months?
Only by applying to update your visa, with a new certificate from another employer approved to sponsor Scale-up Workers, in an eligible job. You don’t need to apply if you move to a different job with the same employer, or once you’ve worked in your sponsored job for 6 months.
How do I extend my visa?
Apply before your visa ends. You don’t need a new certificate, but you must have worked for your sponsor for at least 6 months and had PAYE earnings of at least £39,100 a year for at least half of your most recent visa. Lower figures apply if your last certificate was issued before 22 July 2025. Each extension lasts 3 years.
Can I be self-employed on this visa?
Yes. You can take on other work, including self-employment, alongside your sponsored job, and freely after the first 6 months. But self-employed earnings don’t count towards the earnings test for an extension or for settlement, so you’ll usually need a PAYE job paying enough as well.
Can my partner and children come with me?
Yes. Your partner and children under 18 can apply as your dependants. Unless they’ve been in the UK with permission for 12 months, or your sponsor certifies their maintenance, they need savings: £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each other child. They can work (except as sportspeople) and study.
Can I switch to a Scale-up Worker visa in the UK?
Yes, from most visas, if you have a job offer that meets the rules. You can’t switch from a visitor, short-term student, seasonal worker, domestic worker or Parent of a Child Student visa. On a Student visa you must usually have finished your course, or have a job that starts after a degree-level course ends, or be on a full-time PhD with your job starting at least 24 months after the course began.
When can I apply to settle (ILR)?
After 5 continuous years, with no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months; time on the Skilled Worker or Global Talent routes can count too. You must have a PAYE job paying at least £39,100 when you apply (less if your last certificate was older) and those earnings in at least 24 of the last 36 months. You also need the Life in the UK test, and English at B2 if you apply from 26 March 2027. The fee is £3,226 per person.
Related routes
Other work visas
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