What Can I Do With an Expansion Worker Visa?

When in the UK on an Expansion Worker visa, you will be able to do the following:

• Work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• Study
• Bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
• Do voluntary work
• Travel abroad and return to the UK

Note that you will not be able to:

• Access most public funds or the State Pension
• Change jobs unless you are eligible and you update your visa
• Have a second job
• Apply to settle permanently in the UK through indefinite leave to remain.

The Points Requirement

All applicants applying under the Expansion Worker visa must meet the points requirement for this route.

In total, you must accrue 60 points across three categories. These categories are worth 20 points each.

The categories are as follows:

Sponsorship: You must have a valid certificate of sponsorship that has been issued by your employer, who must be an eligible licensed sponsor (20 points).

Job at appropriate skill level: Your job must be at an appropriate skill level, and have a corresponding eligible occupation code (20 points).

Salary at the required level: You must be paid at least £45,800 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher (20 points).

Note that as well as accruing 60 points total across the above metrics, you must also satisfy the other necessary eligibility requirements in order to qualify for this visa.

How Long Can I Stay in the UK For?

You will be able to stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa for either 12 months after the start date of the job on your certificate of sponsorship, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.

You will be able to extend your visa by an extra 12 months if you wish. However, the maximum time you’ll be able to stay in the UK on this visa is 2 years.

Note that if you’ve spent time in the UK on this or another visa, you may not be able to stay on a UK Expansion Worker visa for as long as expected. You can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in any 6 year period if you’ve spent time on any of these visas:

• Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
• Intra-company Transfer visa
• Graduate Trainee visa
• Secondment Worker visa
• Senior or Specialist Worker visa
• Service Supplier visa