# UK Work Permit for Indians: Employer Steps and Timeline

> The UK work permit, stage by stage: what your employer does first, what you file from India, how long each step takes and how to get a faster decision.

_Published: 2026-10-29 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1154_

## TL;DR

A UK work permit for Indians is usually the Skilled Worker visa, issued as an eVisa. The employer needs a sponsor licence (around 8 weeks) and assigns a certificate of sponsorship; you apply online within 3 months, give biometrics at VFS and usually get a decision in 3 weeks, or faster with Priority (£500) or Super Priority (£1,000).

## Key takeaways

- The UK work permit is the Skilled Worker visa (or Health and Care Worker visa), granted as an eVisa in a UKVI account.
- Employer stage: sponsor licence fee £611 or £1,682, usually around 8 weeks, then a certificate of sponsorship.
- Applicant stage: apply within 3 months of the CoS and no earlier than 3 months before the start date; fee £819 (up to 3 years) or £1,618.
- Standard decision: 3 weeks; Priority (£500) usually within 5 working days; Super Priority (£1,000) usually by the end of the next working day.
- Home Office data: 91% of decided work-visa applications from Indian nationals were granted in the year ending June 2026.

**According to GOV.UK, what Indians call a UK work permit is usually the Skilled Worker visa. Your employer must hold a sponsor licence, which usually takes around 8 weeks to obtain, and assign you a certificate of sponsorship. You then apply online within 3 months, give biometrics at VFS Global and usually get a decision within 3 weeks.**

## Article

Below is the sequence from both sides of the hire, with the official time and cost at each stage, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. Our UK visa page for Indians covers every other route.

### Is a "UK work permit" a separate document?
No. The UK grants permission to work through a work visa. For most hires from India that is the Skilled Worker visa; for doctors, nurses and adult social care professionals with an NHS, NHS-supplier or adult social care employer it is the Health and Care Worker visa.

There is no visa sticker to collect. Every successful applicant, including Indian citizens, gets an eVisa: a digital record of immigration status viewed in a free UKVI account.

### What must the employer finish before you can apply?
- Hold a sponsor licence. The employer must be approved by the Home Office. The licence fee is £611 for small businesses and charities and £1,682 for medium and large organisations, and a licence usually takes around 8 weeks.
- Check the role is eligible. Since 22 July 2025 the job must be at RQF level 6 (degree level), unless it is on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List. Overseas recruitment of care workers and senior care workers closed on the same date.
- Meet the salary floor. The standard rule is the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation.
- Assign the certificate of sponsorship (CoS). This gives you the reference number your application depends on.
- Decide on maintenance. The sponsor can certify maintenance up to £1,270; if it does not, you must show the funds yourself.

### What do you file once the CoS reference arrives?
You apply and pay online on GOV.UK from India and receive a GWF reference number. The Skilled Worker checklist asks for:

- The CoS reference number from your Home Office-approved employer.
- Proof of English at CEFR level B2 (a Secure English Language Test, a UK qualification, or a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis), unless exempt. B2 has applied to new applicants since 8 January 2026.
- Proof of at least £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, with day 28 within 31 days of applying, unless the sponsor certifies maintenance.
- A valid ATAS certificate if the job involves research in a sensitive subject at PhD level or above.
- A passport valid for your whole stay, certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh, and a tuberculosis test certificate, which GOV.UK lists for stays of more than 6 months.
You pay the visa fee and the immigration healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year as part of the application. The visa fee rose on 8 April 2026 from £769 to £819 for certificates of sponsorship of up to 3 years; it is £1,618 for more than 3 years.

### How long does each stage take?
StageWho actsOfficial timingSponsor licenceEmployerUsually around 8 weeksOnline visa applicationYouWithin 3 months of getting the CoS; no earlier than 3 months before the job start dateMaintenance fundsYou (unless certified)£1,270 held for 28 consecutive daysBiometric appointmentYou, at a VFS centreMandatory; choose any VFS centre in IndiaStandard decisionUKVI3 weeksPriority Visa serviceUKVI (optional, £500)Usually within 5 working daysSuper Priority Visa serviceUKVI (optional, £1,000)Usually by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointmentVFS gives no status updates while UKVI is deciding. GOV.UK's online service tells you when to expect a decision, and UKVI sends the decision by letter or email.

### Can you get a faster decision or an easier appointment?
The two UKVI services above are the only ones that shorten the decision itself. They are booked through VFS where offered; in October 2026 both were offered at the New Delhi centre, and availability depends on the visa type and centre.

A standard appointment at a free-to-use centre costs nothing, and you can self-upload documents free. VFS also sells optional services, priced for New Delhi including GST: Document Upload Assistance INR 2,400, UKVI Account Creation Service INR 1,200, Prime Time Appointment INR 5,950 and Flexi appointment INR 6,400. VFS states that optional services do not affect the visa decision. Some user-funded centres charge the Home Office User Pays fee of £76.50.

GOV.UK also says you are told at the start of the application if you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead of visiting a centre.

### What happens after approval?
Your passport is returned at the biometric appointment. Before you travel you must create your UKVI account, link your passport to it and check your eVisa. Your eVisa is the digital record of your immigration status, replacing the old visa sticker.

For context, Home Office data for the year ending June 2026 (provisional) shows a 91% grant rate for work-visa applications from Indian nationals across all work routes, main applicants and dependants: 47,009 granted and 4,377 refused out of 51,386 decisions. It describes past outcomes and does not predict yours.

### Causes of delay worth checking early
- The employer has not yet applied for its sponsor licence, adding roughly 8 weeks before anything else can start.
- The CoS is more than 3 months old when you apply.
- English evidence below B2, or a degree that has not been confirmed by Ecctis.
- Savings that dipped below £1,270 during the 28-day window.
- Missing certified translations for documents not in English.
- Travelling before setting up the UKVI account and linking your passport.
For family members visiting you later on a Standard Visitor visa, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us.

### Frequently asked questions

#### How early can I apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa before my job starts?
GOV.UK says most work visas can be applied for up to 3 months before the job start date. You must also apply within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.

#### How much does a UK work visa cost an Indian applicant?
The Skilled Worker visa fee is £819 for up to 3 years or £1,618 for more than 3 years, or £628 and £1,235 for Immigration Salary List jobs. The immigration healthcare surcharge is usually £1,035 per year on top.

#### Is there a cheaper UK work visa for healthcare staff?
Yes. The Health and Care Worker visa costs £324 for up to 3 years or £628 for more than 3 years, with no immigration healthcare surcharge. It needs a job offer from an approved NHS, NHS-supplier or adult social care employer.

#### Can I choose any VFS centre in India for UK biometrics?
Yes. UK applicants can select any Visa Application Centre in India before confirming the appointment; there is no state-based jurisdiction. Appointments are mandatory.

## Steps

1. **Employer secures a sponsor licence** — The UK employer applies to the Home Office and pays £611 (small business or charity) or £1,682 (medium or large). A licence usually takes around 8 weeks.
2. **Employer confirms the role and salary** — The job must be RQF level 6 unless on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, and pay at least the higher of £41,700 or the going rate under the standard rule.
3. **Employer assigns the certificate of sponsorship** — You receive the CoS reference number. Apply within 3 months of getting it, and no earlier than 3 months before the start date.
4. **Apply and pay online on GOV.UK** — Complete the Skilled Worker application, pay the £819 or £1,618 fee and the £1,035-a-year healthcare surcharge, and note your GWF reference number.
5. **Give biometrics at VFS Global** — Book a mandatory appointment at any UK Visa Application Centre in India, give fingerprints and a photo, and self-upload documents free or use paid optional services.
6. **Wait for the decision** — Standard processing is 3 weeks. Priority (£500) usually takes 5 working days and Super Priority (£1,000) usually the end of the next working day, where offered.
7. **Set up your eVisa before travelling** — Create your UKVI account, link your passport and check your eVisa, the digital record of your immigration status.

## FAQ

### How early can I apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa before my job starts?

GOV.UK says most work visas can be applied for up to 3 months before the job start date. You must also apply within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.

### How much does a UK work visa cost an Indian applicant?

The Skilled Worker visa fee is £819 for up to 3 years or £1,618 for more than 3 years, or £628 and £1,235 for Immigration Salary List jobs. The immigration healthcare surcharge is usually £1,035 per year on top.

### Is there a cheaper UK work visa for healthcare staff?

Yes. The Health and Care Worker visa costs £324 for up to 3 years or £628 for more than 3 years, with no immigration healthcare surcharge. It needs a job offer from an approved NHS, NHS-supplier or adult social care employer.

### Can I choose any VFS centre in India for UK biometrics?

Yes. UK applicants can select any Visa Application Centre in India before confirming the appointment; there is no state-based jurisdiction. Appointments are mandatory.

## Sources

1. [GOV.UK - Skilled Worker visa (full guide)](https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/print) — UK Home Office (GOV.UK)
2. [GOV.UK - Visa processing times: applications outside the UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-processing-times-applications-outside-the-uk) — UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK)
3. [GOV.UK - Faster decision: applying from outside the UK](https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement/applying-from-outside-the-uk) — UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK)
4. [VFS Global UK India - Optional services (New Delhi, INR prices incl. GST)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/gbr/premium-services) — VFS Global