Routes, licences and settlement
| Route | Who it’s for | Licence | Leads to settlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa | For hiring someone into a skilled role in your UK business. | Worker licence | Yes |
| Health and Care Worker visa | A version of the Skilled Worker visa for eligible health and care roles. | Worker licence | Yes |
| Scale-up visa | For fast-growing businesses hiring highly skilled people. | Temporary Worker licence (Scale-up Worker) | Yes |
| Senior or Specialist Worker visa | For moving an existing employee from your overseas business to the UK. | Worker licence, Global Business Mobility | No |
| Graduate Trainee visa | For moving a recent graduate on your structured graduate programme. | Temporary Worker licence (Graduate Trainee, Global Business Mobility) | No |
| UK Expansion Worker visa | For sending senior staff or specialists to set up your first UK branch. | Temporary Worker licence (UK Expansion Worker), starting with a provisional rating | No |
| Secondment Worker visa | For sending your overseas staff to work on a high-value contract with a UK business. | Temporary Worker licence (Secondment Worker, Global Business Mobility) | No |
| Service Supplier visa | For delivering a service contract covered by one of the UK’s trade agreements. | Temporary Worker licence (Service Supplier, Global Business Mobility) | No |
| Seasonal Worker visa | For seasonal horticulture and poultry work. Farms don’t sponsor workers directly. | Approved scheme operators only | No |
| Creative Worker visa | For performers, artists and crew working in the UK creative industries. | Temporary Worker licence | No |
| Charity Worker visa | For unpaid voluntary work for a charity. | Temporary Worker licence | No |
| Religious Worker visa | For non-pastoral religious work, such as working in a religious order or a supernumerary role, for up to 2 years. | Temporary Worker licence | No |
| Government Authorised Exchange visa | For work experience, research, training or fellowships through an approved exchange scheme. | Temporary Worker licence, held by the scheme’s overseeing body | No |
| International Agreement visa | For work covered by international law, such as for an overseas government, an international organisation or a diplomatic household. | Temporary Worker licence | No |
| International Sportsperson visa | For elite athletes and coaches. | Sponsor licence for the International Sportsperson route | Longer stays can |