Visa & Immigration

How to Move to the UK: A Practical Guide

A clear guide to moving to the UK under the points-based system, the Skilled Worker visa, study and graduate routes, family visas, high-talent and business

Reviewed by the GetInfoUs research teamLast reviewed: 2026-06Editorial policy

How the UK Immigration System Works

Since the end of free movement, the United Kingdom runs a points-based immigration system that treats applicants from every country under the same framework. Almost every route requires you to score enough points for specific, non-negotiable attributes, typically a job offer from an approved sponsor, the right skill level, and English language ability, plus tradeable points such as salary or qualifications in a shortage field. The practical consequence is that, for most working migrants, you cannot simply arrive and look for work: you usually need a licensed UK sponsor before you apply. The main categories are work visas, study visas, family visas, and a set of high-talent and business routes. Each has a defined application process run through GOV.UK, an online identity and document check, a visa fee, and in most cases an Immigration Health Surcharge that gives you access to the National Health Service. Knowing which route fits before you apply is essential because switching categories later can be difficult.

The Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker visa is the workhorse of UK immigration. To qualify you need a confirmed job offer from an employer holding a sponsor licence, and that job must meet both a minimum skill level and a salary threshold set by the Home Office (with a general baseline and separate going-rate figures for each occupation, plus lower thresholds for new entrants and certain shortage roles). The employer issues a Certificate of Sponsorship, you prove your English at the required level, and you apply online. A major attraction of this route is that it leads to settlement: after five continuous years on qualifying visas you can normally apply for indefinite leave to remain. The visa also lets you bring dependent partners and children, change jobs within the rules, and undertake supplementary work. Because it is tied to a sponsor, however, losing your job can affect your status, so it is important to understand the curtailment and grace-period rules.

Study, Graduate, and Youth Routes

Studying is one of the most accessible ways to move to the UK. The Student visa requires an offer from a licensed education provider (a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), proof you can cover fees and living costs, and English ability. After completing an eligible degree, the Graduate visa lets you stay and work, or look for work, for two years (three for doctoral graduates) without needing a sponsor, a valuable bridge into the Skilled Worker route. Younger applicants from participating countries and territories may also use the Youth Mobility Scheme, which grants a time-limited stay to live and work fairly freely. None of these routes counts directly toward settlement on its own, but they place you inside the country lawfully and give you UK experience and contacts that make a longer-term move much easier to arrange.

Family and Partner Visas

If you have close family already settled in the UK, the family route may apply. The most common case is the partner visa, for spouses, civil partners, or unmarried partners of British citizens or settled persons. These applications require you to prove a genuine and subsisting relationship, meet a minimum income requirement (or hold sufficient savings), and show adequate accommodation and English ability. Children and certain dependent adult relatives can also qualify in defined circumstances. The partner route is a five-year path to settlement, normally split into two stages, after which indefinite leave to remain becomes possible. Because the financial and documentary requirements are strict and frequently updated, applicants should check the current thresholds on GOV.UK carefully and gather robust evidence, refusals on family routes are very often the result of incomplete paperwork rather than ineligibility.

High-Talent and Business Routes

The UK actively courts exceptional people and entrepreneurs through several specialist routes. The Global Talent visa is for leaders or potential leaders in academia, research, arts and culture, or digital technology, and notably does not require a job offer, instead you obtain an endorsement from an approved body. The High Potential Individual route lets recent graduates of certain top-ranked universities come without a sponsor. For business builders, the Innovator Founder route supports people launching an innovative, viable, and scalable business endorsed by an approved body. These routes tend to demand strong evidence, a track record, endorsements, or a credible business plan, but they offer more freedom than sponsor-tied work visas and several of them count toward settlement. They are well worth investigating if you have an outstanding record or a genuinely novel business idea.

Settlement, Citizenship, and Practical Steps

Most long-term routes converge on indefinite leave to remain (ILR), usually after five continuous years, though some categories differ. To qualify for ILR you generally must not have spent too many days outside the UK, must pass the Life in the UK test, and must meet English requirements. Once you have held ILR for the required period, normally twelve months, or immediately in some partner cases. You can apply to naturalise as a British citizen if you meet residence and good-character rules. On the practical side, modern UK visas are increasingly digital: many people now hold an eVisa accessed through a UKVI account rather than a physical document, and you confirm your status to employers and landlords online. Always budget for the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, keep careful records of your time in the country, and apply to extend before your current leave expires.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job offer to move to the UK?+

For most work routes, yes, the Skilled Worker visa requires a job offer from a licensed sponsor. However, several routes do not need one, including the Global Talent visa, the High Potential Individual route, the Student and Graduate visas, family and partner visas, and the Youth Mobility Scheme for eligible nationalities.

How long until I can settle permanently in the UK?+

Most work and family routes lead to indefinite leave to remain after five continuous years in the UK, provided you meet residence, English, and Life in the UK test requirements. Some routes have different timelines, so always confirm the rule for your specific visa category.

What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?+

It is a fee most visa applicants pay as part of their application, which gives them access to the National Health Service on broadly the same basis as residents for the duration of their visa. It is charged per year of leave and is separate from the visa fee itself.

Can my family come with me?+

Generally yes. Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Student (in many cases), and several other routes allow you to bring a dependent partner and children, provided you can show the required funds. Each dependant submits their own application and usually pays the visa fee and health surcharge.

What is an eVisa?+

An eVisa is a digital record of your immigration status accessed through your UKVI account, gradually replacing physical documents like biometric residence permits. You use it to prove your right to work, rent, and travel by sharing access online rather than carrying a card.