Visas and sponsorship in the UK
Marissa Murdoch from visabureau.com answers your finance and visas questions. This week: sponsorship.
Q. I am heading back to Australia at the end of the year. I’ve been living in the UK for the past four years – the first two years on a working holidaymaker visa and the last two on a Tier 2 (sponsorship) visa.
If I go home at the end of the year but find out I want to come back to the UK, what are my best options? I’m 30 and have a Bachelor’s degree. Could I get a Tier 1 visa? Could my workplace sponsor me again?
A. It is possible for an employer to sponsor you again, provided their licence remains valid and they meet the Home Office criteria for employing a foreign worker – having worked for them previously won’t necessarily mean an easier application process. For instance, they may still be required to carry out a resident labour market test.
If you score 95 points against the Home Office Tier 1 (General) criteria you could make an application for this visa and would not require sponsorship. It is no longer a requirement to hold a Master’s degree to get a Tier 1 visa, however, your previous earnings will play a large role in your eligibility.
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