Immigration and Visas (including Visitors)

Applicants for the Skilled Worker route must meet the following mandatory criteria:

• have a job offer from a licensed sponsor
• The job must be at or above the minimum skill level: RQF3 level or equivalent
• Speak English to an acceptable standard

Meeting the mandatory criteria above will earn the applicant 50 points. The applicant must then obtain a further 20 “tradeable” points through a combination of points for their offered salary, a job in a shortage occupation or a relevant PhD.

More detailed information and eligibility criteria can be found here – Skilled Worker visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The University has a licence to issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) for individuals wishing to apply under the Skilled Worker route. CoS applications are issued by the HR Operations team.  Hiring Managers should discuss the options with their HR Coordinator, prior to the recruitment process, as there are a number of eligibility requirements that must be met.

Applicants for a Student visa to study in the UK must be 16 or over and :

• have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
• have enough money to support themselves and pay for the course
• can speak, read, write and understand English

More detailed information and eligibility criteria can be found here - Student visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Applications under the Student Route will be processed by the University's Student Immigration team - immigration@reading.ac.uk

If you are a worker on a Student visa, please visit our Campus Jobs Pages where you will find Student Working Restrictions

The Global Talent visa will allow senior academics or leaders in one of the following fields to work in the UK:

• academia or research
• arts and culture
• digital technology

Applicants for a Global Talent visa must successfully apply for an endorsement to prove that they are a leader or potential leader.

More detailed information and eligibility criteria can be found here: Global Talent visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Graduate Route

Applicants who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above in the UK, will be able to apply for a Graduate visa to stay and work, or look for work, for a maximum period of 2 years (3 years for PhD students) following their studies.

The Graduate visa will open in summer 2021.  More information about this route will be published when available.

Standard Visitor

You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

• for leisure, for example on holiday or to see your family and friends
• for business, or to take part in sports or creative events
• for another reason, for example to receive private medical treatment

More information and eligibility criteria can be found here - Standard Visitor (UKVI).

Please ensure you also read the Standard Visitor guidance found in the University Visitor Policy.

NB. This visa route does not permit visitors to receive funding for their work or activities in the UK from any UK source (payments of expenses, including travel and subsistence may be disregarded, but should be reasonable and justifiable). Travel, maintenance and accommodation may be provided by a third party.

Permitted Paid Engagement

You may be able to get a Permitted Paid Engagement visa if you've been invited to the UK as an expert in your profession.

You can apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement visa if you:

• are invited by a UK-based organisation or client
• want to come to the UK to do specific paid work without having to be sponsored under the points-based visa system
• are from a country that's not in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

More information and eligibility criteria can be found here - PPE (UKVI)

Please ensure you also read the PPE guidance found in the University Visitor Policy.

Any payment must be made using the PPE Form

Tier 5 Sponsored Researcher

You can apply for a Tier 5 Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa if you:

• want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme
• have a sponsor
• are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

The University has a licence to issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) under the Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange category for sponsored researchers. Applications under this category are processed through the HR Operations team.

More information and eligibility criteria can be found here - Tier 5 Sponsored Researcher route

Please ensure you also read the Tier 5 guidance found in the University Visitor Policy.

NB. No payment will be made to Sponsored Researchers by the University. The researcher may be funded by their host, their overseas employer, or an independent UK or non-UK funding body. The researcher cannot be self-funded and must be in receipt of funding in line with, or above, the National Minimum Wage.