Work permit duration and extension

A UK Work Permit visa can be valid for between one day and five years depending on the length of time requested by the sponsoring company. The duration of the UK Work Permit sponsorship is also at discretion of the Home Office.

Length of the work permit

Under some circumstances it may be possible for UK visa extensions to be granted for different UK visa classes: Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP UK), Working Holidaymaker scheme, Change of Employment, Doctor / Dentist, The Fresh Talent Working in Scotland scheme, Student & Internship, Intra-Company Transfers (ICT), The Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS), The Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES), Working Holidays, the visit, tourist or travel visa The rules applicable to extensions will vary depending on the UK visa class.

The system for UK Immigration works in three sections first a person must apply for Entry Clearance which is granted by an Entry Clearance Officer posted in a British Visa Consulate overseas. Their role is to view an application provided on a VAF with accompanying documents. An Entry Clearance Officer does not just view the documents but will often require to interview the applicant. It is important to note Entry Clearance maybe refused for many different reasons. In most instances to over turn a refusal an applicant will have to lodge an appeal in a British Appeal Court based in the UK. Being unable to attend the UK or the hearing it can be difficult to win such cases.

Start up companies will not be allowed work permits of more than a 18 month duration; these permits are extendable, but copies of the first year's audited accounts will need to accompany the application for extension.

Permits for employees to be able to work at a client's site will be limited to the length of the contract existing with the client. Applications for any extension will need to be accompanied by proof that the contract has been extended (or that another contract has begun).

Once upon a time It used to be the case that, only in exceptional circumstances, or for board level staff, would work permits were issued for an initial 5 year period. Now it is Work Permits (UK) policy to issue for long periods wherever possible – although employees working on client projects are still restricted by contract length. However if a work permit expires, and you have a continuing need for the candidate, it is now very simple to obtain an extension for the permit (the need to re-advertise the post on extension has now been formally scrapped).

Indefinite leave to remain:
Seven ways in which you can apply for indefinite leave to Remain:

Just before your 2 year marriage visa expires;
Having held a work permit for 5 years;
Having been in the UK for 5 years on an UK Ancestry visa;
Having been in the UK legally for 10 years;
Having been in the UK as under the Investor category for 5 years;
Having been in the UK for 14 years;
Having been in the UK for 5 years as a writer, composer or artist.

Once you have held ILR for one year we can then assist you in applying for Naturalisation as a British Citizen.

Applying for a Work Permit

In order to apply for a work permit, just follow the flow chart below, or Click Here to go to coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk's on-line application form.

Step 1

You complete the coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk on-line application form (THIS IS A FREE SERVICE)

Step 2

Coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk considers the application; if there are any issues, we contact you to resolve them. We then formalise instruction and e-mail to you a completed work permit application form (WP1)

(This bit isn't free, but we trust you think it is good value)

Step 3

You print the WP1, sign it, and post back to Coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk. With the WP1 you also enclose:

Copies of all academic/professional qualifications of the candidate
Original employer's references covering, ideally, the last 5 years of the candidate's employment
Copies of any advertisements used to try to find an EU candidate
Signed client contract (if applicable)

Step 4

Coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk makes the work permit application; after 1-4 weeks, the permit is approved by Work Permits (UK), and is sent to coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk

Step 5

Coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk will send the permit to you. If the candidate is outside the UK we will also send instructions on how to obtain a visa from the British High Commission.

If the candidate is already in the UK on a long term status they will need to apply for further leave to remain.

If you would like to apply now, go to Coddan-visas-work-permits.co.uk 's on-line application form or fill in the FLR (IED) form which takes five weeks.