Stage 04 — Visa & Immigration
The complete IMG visa playbook — six routes compared, dependant pathway, the document checklist, real fees per applicant, and the five-year clock to settlement.
Six visa routes
CoS & SOC codes
Your Certificate of Sponsorship lists the SOC code and salary the visa is granted against. Medical SOC codes attract the most permissive thresholds.
| SOC code | Role | Salary threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Medical practitioners | £35,300 minimum (NHS pay band applies) |
| 2212 | Psychologists | £26,200 (going rate dependent) |
| 2213 | Pharmacists | £35,300 minimum |
| 2231 | Nurses & midwives | £23,200 (going rate) |
The family pathway
Dependant visas run on the same online application as yours — one timeline, one decision letter, four steps.
Submit dependant applications in the same online session as the main applicant — same reference number, same timeline.
Each dependant needs their own passport, photo, financial evidence, TB test (if applicable), biometrics appointment.
Visa fee + IHS multiplied by each dependant. Health & Care Worker IHS exemption applies to dependants too.
Vignettes are issued with matching validity. Collect BRPs in the UK within 10 days of arrival.
Document checklist
Processing time
UKVI throughput varies. Pay only the priority tier you actually need given your start-of-post date.
Standard
3 weeks
Included in visa fee
Default for most H&CW applications
Priority
5 working days
+£500
Available for most overseas applications
Super Priority
Next working day
+£1,000
In-country and select overseas posts only
Cost calculator
Fees verified against current UKVI publications. Multiply by applicants — and remember H&CW exempts IHS for everyone.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| H&CW visa fee (3 yrs) | £304 | Per applicant |
| Skilled Worker visa (3 yrs) | £827 | Per applicant |
| IHS (Skilled Worker) | £1,035/yr | Per applicant — exempt for H&CW |
| TB test | £60–£120 | Per applicant from country on UKVI list |
| Priority service | +£500 | Optional — cuts wait to 5 days |
| OISC adviser | £300–£900 | Optional — flat fee per case |
| BRP collection | Free | Pick up within 10 days of arrival |
| Single applicant (H&CW) | ~£500 | Visa + TB only |
| Family of four (H&CW) | ~£1,700 | Visa + TB ×4, IHS exempt |
| Family of four (SW) | ~£13,500 | 5-year visa + IHS ×4 |
The settlement clock
First visa active
Settle into Trust, register with HMRC, NI number
Continuous residence clock
Stay within 180-days-abroad limit per 12 months
Mid-cycle visa renewal
Renew CoS, re-apply if first visa was 3 years
Prepare ILR documents
Life in the UK Test booking, salary history
Apply for ILR
Set(LR) form, £2,885 fee, biometrics
British citizenship eligible
12 months after ILR (or same time if partner of BC)
Appointment day
Frequently asked
If your sponsor is the NHS or a CQC-regulated provider, Health & Care Worker is always cheaper and faster: reduced fee, full IHS exemption for you and dependants. Skilled Worker is only relevant if your sponsor doesn't qualify.
No. SOC code 2211 (medical practitioners) is exempt from ATAS. Most postgraduate medical training routes are also exempt.
Yes. Partner dependants on Skilled Worker and Health & Care Worker visas have no work restrictions and can take any job, including self-employment.
Priority cuts the wait to 5 working days; Super Priority is next working day. Both are paid extras on top of the standard fee.
The Immigration Health Surcharge funds NHS access. It's £1,035 per year per applicant on most routes. The Health & Care Worker visa exempts you and your dependants entirely.
Yes — every applicant from a TB test country needs their own certificate, including children over 11. Tests are valid for 6 months.
180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period. Going over resets the 5-year clock for ILR purposes.
12 months after getting ILR — or at the same time as ILR if you're the spouse of a British citizen. Naturalisation costs £1,500.
We don't give immigration advice ourselves. We pair you with OISC-regulated advisers and pre-check your documents so you only pay an adviser for what genuinely needs their judgement.
You receive a refusal letter with grounds and review rights. We help you decide between administrative review, an appeal, or a re-application — and stay with you through it.
Founding members get discounted adviser sessions and priority document review.
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