The UK does not have one visa with variations – it has separate routes with separate rules, and picking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake available because the fee is not refunded. This page sets out which is which, and links to the detailed service for each.
| You want to | The route | Sponsor needed |
|---|---|---|
| Work for a UK employer | Skilled Worker | Yes – a licensed sponsor |
| Study a degree | Student visa | Yes – a licensed student sponsor |
| Visit, or attend meetings | Standard Visitor | No |
| Stay after graduating in the UK | Graduate route | No |
| Work without an employer | Global Talent or High Potential Individual | No, but endorsement or an eligible university |
| Join family in the UK | Family visas | A sponsoring relative |
This is the main work route and it is entirely employer-driven. Three things must be true at once: the employer holds a sponsor licence, the role sits at the required skill level with an eligible occupation code, and the salary meets both the general threshold and the going rate for that code. Failing any one makes the application ineligible regardless of your qualifications. Our UK Skilled Worker service covers it in full, and the occupation codes guide explains how the code is chosen.
Priority and super priority services move your application forward in the queue. They do not change how it is assessed, they are not offered on every route or at every application centre, and they do nothing for an application that gets queried. Buy them when you have a fixed date to meet and a complete file – not as insurance against an incomplete one. Our page on UK priority processing sets out the detail.
| Reason | What prevents it |
|---|---|
| Funds held for too short a period | Count the qualifying days before applying, not after |
| Unexplained deposits | Document the source of anything large before it is queried |
| A CAS or certificate mismatch | Check every field against your passport the day it is issued |
| Wrong occupation code | Agree it with the sponsor before the certificate is assigned |
| An undisclosed refusal | Disclose and address it; it is discoverable |
People budget for the visa fee and are then surprised by the total. On most work and study routes the Immigration Health Surcharge is larger than the application fee itself, and it is paid up front for the whole length of the visa rather than annually.
| Item | Paid by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | You, usually | Varies by route and by length of visa |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | You | Charged per year of the visa, paid in one sum at application |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | The employer | Plus the Immigration Skills Charge on most Skilled Worker roles |
| Priority service | You, optional | Only where offered for your route and application centre |
| TB test | You | Required from India, at an approved clinic |
| Maintenance funds | Not a fee | Money you must hold, unless the sponsor certifies it |
The Immigration Skills Charge falls on the employer and cannot lawfully be passed to you. An employer asking you to pay it is doing something they are not permitted to do, and it is worth knowing that before you agree to anything.
Not on the Skilled Worker route, which always needs a licensed sponsor. The Global Talent and High Potential Individual routes do not require an offer, but each has its own qualifying condition.
UKVI publishes a service standard per route, counted from your biometrics appointment. Most decisions fall inside it; queries to the sponsor are the usual cause of delay.
No, but the new application has to answer the exact ground given. Resubmitting the same file rarely works, and the refusal must be disclosed.
Tell us what you want to do in the UK and we will tell you which route fits and what it needs. Talk to our UK team in Hyderabad.
