You may be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa if you have a job offer with an approved employer opens in a new window  in Scotland who is willing to sponsor you. The job you’re applying for must be: 

• On the list of eligible occupations opens in a new window   (generally roles which are 'medium skilled' and above) 
• Paid the relevant minimum salary or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher (in some cases, this can be less, for example if you have a PhD relevant to the role). Find out more about salary requirements opens in a new window  from GOV.UK 

You must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English. 

Find out more about the Skilled Worker visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

You may be eligible for a Scale-up visa if you have a job offer from a qualifying UK scale-up who is willing to sponsor you and the role is:

• An eligible occupation (roles which are highly skilled only)
• Paid the relevant minimum salary or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher (the minimum salary for this route is £34,600).

Those with a Scale-up visa will be required to work in the qualifying role they are sponsored to do for their sponsor for a minimum of six months. After this initial six-month period, you are able to work for any employer in the UK at any skill or salary level.

However, to extend your visa or to settle in the UK, individuals must be able to evidence PAYE earnings of at least £34,600 per year for a prerequisite period of time or £33,000 per year if their certificate of sponsorship was assigned on or before 11 April 2023.

Find out more about the Scale-up visa opens in a new window  

You may be eligible for a Global Talent visa if you’re a leader or potential leader in any of the following fields:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

To qualify, you’ll either need to apply for an endorsement, or show that you’ve won an eligible award in your field.

Find out more about the global talent visa, approved endorsers and eligible awards opens in a new window from GOV.UK.

From 11 April 2022, you may be eligible for a Global Business Mobility visa if you work for an overseas business, have a UK sponsor and fit into one of the subcategories. These are:

• Senior or Specialist Worker opens in a new window  - for senior managers or specialist employees being assigned to a UK business linked to their employer overseas
• Graduate Trainee opens in a new window  - for those on a graduate training course leading to a senior management/specialist position required to do a work placement in the UK
• UK Expansion Worker opens in a new window  - for senior managers or specialist employees being assigned to the UK to undertake work related to the expansion of a UK business.
• Service Supplier opens in a new window  – for contractual service suppliers employed by an overseas service provider and self-employed independent professionals based overseas, who need to undertake an assignment in the UK (covered by a UK trade commitment)
• Secondment Worker  opens in a new window – for those being seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their employer overseas

Most subcategories are subject to minimum skills and salary levels. See the individual links for more information on GOV.UK.

This route replaced the Start-Up and Innovator visa routes. There are transitional arrangements in place and further guidance can be found on the Home Office website.

The Innovator Founder route is for those individuals with an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated, or to which they have significantly contributed. The applicant must have a business plan that they would have a day-to-day role in carrying out and they must be the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team of the business.

The individual's business idea will require to be endorsed by one of the Home Office's recognised Endorsing Bodies. Under this new route, there is no requirement to show initial capital of £50,000 to invest in the business. However, the business plan must be realistic and achievable based on the applicant's 'available resources' and the endorsing body will need to confirm that there are no concerns over the legitimacy of sources of, or mode of transfer of funds and that there is no reason to believe that the applicant or the endorsed business may be the beneficiary of illicit or otherwise unsatisfactory explained wealth.

This visa will last for a maximum of 3 years initially. Towards the end of this period, you will have the option to apply for an extension for a further three years, or to apply to settle permanently in the UK. This visa would permit individuals to carry out additional work in the UK for third parties providing the work is at level RQF level 3 or above.

Find out more about the Innovator Founder visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

The Start-up category was intended for high potential entrepreneurs seeking to start up a business in the UK for the first time.

This immigration route is closed to new applications.

Start-up visas were issued for a period of two years. Towards the end of this period, visa holders will need to meet the requirements of, and switch in to, another visa category.

Find out more about the Start-up visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

This route closed to new applicants from 13 April 2023.

Applicants who had received an endorsement letter from an Innovator Endorsing Body up to 12 April 2023, can use this endorsement to apply under the Innovator Founder Route for as long as the endorsing letter remains valid and they otherwise meet the requirements of the Innovator Founder Route.

Towards the end of an individual's existing Innovator visa, they will need to either apply to settle in the UK (if they qualify) or meet the requirements of, and switch into the Innovator Founder route, or another visa category.

Find out more about the Innovator visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

If you come from certain countries, are aged between 18 and 30 (or between 18 and 35 if you are a New Zealand national) and have at least the minimum required levels of savings. You may be eligible to apply for a Temporary Worker (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa.

This visa will last for up to two years (or up to three years if you are a New Zealand national) and will allow you to live and work in the UK during this time.

Learn more about the levels of savings required on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

Find out more about the Youth Mobility Scheme on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

If you and your family want to visit Scotland, you can usually enter the UK as a visitor. Certain nationalities must apply for a standard visitor visa in advance of travel to the UK.  It allows you to travel around the country and the rest of the UK for up to a maximum of six months. 

Find the list of nationalities on GOV.UK  opens in a new window  

The UK is implementing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for nationalities not on the list above who currently do not require to apply for a visitor visa in advance of travelling to the UK. This is being rolled out across 2023 and 2024. Qatari nationals will be the first to be able to apply for an ETA in October 2023 and they will need an ETA for travel to the UK from 15 November 2023. The ETA scheme will then be rolled out to further nationalities.

• Further details can be found on GOV.UK  opens in a new window  
• The Home Office has also published a short video on the upcoming introduction of ETAs opens in a new window  
• Further details can also be found on the GOV.UK guide to Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) opens in a new window and the Home Office's published stakeholder partner pack opens in a new window published on 9 March 2023

If you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and have a grandparent who was born in the UK, you may be able to apply for a visa to live and work in Scotland and the rest of the UK. This visa lasts five years. You must be aged 17 or over and have the intention to undertake work, as well as showing that you have enough money to support yourself in Scotland.

To be eligible, the qualifying grandparent must have been born either:

• In the UK
• In the Channel Islands (Bailiwick of Guernsey or Bailiwick of Jersey) or the Isle of Man
• In what is now Ireland (but only if they were born before 31 March 1922)
• In certain circumstances, on a UK-registered ship or aircraft – see nationality policy guidance from GOV.UK opens in a new window  

Eligibility cannot be gained through great-grandparents, nor through step-parents.

Find out more about the UK Ancestry visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

Those from Hong Kong who are a British nationals (overseas) may be eligible for a The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa.

This allows those who qualify to apply to enter or remain in the UK for up to 30 months or 5 years initially to live, work and study. It may be possible to extend this visa or to settle in the UK subject to the eligibility requirements.

Find out more about the British National (Overseas) visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

Generally, you must first secure a place at a licensed education institution opens in a new window , which can then sponsor you for your visa application. There are a number of additional requirements you must meet in order to obtain your student visa.

Find guidance on studying in Scotland from Scotland.org opens in a new window  

Find out more about the Student visa on GOV.UK. opens in a new window  

The graduate route provides international students the opportunity to stay in the UK to work or look for work after they graduate from a qualifying course and institution. Undergraduate and masters degree students can to stay for two years under the route, whilst PHD students can stay for three years.

Find out more about the Graduate visa on GOV.UK. opens in a new window  

This visa route provides graduates of certain qualifying non-UK universities the opportunity to come to the UK to work or look for work. To qualify, individuals will have to have graduated from a qualifying non-UK university opens in a new window in the five years before they make their application.

Undergraduate and masters degree students can come to the UK for two years under the route, whilst PHD students can come for three years.

Find out more about the High Potential Individual visa on GOV.UK opens in a new window  

For those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, or for Ukrainian nationals who want to come to the UK or who are already in the UK and who may need to extend their visa, you can read the UK government's guidance on the UK visa support available for Ukrainian nationals. opens in a new window