Tier 2 Sponsorship
WORKING IN THE UK: APPLYING FOR UKVI TIER 2 FROM OUTSIDE THE UK
This section explains how you can apply under Tier 2 of the points-based sponsorship (PBS) system if you are applying for Tier 2 from outside the UK.
General - Depending on the country where you live, you may need to make your application online or using application form VAF9. All applicants must also complete and submit Appendix 5 of the form. There are particular application requirements if you are currently in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. As part of applying for UK Tier 2, you will need to enrol your fingerprints and facial image (known as 'biometric information') at a visa application centre.
Please note that the processes differ by country with regard to: how to apply in your country; the location of our visa application centres; how long we generally take to process visa applications; how your documents will be returned to you.
If your application for Tier 2 is successful, you can find information about what will happen at the border (including customs requirements) in the Customs and travel information section.
Should you apply online or complete an application form for Tier 2 on paper? If you are applying for a UK visa from the following countries, you should apply using our online application system, Visa4UK:
| Albania | Algeria |
Andorra |
Angola |
Anguilla |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Argentina |
Armenia |
Australia |
Austria |
Azerbaijan |
Bahamas |
Bahrain |
Barbados |
Belarus |
Belgium |
Belize |
Bermuda |
Bolivia |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Botswana |
Brazil |
British Virgin Islands |
Brunei |
Bulgaria |
Burkina Faso |
Burma |
Burundi |
Cambodia |
Cameroon |
Canada |
Cape Verde |
Cayman Islands |
Central African Republic |
Chad |
Chile |
China |
Colombia |
Comoros |
Congo |
Costa Rica |
Croatia |
Cyprus |
Czech Republic |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Denmark |
Djibouti |
Dominica |
Dominican Republic |
East Timor |
Ecuador |
Egypt |
Equatorial Guinea |
Eritrea |
Estonia |
Ethiopia |
Faroes |
Fiji |
Finland |
France |
French Guiana |
Gabon |
Gambia |
Georgia |
Germany |
Ghana |
Gibraltar |
Greece |
Greenland |
Grenada |
Guatemala |
Guinea |
Guinea Bissau |
Guyana |
Haiti |
Hong Kong |
Hungary |
Iceland |
India |
Indonesia |
Iran |
Iraq |
Ireland |
Israel |
Italy |
Ivory Coast |
Jamaica |
Japan |
Jordan |
Kazakhstan |
Kenya |
Kosovo |
Kyrgyzstan |
Kuwait |
Laos |
Latvia |
Lebanon |
Lesotho |
Liberia |
Lithuania |
Luxembourg |
Macau |
Macedonia |
Madagascar |
Malaysia |
Mali |
Malta |
Marshall Islands |
Mauritania |
Mauritius |
Mexico |
Micronesia |
Moldova |
Monaco |
Montenegro |
Montserrat |
Morocco |
Nauru |
Netherlands |
New Zealand |
Nicaragua |
Niger |
Norway |
Oman |
Palestinian Authority |
Palau |
Panama |
Papua New Guinea |
Paraguay |
Peru |
Philippines |
Poland |
Portugal |
Qatar |
Romania |
Russian Federation |
Rwanda |
Samoa and Western Samoa |
San Marino |
Sao Tome and Principe |
Saudi Arabia |
Senegal |
Serbia |
Seychelles |
Sierra Leone |
Singapore |
Slovakia |
Slovenia |
Solomon Islands |
Somalia |
South Africa |
South Korea |
Spain |
St Kitts and Nevis |
St Vincent and Grenadine |
St Lucia |
Sudan |
Suriname |
Swaziland |
Sweden |
Switzerland |
Syria |
Taiwan |
Tajikstan |
Thailand |
Togo |
Tonga |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Tunisia |
Turkey |
Turks and Caicos |
Tuvalu |
Ukraine |
UAE |
USA |
Uruguay |
Uzbekistan |
Vanuatu |
Vatican City |
Venezuela |
Vietnam |
Western Sahara |
Zambia |
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If you are applying for a UK visa from the following countries, you should apply by printing out a Tier 2 application form and completing it by hand:
| Afghanistan | Cuba |
Kiribati |
Malawi |
Mozambique |
Namibia |
North Korea |
Pakistan |
Turkmenistan |
Zimbabwe |
If you are applying for a visa for the UK from the following countries, you can choose whether to apply using our online application system or by printing off the Tier 2 application form and completing it by hand:
| Bangladesh | Maldives |
Mongolia |
Nepal |
Nigeria |
Sri Lanka |
Uganda |
What is the date of your application if you are applying from outside the UK? - The date of your application is the date when your application fee is paid to us. This will be the date shown on your payment receipt, which depends on how you paid for your Tier 2 visa application - for example, at a visa application centre or online.
Processing times - applications made outside the UK - The time required to process your UK visa will depend on the country where you are making your application.
Applying from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man - The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney) and the Isle of Man have their own immigration laws and policies. For immigration control, we consider that these islands are outside the UK. If you are living in the Channel Islands or the IOM, and the island authorities have given you permission to enter or stay there (also known as 'entry clearance' or 'leave to remain'), you cannot apply directly from the island for permission to enter the UK. To apply for permission to enter the UK, you have 2 options: you can return to the country where you are normally resident (your 'home country') and apply from there for a visa to enter the UK; or if your permission to stay on the island is still current, and if UK immigration laws allows you to 'switch' from your current immigration category on the island into this category, you can travel to the UK and apply from here. We will treat your current permission to stay as if it had been given by the UK authorities. You must apply to switch before your current permission to stay on the island expires.
You may need to apply for an entry visa before you come to the UK from the islands.