Skilled Worker Visa Extensions: Everything You Need to Know

30th May 2025

Categories: Business, General, HR, News, Sponsor licence, Visas

Skilled Worker Visa Extensions

If you are a UKVI registered sponsor with Skilled Workers under your sponsorship, you may need to extend their sponsorship as their visas approach expiry. Skilled Worker visa extensions are only applicable to individuals already under your sponsorship whose visas expire within three months. Extensions are not available for those changing sponsors or job roles within your organisation.

When Do You Need to Extend a Skilled Worker’s Visa?

You must extend a worker’s visa if:

Their current Skilled Worker visa is nearing expiry (within three months), AND
You wish to continue sponsoring them within the same role.

Note: If the worker is eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) before their visa expiry, a Skilled Worker visa extension may not be necessary.

How to Extend a Sponsored Worker’s Visa:

Assign a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): This must be in the extension category for the relevant individual.
Sponsored Worker submits a visa application: Your sponsored worker uses the new CoS to apply for an extension of their Skilled Worker visa.
Visa is granted: Once the new visa is granted, their stay in the UK is legally extended.

Things to Consider When Extending Your Sponsored Worker’s Visas:

Period of Sponsorship

You may wish to consider when your sponsored workers may be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain when deciding on a period of sponsorship for an extension.

Skilled workers may be eligible for ILR after 5 years of continuous residence in the UK under the Skilled Worker visa (subject to them meeting the other requirements)

Therefore, if you have already been sponsoring a person for 3 years, you may wish to extend the period of sponsorship for a further 2 years.

Salary

When preparing for a Skilled Worker visa extension, you may be required to increase the salaries of your sponsored workers when assigning them the new CoS. When assigning CoS for extensions, you will need to meet current salary requirements rather than the requirements in place when you began sponsoring the individual. There may however be the potential for some salary reductions if you are extending a sponsored worker who has been in the UK as a Skilled Worker since prior to 4th April 2024.

Timing

Keep track of visa expiry dates of your sponsored workers as a matter of compliance and to help you prepare for their extensions.
Ensure you have undefined CoS in your annual allocation to assign for extensions. If not, you will need to request them in advance.
- Undefined CoS may take up to 18 weeks to be granted
- If you pay a £200 priority processing fee, this period can be reduced to 5 working days.

Application Deadline: It is vital that your sponsored workers submit their extension visa applications prior to their visas expiring to prevent the risk of refusal and being without valid leave.

Note: Do not begin the extension process too soon. Extension visa applications cannot be submitted more than three months prior to the relevant individuals visa expiry date. Once a CoS is assigned, the corresponding visa application must be submitted within three months.

Actions to Take Once the Visa Extension is Granted:

You must conduct a new right to work check once your sponsored worker’s new visa has been granted. This right to work check should reflect their new visa expiry date and continued eligibility to work.

FAQ'S

What has the recent Home Office White Paper said about ILR for Skilled Workers and what impact will this have?

The recent Home Office White Paper has indicated that the rules for ILR for Skilled Workers will be changing:

The new minimum period for settlement may be increasing from 5 years to 10 years.
There is a proposal that the 10 year period could be reduced by economic or social contributions.
The White Paper did not outline whether there would be transitional arrangements in place for those already in the UK under the Skilled Worker visa and whether their settlement period would remain the same.

The White Paper is a strong indication that the Immigration Rules will be changing. However, the changes have not been implemented yet. As it stands, Skilled Workers may apply for ILR after 5 years, provided all other criteria are met.

Does time spent on a Skilled Worker with other sponsors count towards ILR?

Yes, any time spent on the Skilled Worker visa, including being sponsored by multiple sponsors can be counted towards the ILR period, provided:

The worker’s leave has been continuous
They have not broken residence.

This would have to be evaluated on a case by case basis. This could however impact the period of sponsorship you consider when extending a sponsored worker’s visa.

Is there a maximum time that someone can be sponsored for?

There is no maximum period of time that a person can be sponsored for outlined in the Immigration Rules. However, the maximum period of sponsorship you can put on a CoS is 5 years.

What happens if a Skilled Worker’s visa expires whilst their extension application is still pending?

If a Skilled Worker submits their extension application before their current visa expires, they will be protected under the Section 3C leave.

This means:

The residence period will not be broken whilst the application is pending.
They can lawfully remain in the UK while waiting for a decision.

However, if the application is submitted after the visa expiry date, the individual will be considered an overstayer, which can have serious immigration consequences.