Working in the UK for South Africans

Whether it’s access to the “Financial Capital of the World,” the chance to be a part of a culturally diverse workforce, or means of entry into the European professional market, the United Kingdom has become one of the most popular destinations for South Africans looking to relocate for work.

If you’re thinking about joining one of the highest South African diasporas in the world and moving to the UK to further your career,⁵ this article will explain everything you need to know about working in the UK as a South African.

We’ll also quickly cover Wise, an international money transfer services provider specialising in overseas payments that can help you save money if you’re considering sending some of your salary back to South Africa.⁴

Learn more about Wise

Do South Africans need a work visa/permit for a job in the UK?

Non-British citizens must have a valid work permit to work legally in the UK.

Are there different types of permits/visas?

There are several different visas for South Africans looking to relocate to the UK for work. These permits vary depending on how long you want to work in the country, and the type of profession you want to do.

While the UK’s Senior or Specialist Worker Visa allows South African professionals to relocate from a company’s office to the UK branch,⁶ the most common UK work permit for professionals abroad is the Skilled Worker Visa.

The Skilled Worker Visa allows foreign professionals to work in the country in an eligible job with a pre-approved employer.⁷ This visa lasts for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. To be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa, you need to meet strict salary requirements. These will be explained later in the article.

Work opportunities in the UK?

The United Kingdom is known for its booming job market, and the country has a large number of open positions across a wide range of industries.

Foreign professionals can look for job vacancies on the following online portals:

1. Indeed⁸
2. Glassdoor⁹
3. Total Jobs¹⁰
4. Monster¹¹
5. Reed¹²
6. DevITJobs¹³ (the UK has recently emerged as a professional hotspot for IT experts)

Below are some of the average annual salaries for in-demand professions in the United Kingdom.¹⁴

Profession	Average Annual Salary (GBP)	Average Annual Salary (ZAR)
Architect	£48,800	1,160,983 ZAR
Doctor	£74,800	1,779,540 ZAR
Solicitor	£57,200	1,360,795 ZAR
Nurse	£40,560	964,996 ZAR
Software Developer	£50,440	1,200,059 ZAR
Mechanical Engineer	£47,840	1,138,468 ZAR
Marketing Professional	£33,800	804,352 ZAR

The UK’s Shortage Occupation List¹⁵ contains many professions where employers are currently facing a shortage of suitable labour in the UK and are looking for migrants to fill the positions.

If your job is on this list, you will be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa even if you’re paid 80% of the job’s usual going rate. You’ll also pay a lower fee for the permit. There is a separate list of shortage occupations for jobs in the healthcare and education sectors.¹⁶

Send money to South Africa from the UK using the mid-market rate

If you’re a South African expat working in the UK, Wise can help you save money¹ when making international money transfers back to South Africa.

Although the majority of UK banks will allow expats to make international transactions, they normally add a markup onto the mid-market exchange rate, meaning you end up paying more for your transfer.

The mid-market exchange rate is the rate that banks use to transfer money between them and is considered the fairest rate in the market. Find out what you would pay for an international money transfer with Wise:

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Wise customers don’t have to pay an additional markup fee but only a small transparent fee to make an international transaction¹. That’s because Wise uses the mid-market rate for overseas payments!

With Wise, South African expats can save money¹ when making international payments from the UK to South Africa.

Join Wise!

What is the process when applying for a work visa in The UK for South Africans?

South African professionals must apply for a Skilled Worker Visa online. To apply for this permit, you’ll need to prove your identity.

You can prove your identity in two ways:¹⁷

• Have your photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre in South Africa to obtain a biometric residence permit. You can find these centres in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria.¹⁸
• Scan your identity document on the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app. You can also create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account using this app.

What is the processing time?

It usually takes 3 weeks to process a Skilled Worker Visa application.¹⁹ Your application will be processed after you’ve applied online, proven your identity and provided your documents.

If you need a work permit sooner, you can pay an additional £500 (11,939 ZAR) to get a decision within 5 working days.²⁰

Do I need a residence permit/ visa for the UK before applying for a work visa/permit?

Many South African professionals often ask, can I work in the UK without specifically obtaining a work visa? Unfortunately, since you can’t use a biometric residence card or permit to prove you can legally work in the UK,²¹ you need a valid work permit to move to the UK to work.

What is the total cost of applying for a work visa for the UK for South Africans?

Applying for a Skilled Worker Visa from outside the UK incurs the following costs.²²

Visa Type	Cost (GBP) per person	Cost (ZAR) per person
Skilled Worker Visa for up to 3 years in the UK	£719	17,148 ZAR
Skilled Worker Visa for more than 3 years in the UK	£1,420	33,868 ZAR
Skilled Worker Visa for a job on the shortage occupation list for up to 3 years in the UK	£551	13,145 ZAR
Skilled Worker Visa for a job on the shortage occupation list for more than 3 years in the UK	£1,084	25,862 ZAR

South African professionals moving to the UK for work will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge (called the ‘immigration health surcharge’ or IHS) to use the NHS as a foreign worker.²³ This fee is usually £624 (14,873 ZAR) per year.

Even if you have private medical insurance, you will still need to pay this surcharge.

What are the application requirements for South Africans?

To be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You’ve passed an English Language proficiency test and received the relevant qualification from a respectable educational institution
• The UK employer you’ll be working for has been approved by the Home Office
• Your job is eligible for this permit
• You’ll receive at least the minimum salary for the type of occupation you’ll be doing

The minimum salary for the type of work you’re planning to do in the UK is the highest out of the following:²⁵

• £26,200 per year
• £10.75 per hour
• The ‘going rate’ for the type of occupation you’ll be doing

Do employers provide sponsorship for working in the UK?

Before any professional applies for a Skilled Worker Visa, they must already have a job offer from an approved UK employer, known as a sponsor.²⁶ These employers are responsible for sponsoring you to come to the UK to work. There is a list of UK sponsors that have been approved by the UK government.²⁷

Professionals looking to move to the UK for work must apply for their Skilled Worker Visa within 3 months of getting their certificate of sponsorship.

What are the required documents?

When you apply for a Skilled Worker Visa you must provide the following documents:²⁸

• Certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Valid passport or other identity document (you must also have one blank page in your passport for your visa)
• Job title and annual salary
• Job occupation code
• Name of your employer
• Your employer’s sponsor licence number

Depending on your application, you might also have to provide:

• Proof that you have enough money to support yourself in the UK
• Evidence of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re moving with you
• Results from your tuberculosis test - there are several tuberculosis test clinics in South Africa²⁹
• A criminal record certificate if you’re working in education, healthcare, therapy and social services
• A valid ATAS certificate if your employer requires one
• Certificate from each country you’ve lived in if you’ve previously lived somewhere else

If your documents aren’t in English or Welsh, you will also need to provide a certified translation.

Working as a student in the UK

The number of South African students coming to the UK to study has steadily been increasing year on year.³⁰ Many of these students look to take on part-time work to financially support themselves. However, there are some important regulations for international students to be aware of.

Can students work part-time in the UK?

International students studying in the UK for more than six months are given a Student Visa. This visa allows them to work up to 20 hours a week during term time, and full-time during holiday periods.³¹

Are students allowed full-time work in the UK?

Overseas students on a Student Visa can only work full-time hours during university holiday periods.³² A Student Visa also prohibits international students from filling a full-time permanent position, working on a freelance basis or setting up their own business, or working as a professional sportsperson or entertainer.

Can you work in the UK after completing your higher education there?

A Graduate Visa allows students to remain in the UK after completing a higher education degree to take on paid employment.³³

Is there a need for a new visa/work visa?

Students who want to stay in the country after completing a course in the UK need to apply for a Graduate Visa which lasts for 2 years. You must be in the UK to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Work Visa for partner/family members in The UK

Being able to bring your partner and children over to the UK with you is an important part of moving to the country for work. If they’re eligible, they can join you as your ‘dependant.’³⁴

Can I invite my partner if I already have a residence permit + work visa in the UK?

Your partner and children can come to the UK with you if they’re eligible. To do this, they’ll need to complete separate applications to your own Skilled Worker Visa and pay the visa fee.

You will need to provide proof of your relationship to your dependents when you apply. Your dependents also need to show evidence they have a certain amount of money saved to support themselves while they’re living in the country.

What visa does my partner need to apply for to join me in the UK? Is the process different?

Your partner can join you in the UK by applying for a Partner Dependant Visa online.³⁵ If you’ve got children who also want to move to the country, they can apply online for a Child Dependent Visa.³⁶ Dependents will need to prove their identity to apply for a visa.

Working self-employed (as a freelancer) in the UK

The current UK immigration rules don’t offer a self-employed visa route for overseas freelancers looking to work in the UK without sponsorship. However, it’s possible to enter the UK to work on an Innovator Founder Visa which is granted to those who want to set up and run a new business in the country that’s not already on the market.³⁷

You can also enter the UK on a self-employed basis through a Global Talent Visa. To be eligible for this visa you need to be a leader or potential leader in the arts, architecture, fashion design or film and television.³⁸

Starting your own business in the UK

If you’ve got a new and innovative business idea you want to bring to the UK, you might be eligible for the Innovator Founder Visa.³⁷ Potential business owners need to demonstrate their business idea is not just brand-new and innovative, but viable and scalable, too. You can only apply for this visa if your business plan has been endorsed by an approved body.

This visa initially lasts three years. After these first three years, you can extend your Innovator Founder Visa or apply for permanent settlement in the UK.

You can apply for the Innovator Founder Visa online. The application fee is £1,191 (28,451 ZAR) per person for those applying outside the UK. You also need to pay the additional healthcare surcharge as part of your application.

Important processes to complete once you arrive in the UK

After your visa has been approved and you move to the UK to work, there are several important things to do as soon as you arrive in the country.

As soon as possible after entering the UK, you’ll need to:

• Collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
• Open a UK bank account, or find an alternative money service provider that supports international payments like Wise⁴
• Apply for a National Insurance Number³⁸
• Register with a GP to start using NHS services³⁹

Is it worth moving to the UK from South Africa for work?

Pros	Cons
The UK has a thriving job market with competitive salaries, opportunities for growth and exposure to the European professional market.	Not all professions will be eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa, particularly occupations that fall beneath the salary threshold.
The country’s workforce is culturally diverse, so you’ll have the chance to work with people from various backgrounds.	There aren’t many visa routes for self-employed professionals or those with a business idea that already exists in the UK.

Moving to the UK from South Africa for work is a great opportunity for those who want to take advantage of the country’s booming job market and get access to the European professional market, all while joining one of the highest South African diasporas in the world.

If you’re thinking about joining the UK workforce, it’s important to properly research if your profession is eligible for a UK work visa, and if your current salary meets the strict visa requirements.

When it comes to managing money, Wise is a great international money transfer services provider for international payments to South Africa⁴.

Join Wise!

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Sources

1. Please seeTerms of Use for your region or visit WiseFees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
2. Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.
3. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers identity. Wise may request additional documents to verify a customer's identity.
4. Please note that certain products or features may not be available in all regions. Please visitwww.wise.com to check for availability and learn more about our offerings.
5. UK South African diaspora
6. UK Senior-Specialist Worker Visa
7. UK Skilled Worker Visa
8. Indeed
9. Glassdoor
10. Total Jobs
11. Monster
12. Reed
13. DevITJobs
14. Average UK salaries
15. Shortage Occupation List
16. Shortage Occupation List for Healthcare and Education
17. Prove your identity for a Skilled Worker Visa
18. UK visa application centres in South Africa
19. Processing time for Skilled Worker Visa
20. FastTrack your visa decision
21. Proving your right to work in the UK
22. Cost of a Skilled Worker Visa
23. Immigration Health Surcharge
24. English Language proficiency
25. Job eligibility for Skilled Worker Visa
26. Approved UK employers
27. List of approved UK employers
28. Required documents for a Skilled Worker Visa
29. Tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa in South Africa
30. Number of South African students in the UK
31. Working part-time as a student
32. Working full-time as a student
33. UK Graduate Visa
34. Bringing your partner and children to the UK
35. Partner and Child Dependant Visas
36. Innovative Founder Visa
37. Global Talent Visa
38. How to apply for a National Insurance Number
39. How to register with a GP