UK Work Visa vs Work Permit: What the Terms Really Mean

Search for "UK work permit" and you'll find a jumble of terms: work visa, work permit, sponsorship, CoS, BRP, eVisa, share code. Some sites even describe the work permit and work visa as two different documents with different rules. They aren't.

This guide untangles the vocabulary so you understand what you actually need to work legally in the UK, and what each piece of paper (or digital record) does. Once the terms make sense, our guide to in-demand UK jobs shows which roles can still be sponsored.

Everything here reflects GOV.UK as of September 2026.

The short answer: there's no separate work permit

The UK used to have a work permit scheme, where an employer got a permit and the worker then applied for entry. That system was replaced years ago by the points-based immigration system.

Today, your right to work comes from your immigration permission itself. The Home Office uses a few terms for this:

• Entry clearance: permission you get before travelling, usually called a visa.
• Permission to stay (sometimes called leave to remain): permission you get or extend from inside the UK.
• Conditions: the rules attached to your permission, such as which employer you can work for.

So when a job advert says "must have a UK work permit", it means "must already have the right to work in the UK". When someone says "apply for a work permit", they almost always mean a work visa.

Key terms explained

Work visa

A work visa is permission to come to or stay in the UK for work. It sets how long you can stay, whether you can change employer and whether family can join you. The Skilled Worker visa is the main one, and it can last up to 5 years before you extend it.

Sponsor and sponsor licence

A sponsor is a UK employer approved by the Home Office to hire people on certain visas. The Home Office publishes a register of licensed sponsors, which was updated on 18 September 2026.

Employers pay for the licence. As of September 2026, GOV.UK lists £611 for small businesses and charities and £1,682 for medium and large organisations.

Certificate of sponsorship (CoS)

A CoS is an electronic record, not a physical document. It confirms the job, salary and occupation code, and has a reference number you use in your visa application. You must apply within 3 months of getting it.

The CoS is the employer's cost. GOV.UK sponsor guidance says a licence will normally be revoked if the employer tries to recover the CoS fee from the worker.

Occupation code and going rate

Every sponsored job has a 4-digit occupation code. GOV.UK sets a minimum "going rate" for each code. For most Skilled Worker jobs, you must be paid the higher of the going rate and £41,700 a year, although some people qualify from £33,400.

eVisa

An eVisa is a digital record of your identity and immigration status, including your right to work. GOV.UK says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents such as biometric residence permits (BRPs). You access it through a free UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

Share code

A share code is a code you generate in your UKVI account to prove your status to an employer or landlord. It lasts 90 days and can be reused in that time. The employer also needs your date of birth.

Electronic travel authorisation (ETA)

An ETA is permission to visit the UK, not to work. It costs £20. Many nationalities who don't need a visitor visa now need one, but it gives you no right to take a job.

Work visa routes compared

Most routes also require the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year per adult. Health and Care Worker visa holders and their families don't pay it.

The Graduate visa is getting shorter

GOV.UK says a Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. PhD graduates still get 3 years. You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires.

High Potential Individual visa details

The HPI visa lasts 2 years, or 3 with a PhD, and can't be extended. There's a yearly cap on applications, and time on it doesn't count towards settlement. You'll need B2 English and, for an overseas degree, an Ecctis check costing £252.

Documents: what you'll actually be asked for

For a Skilled Worker application, GOV.UK lists:

• your CoS reference number
• proof of English
• a valid passport
• your job title, salary and occupation code
• your employer's name and sponsor licence number

You may also need proof of savings of £1,270 held for 28 days (unless your employer certifies maintenance), tuberculosis test results if you're from a listed country, and a criminal record certificate for education and healthcare jobs.

You won't be asked for a "work permit" or a medical certificate from your doctor, both of which the old version of this article listed.

Step by step: from job offer to first day at work

1. Get an offer from an employer on the sponsor register.
2. Confirm the occupation code, salary and start date match GOV.UK's rules.
3. Receive your CoS number from the employer.
4. Apply online up to 3 months before your start date. Pay the visa fee and health surcharge.
5. Prove your identity, either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre.
6. Wait for a decision, usually within 3 weeks from outside the UK or 8 weeks from inside.
7. Set up your UKVI account and link your eVisa. Add your passport details so you can travel.
8. Generate a share code and give it to your employer before you start, along with your date of birth.

Costs and money: a quick budget

For one adult on a 3-year Skilled Worker visa applied for from abroad, as of September 2026:

• Visa fee: £819
• Health surcharge: £3,105 (3 years at £1,035)
• Savings, unless certified by your sponsor: £1,270

That's £3,924 in government fees before savings, flights and a rental deposit. A partner pays the same fee and surcharge again.

Once you're working, tax and National Insurance are deducted through PAYE, the UK's pay-as-you-earn system. You'll need a National Insurance number, which you can apply for once you live in the UK with the right to work. GOV.UK says you can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work. Open a UK bank account early so your employer can pay you, and compare transfer providers if you'll send money home.

Scams built on confusing terms

The mix of old and new vocabulary makes this area a magnet for fraud. Common tricks include:

• Selling a "UK work permit" as a separate document you must buy before applying.
• Charging for a CoS. That's the employer's cost.
• Fake sponsor letters from companies not on the register.
• "Visa-free work" offers built on visitor visas or ETAs, which don't allow work.

Which option fits you?

• You have a job offer from a licensed sponsor: Skilled Worker, or Health and Care Worker for eligible health roles.
• You're a recognised or emerging leader in academia, research, arts or digital technology: look at Global Talent.
• You graduated recently from a top-ranked university abroad: check the HPI list.
• You're finishing a UK degree: the Graduate visa, applied for before your Student visa ends.
• You're a Commonwealth citizen with a UK-born grandparent: the UK Ancestry visa.

For the longer term, most work routes can lead to settlement and then citizenship. Our guide to routes to British citizenship explains that final stage.

Your next steps

• Stop searching for a "work permit" and identify the visa route that fits you.
• Check any employer on the register of licensed sponsors.
• Confirm your job's occupation code and going rate on GOV.UK.
• Book an approved English test if you need one.
• Budget for the visa fee, health surcharge and savings.
• After approval, set up your UKVI account and learn how to generate a share code.