🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Scale-up Visa
A sponsored route with only six months of tied employment, then complete freedom to work for anyone in the UK.
UK Scale-up Visa
At a glance
- Sponsor
- Yes, for the first 6 months
- Lottery
- No
- Residence
- Yes, ILR after 5 years
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Processing
- 3 weeks outside UK
What this visa is
The Scale-up visa is a hybrid: you need a sponsored job offer from a fast-growing UK company to get in, but after six months you are free to work for anyone, change jobs without a new visa, or be self-employed. The initial grant is two years, extendable in three-year blocks, and the whole period counts toward Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Scaling companies argued that tying staff to a single sponsor deterred senior hires, so the route trades sponsorship for mobility after a short lock-in.
Who it is for
Experienced professionals joining a UK company that can prove at least 20% annual growth in staff or turnover over three years, with a minimum of ten employees at the start of that period.
Why people choose it
Freedom after 6 months
No sponsor needed for the rest of the visa.
Counts toward ILR
Full five-year clock, unlike Graduate or HPI.
Self-employment allowed
Once unsponsored, you can contract or found a company.
Family rights
Dependants work and study without restriction.
Self-sponsored extensions
Extend by showing PAYE earnings rather than a new sponsor.
No employer lock-in risk
Losing the job after six months does not end your status.
Self-assessment
Tick what already applies to you.
Documents you will gather
7 items. Track them as you collect each one.
0 of 7 ready
How the process runs
Step 1
Offer from a scale-up
Employer must hold or obtain scale-up sponsor status.
Step 2
Certificate of Sponsorship
Assigned for a role of at least six months.
Step 3
Application
Online form, fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.
Step 4
Decision
3 weeks outside the UK, 8 weeks inside.
Step 5
Six-month lock-in
Work for the sponsor, then move freely.
Step 6
Extension and ILR
Extend on PAYE evidence; settle after five years.
What it costs
Application fee
£943
Per person, initial two-year grant.
Immigration Health Surcharge
£1,035 per adult per year
Paid upfront.
Extension fee
£943
Every three years until settlement.
English test
£150 - £200
Only if a degree in English is not accepted.
Fees change regularly. Figures are indicative and for educational purposes only, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
You must find another scale-up sponsor or switch route. The sponsor reports the change to the Home Office.
Other United Kingdom routes
Skilled Worker
The main UK work route. A Home Office licensed sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship for a graduate-level job, and the visa counts toward settlement after five years.
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Read guideWant a read on your odds?
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