Scale Up

The Scale-up visa is a type of visa designed for qualified professionals who wish to work in fast-growing companies in the United Kingdom. This visa provides individuals who accept job offers from Scale-up companies with high growth potential with the opportunity to work, live in the country, and apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years. The Scale-up visa aims to address the United Kingdom’s need for skilled labour in its growing technology and innovation sectors. This visa offers professionals attractive opportunities through rapid career development and long-term employment prospects.

The Scale-up Visa is especially beneficial for professionals working in technology, finance, engineering, and other advanced sectors. Introduced as part of the UK’s new immigration system following Brexit, this visa route has been designed to attract highly skilled workers and provides significant advantages for both employers and employees.

Key Requirements:

• The sponsoring company is expected to hold Scale-up Company status.
• The applicant must have received a confirmed job offer from a Scale-up Company for a role lasting at least six months. The occupation listed in the offer must fall under the Eligible Occupations category, and the minimum annual salary must be at least £39,100.
• The applicant must demonstrate English language proficiency at a minimum B2 level.
• At the time of application, the applicant must prove they have sufficient financial resources to support themselves without recourse to public funds.

50 points are awarded for having a valid sponsorship and a qualifying job offer that meets the minimum salary threshold.
10 points are awarded for meeting the English language requirement.
10 points are awarded for demonstrating sufficient personal financial resources at the time of application.

Holding Scale-up Company Status:

There are two routes through which a company may obtain a Sponsor Licence under the Scale-up visa: the Standard route and the Endorsement route.

Under the Standard route, the company must have achieved growth of at least 20% in either employee numbers or turnover over the 3-year period before the application, and must have had at least 10 employees at the start of that period.

The Endorsement route is designed for companies that are not yet eligible under the Standard route but are still relatively established. In this pathway, the company must obtain an endorsement for its business plan from a Recognised Endorsing Body, an organisation approved by the UK Home Office and authorised to assess eligibility for certain visa categories. The company is still expected to have at least 10 employees at the outset and must demonstrate projected growth over the four-year period following the application.

At Visavis Immigration, our experienced team can assist your business in attaining Scale-up company status and guide you through the licensing process. Please do not hesitate to contact us for tailored support.

Job Offer and Eligible Occupations:

To apply for a Scale-up Visa, the applicant must receive a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from their prospective employer. The CoS is an electronic document confirming that the employer is a Home Office-approved sponsor offering a qualifying job. It is processed by the sponsor and includes a reference number which the applicant must use during the visa application. Once the CoS number is issued, the visa application must be submitted within three months.

The occupation code listed in the Certificate of Sponsorship must correspond to one of the codes published on the Home Office’s official list of Eligible Occupations, and it must align with the applicant’s professional background. This list can be accessed here:

The sponsorship agreement, and therefore the job offer, must be for a minimum of six months. The offered salary must meet or exceed whichever is higher: the minimum annual salary of £39,100, or the going rate specified for the occupation.

For example, if the going rate for the role is £41,000, and the offered salary is £40,000, the application would not meet the requirement.

However, if you are applying for a visa extension and you have already extended your Scale-up visa or your most recent Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or after 22 July 2025, your monthly earnings must be equivalent to an annual salary of £39,100 (£36,300 if it was issued between 4 April 2024 and 21 July 2025) for at least half of your current visa period.

If you have worked in more than one job, the salary you earned in each job must be equivalent to the annual minimum amount specified above. If you worked in more than one job at the same time, you should only consider the job where you received the highest salary.

In addition, certain professions, particularly those working in the defence and sensitive technology sectors, require special permits or certificates such as the ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate. The ATAS certificate is a document that confirms that individuals working on specific scientific research and advanced engineering projects have passed security checks. If such a certificate is required for the profession you are applying for, obtaining ATAS approval is mandatory before completing the application. These requirements are particularly applicable to professionals conducting research at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Achieving B2 Level English Proficiency

For a scale-up visa application, applicants must have at least B2 level English language proficiency and prove this proficiency with an approved language test.

Application Cost

Applicants must have at least £1,270 in their bank accounts for the 28 days prior to their visa application. This amount is required to cover living expenses in the United Kingdom. If your employer undertakes to cover this amount on your behalf, this must be clearly stated during the application process.

The application fee for a Scale-up Visa is £937. This amount is charged for the assessment of the application and must be paid in advance at the time of application.

Applicants are also required to pay for health insurance that will be valid for the duration of their stay in the United Kingdom. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is £1,035 per year, so the total will vary depending on the length of the visa.

If family members are included in the visa application, a separate fee must be calculated for each individual and paid at the time of application. All these costs must be covered in full for the visa application to be completed.

After obtaining a visa

Those whose scale-up visa applications are approved receive a two-year residence permit. During the first six months of this period, the applicant must work for the employer specified on their CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship). If the applicant wishes to change their employer, sponsor or occupation code during this period, they must obtain a new CoS and reapply for a visa.

During this six-month period, the applicant may work in the specified job and also engage in freelance or voluntary work; however, working as a professional athlete or sports coach is prohibited. At the end of this period, the employer’s sponsorship responsibility automatically ends and the applicant may continue working in the same job or take up employment elsewhere.

Individuals arriving on a Scale-up visa may be eligible to apply for an ‘unsponsored’ visa after working for an approved employer in the United Kingdom for at least six months. This means that applicants can apply without needing a new sponsor in the event of visa extension or job change. A successful ‘unsponsored’ application grants the applicant an additional three years of stay and provides flexibility to work for any employer during this period.

Individuals who have lived in the United Kingdom continuously for five years with this type of visa may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). For more information, see our Indefinite Leave to Remain page at https://visavisuk.com/en/indefinite-leave-to-remain-ilr/

People coming under the Scale-up visa can also bring their spouse, partner and children to the United Kingdom. The applicant’s family is referred to as ‘dependants’ and these individuals are entitled to live in the United Kingdom for the duration of the applicant’s visa.

The information above is general; each application has its own process. At Visavis Immigration, our team can help you prepare and submit your application. The decision is made by the Home Office.

10 Questions About the Scale-up Visa

For detailed information about the Scale-up Visa, please contact us.

The information on this page is general and does not replace personal advice; the rules may change. Speak to our adviser before making any application decision.