{"id":103085,"date":"2018-05-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/uk-work-visa\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:54:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:54:52","slug":"uk-work-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/uk-work-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Should Know About the UK Work Visa For South Africans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, seduced by the vinegary tang of fish and chips, cosy charm of English pubs, and architectural elegance of Buckingham Palace, many South Africans find themselves relocating to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you are one of them.<\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve been offered your dream job in London or are moving to Scotland to head up a team in Edinburgh. Either way, you will need a UK work visa to pursue your professional pursuits in the land of redheads and royal families.<\/p>\n

And although the rigid regulations and changing legislation can make it a confusing and scary process, this guide will be your saving grace on your journey to work in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Get your cheap flights to London<\/a> now!<\/p>\n

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Image courtesy of @tienlen.2009<\/a> via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can South Africans work in the UK?<\/h2>\n

Yes. However, the process has gotten a bit more complicated since the overturn of visa-free travel for South Africans in 2008, so you will need more than just a job offer and few quid in the bank.<\/p>\n

Nowadays your job needs to be on the Shortage Occupations List or you need to have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed company to be eligible for a UK work visa.<\/p>\n

Note: This applies to South African passport holders wanting to work in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UK work visa\u00a0does not<\/strong><\/u> apply to:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Applicants who have parents or grandparents born in the UK or Europe.
\n\u2022 Applicants who have partners with UK or EU citizenship.
\n\u2022 Applicants who are attending a conference or conducting business\u00a0 in the UK.
\n\u2022 Applicants who are visiting the UK for a holiday. See this guide to the UK Visa Application for South Africans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Image courtesy of @rstarphillips<\/a> via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is the Shortage Occupations List?<\/h2>\n

Skilled jobs need to be advertised to residents of the European Economic Area (EEA) for a certain amount of time before they can be offered to citizens from other countries. This is known as the Resident Labour Market Test and is in place to protect the domestic labour market.<\/p>\n

The jobs that are on the Shortage Occupations List are the jobs that employers struggle to fill and that do not need to be advertised before being offered to a non-EEA citizen.<\/p>\n

The jobs on this list include:<\/p>\n