How do Tier 2 visa applications from outside the UK work? Find out in this guide. If you have a sponsor in the UK, they can assign you a Restricted Certificate of Sponsorship (RCoS) after the employer has conducted the necessary Resident Labour Market Test. Once you have the RCoS assigned to you, you must leave the UK and make the entry clearance application. However, the rules for Tier 2 visas have changed recently. Your employer will now be requred to pay an Immigration Skill charge, which currently stands at between £364 and £5000, depending on the length of employment and your sponsor's size profile. You will also need to obtain a criminal record certificate if you work in any of the following sectors:

• Education (e.g. teachers, education advisors, school inspectors)
• Healthcare (e.g. nurses, doctors, managers, pharmacists, dentists, opthalmic opticians)
• Therapy (e.g. psychologists, speech and language therapists)
• Social Services (e.g. social workers, probation officers)

Once you make an application from outside the UK, the same will be considered by the Entry Clearance Officer under paragraph 245 HA on the Immigration Rules. The requirements for entry clearance are as follows:

• You need to score 50 points, comprised of: 30 Points for Certificate of Sponsorship and 20 points for a required salary which must be in accordance with the codes of practice for skilled work at NQF level 6In addition, you will need to score 10 points for English language knowledge that is at to level B1 or above of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework for Language Learning.You also need to score 10 points for maintenance, which can either to sponsored by your employer or you can provide evidence for maintenance of £945.00 for a period of 90 days and must be dated no earlier than 31 days before the date of the application. A Tier 2 visa can lead to settlement after 5 years in the UK provided you are able to fulfil the requirements of relevant immigration rules at the time of application.