Skilled Worker visa for Kenyan citizens

Eligibility for the Skilled Worker visa is set by UK Home Office. Kenyan applicants must meet the general route criteria plus any nationality- or location-specific intake requirements described in the current corridor guidance above.

Nairobi. Specific intake (online portal, biometrics centre, or in-country lodgement) is determined by UK Home Office — confirm the current intake channel on the primary source linked above before filing.

Kenyan nationals require a visa for any entry into United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Skilled Worker visa is one of the routes available; tourist entry is a separate application.

The stored worked example (Single applicant, 3-year CoS, general rate, no priority) totals about £3,943.20. Each dependant pays the same application fee as the main applicant plus their own IHS at £1,035/year (or £776/year if under 18). It may combine government charges with other stated route costs. Source: GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: how much it costs, verified 10 September 2026. Treat it as indicative and confirm the current official schedule before budgeting.

The Skilled Worker — general threshold floor is £41,700/yr, effective 22 July 2025 (GOV.UK — Appendix Skilled Worker). Your occupation's published going rate may bind higher — whichever is greater applies.

GOV.UK publishes 3 weeks as the typical decision window for Skilled Worker visa applications made outside the UK. applying from outside the UK; switching or extending inside the UK usually takes up to 8 weeks Kenyan applicants usually file via Nairobi, and appointment or post-specific backlogs can add to the wait. Source: GOV.UK — Visa decision waiting times, verified 10 September 2026.

Arrival → ILR (5 years) → citizenship (6 years). Faster on Global Talent / Innovator Founder (3 years to ILR). The route leads to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), then British citizenship. See GOV.UK — Citizenship and living in the UK for the qualifying-residence rules.

Yes. Skilled Worker visa holders can typically apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years of continuous lawful residence, subject to meeting the salary, absence, and English and Life in the UK requirements in force at the time.

Partners and children under 18 can usually apply as dependants on the same visa, although dependant rights have been narrowed for some care-sector routes. Each dependant pays their own application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.

Yes. Applicants must meet both a general salary threshold and the occupation-specific going rate. These thresholds change frequently — most recently in Spring 2024 and again in 2025 — so always verify the current figures on GOV.UK before applying.

You must meet whichever is higher: the general salary threshold (currently £41,700 for most applicants, raised on 22 July 2025) or the ‘going rate’ for your specific occupation code. Some shortage roles have a reduced going rate. New entrants and those switching from Student visas may qualify at a lower threshold. Always check GOV.UK for the exact current figures for your SOC code before relying on any number you find online.

Yes, but you need a new Certificate of Sponsorship from the new employer before switching, and in most cases you must apply for a new visa (or a change of conditions). You cannot start working for a new employer until the new permission is in place. The new employer must also be on the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors.

If your sponsor loses its licence or closes, your current visa permission is typically curtailed — you will receive a notice giving you 60 days to find a new licensed sponsor and apply to change status. Act immediately: do not wait for the full 60 days. The Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK is updated in real time and is the definitive check for whether a prospective employer can issue a CoS.

The Home Office publishes the Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK — a free, publicly searchable list of every employer authorised to issue Certificates of Sponsorship. Search it by company name before applying for any role. Major job boards including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed allow you to filter for ‘visa sponsorship’ roles, but always cross-check the employer against the official register.

Generally, no. You are tied to the employer who sponsored you for the specific role described in your CoS. You may only take on additional work if it is in the same occupation code, at the same level, and does not exceed 20 hours per week, or if it is on the Immigration Salary List (subject to strict rules). You cannot freely freelance.