Scale-up Worker visa: Indian citizen in India → United Kingdom
Indian citizens with a confirmed job offer from an approved UK scale-up business apply online on gov.uk for a Scale-up Worker visa, prove their identity and provide documents, and can stay in the UK for 2 years.
Allows you to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business that has been approved as a scale-up sponsor.
- Validity
- You can stay in the UK with a Scale-up Worker visa for 2 years.
- Entries
- Multiple entry for the duration of your visa.
- Max stay per visit
- 2 years; you can apply to extend your visa.
When to start
Start 30 days–3 months before your travel date.
Getting an appointment in India
- Delhi & Mumbai: usually 1–2 weeks for a slot; peak season can stretch towards 4 weeks.
- Tier-2 centres (Pune, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad) often have earlier slots — a train ticket can beat the wait.
- The New Delhi centre relocated in early 2026 — confirm the current address on the official VFS site before you go.
- Applicants report slots opening 7–21 days out in normal months — book the moment you pay your fee.
A Scale-up Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business.
You must have a confirmed job offer to work for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months.
Complete the application on gov.uk. You'll pay the £937 application fee, plus the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay.
As part of your application, you'll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.
From outside the UK you'll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
What you'll need
- Certificate of sponsorship reference number — Your certificate of sponsorship reference number — your employer will give you this. ✓ verified
- Passport / identity document — A valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality. ✓ verified
- Proof of knowledge of English — Proof of your knowledge of English. ✓ verified
- Job title and annual salary — Your job title and annual salary, plus your job's occupation code. ✓ verified
Where you'll apply
Apply online on gov.uk, then prove your identity — either with the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app or by giving fingerprints and a photo at a UK visa application centre (VFS Global) in India.
Fees
| Scale-up Worker visa application fee | GBP 937 |
Gotchas to watch
- You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English.
- Your job offer must be to work for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months, and you must be paid a minimum salary in your new job.