Tier 2 (General) visa
Documents you must provide
When you apply you’ll need to provide:
- your certificate of sponsorship reference number
- proof of your knowledge of English
- a bank or building society statement or letter that shows you have enough personal savings (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your sponsor can support you)
- a current passport or travel document to prove you can travel - you need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa
- expired passports or travel documents if you need them to show your travel history
- your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country
- a criminal record certificate - if you’re working with vulnerable people
You must provide the original plus a photocopy of every document you provide.
If your documents aren’t in English or Welsh you’ll also need to send a certified translation.
Read the guide for a list of documents you can provide.
You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.
Criminal record certificate
You’ll need to provide a criminal record certificate if you work in:
- education, for example teachers, education advisers and school inspectors
- healthcare, for example nurses, doctors, managers, pharmacists, dentists, ophthalmic opticians
- therapy, for example psychologists, speech and language therapists
- social services, for example social workers, managers, probation officers
Check the full list of professions that need to get a certificate.
You’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve stayed in for a total of 12 months or more over the last 10 years.