TRW & Co · UK–Bangladesh immigration
UK Skilled Worker Visa from Bangladesh: Sponsors, Fraud and Documents
A UK work visa from Bangladesh is, for most people, the Skilled Worker visa. It needs a genuine job with a licensed UK sponsor, a graduate-level role in most cases, a salary at or above the threshold and B2 English. This guide explains the 2026 rules, how to verify an employer, and how to avoid the recruitment fraud that targets Bangladeshi applicants.
Key pointNo genuine sponsor sells a certificate of sponsorship. Employers are barred from passing the licence fee, the CoS fee and the immigration skills charge on to workers, so any demand for payment is a warning sign.
At a glance
Sponsor is essential
You need a job offer from an employer on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, and a certificate of sponsorship assigned for that specific role.
Graduate-level roles
Since 22 July 2025 most new sponsored jobs must be at RQF level 6; medium-skilled jobs qualify only through the shortage lists or transitional rules.
Salary threshold
GOV.UK sets the usual minimum at the higher of £41,700 a year and the going rate for the occupation, with lower rates in defined cases.
B2 English required
New Skilled Worker applicants from Bangladesh must prove English at CEFR level B2, through an approved test or a qualifying English-taught degree.
Care recruitment closed
Overseas recruitment for care worker and senior care worker roles closed in July 2025, so care job offers sold in Bangladesh deserve particular scrutiny.
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UK work visa from Bangladesh: the short answer
For most people, a UK work visa from Bangladesh means the Skilled Worker visa. It requires a genuine job offer from a UK employer that holds a Home Office sponsor licence, a certificate of sponsorship for that job, a role at the required skill level, a salary at or above the applicable threshold, and English at level B2. There is no general work visa you can obtain without a sponsor.
The rules tightened sharply in 2025. Since 22 July 2025, most new sponsored roles must be at graduate level (RQF 6), and GOV.UK sets the usual minimum salary at the higher of £41,700 a year and the occupation's going rate. Overseas recruitment of care workers has closed. These changes have shrunk the pool of eligible jobs, and they have also made Bangladeshi applicants a target for recruitment fraud.
If someone in Dhaka is selling a UK job, a certificate of sponsorship or a "work permit" for a fee, the safest assumption is that it is not genuine.
The legal framework
The route is governed by Appendix Skilled Worker to the Immigration Rules, read with Appendix Skilled Occupations (which lists eligible occupation codes and their skill levels) and the Home Office's guidance for sponsors. Statements of Changes to the Immigration Rules amend these regularly, so the rules in force on the date of application are what count.
Core requirements
- Sponsor. The employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and appear on the public register of licensed sponsors.
- Certificate of sponsorship. The sponsor assigns a CoS, a unique electronic reference, for the specific job.
- Skill level. According to GOV.UK, most new roles must be at RQF level 6. Medium-skilled roles qualify only through the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, or for workers already on the route.
- Salary. The usual minimum is the higher of £41,700 and the going rate for the occupation, with lower rates in defined cases.
- English. New applicants must prove English at CEFR level B2.
- Genuine vacancy. The job must be real, and the applicant must be able to do it.
Health and care roles
Doctors, nurses and certain other health professionals may qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa, which GOV.UK describes as cheaper and exempt from the immigration health surcharge. Recruitment of care workers and senior care workers from overseas closed in July 2025. Anyone in Bangladesh offered a care worker job in the UK for a fee should treat the offer with great caution.
Other routes worth knowing
The Skilled Worker visa is not the only option, although it is the most common. The Global Talent visa is for recognised leaders or emerging leaders in fields such as academia, research, arts and digital technology, and needs endorsement rather than a job offer. The Innovator Founder visa is for people setting up an innovative business with an endorsement. The Global Business Mobility routes allow overseas employers to send certain staff to a linked UK business. Each has its own demanding criteria, and none is a shortcut around the Skilled Worker requirements.
Finding and verifying a licensed sponsor
A UK work visa from Bangladesh starts with the employer, not the visa. The Home Office publishes the register of licensed sponsors as a downloadable list. Search it for the exact legal name of the company and check that it is licensed for the Skilled Worker route.
Ask the employer direct questions before you accept: the exact job title and occupation code, the gross annual salary, the working hours, where you will work, who you will report to, and whether the company will certify maintenance on the CoS. A genuine sponsor can answer each of these quickly, in writing, on company letterhead.
A sponsor licence alone does not prove a job is genuine. Cross-check the company on Companies House: is it active, does its business match the job, and are its accounts and officers consistent with an employer that can pay the salary? Look for a real website, a trading address and staff. A small company with no trading history offering several high-salary roles to overseas candidates is a warning sign.
Employers are prohibited from passing on certain sponsorship costs to the worker, including the sponsor licence fee, the certificate of sponsorship fee and the immigration skills charge. An employer or agent who asks you to pay for these, directly or disguised as a "processing fee", is breaching the sponsor rules.
Before paying anything to anyone, ask for the employer's full legal name and sponsor licence number, then check both yourself on the register and on Companies House. Speak to the employer directly, using contact details you have found independently, not those supplied by an agent.
Avoiding recruitment fraud
Fraud is the single biggest risk for anyone seeking a UK work visa from Bangladesh. The gap between demand for UK jobs in Bangladesh and the number of genuine sponsored vacancies has created a market in fake offers and sold certificates. Applicants have paid large sums and been left with a refused visa, a deception finding, or a job that does not exist on arrival.
Paying for a certificate of sponsorship
A CoS is assigned by a licensed sponsor for a genuine vacancy. It is not a product. If an agent offers to "arrange" a CoS for a fee, the sponsor may be complicit in selling sponsorship, which the Home Office treats as a serious breach. Licences in such cases may be suspended or revoked, and workers sponsored by that employer can have their permission curtailed. The money paid is rarely recovered.
Jobs that do not match the occupation code
A CoS might describe a graduate-level role with a salary above the threshold, while the actual work offered is lower-skilled or lower-paid. The Home Office can refuse an application where it is not satisfied the job is genuine, and may later check that the worker is doing the role described. Ask for a detailed job description and contract, and check the occupation code in Appendix Skilled Occupations against the duties.
False documents supplied by agents
Some agents provide fabricated experience letters, degree certificates or English test results to strengthen an application. If the Home Office detects a false document, the application will be refused and the applicant can face a ban on future applications lasting years. The applicant is responsible for every document submitted, even if an agent prepared it.
Salary deductions after arrival
Workers sometimes discover after arrival that the employer expects them to repay "costs" through salary deductions, or pays less than the CoS states. Paying below the stated salary breaches the sponsor's duties, and recovering prohibited costs from the worker is not allowed. Keep payslips and records. Where an employer is exploiting workers, legal advice and reporting routes are available.
Documents and costs for a UK work visa from Bangladesh
The GOV.UK document list and cost page set out what a Skilled Worker applicant from Bangladesh must provide and pay.
| Item | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of sponsorship | Reference number from the sponsor | Includes job title, occupation code, salary and sponsor licence number |
| English | B2 for new applicants | Approved SELT, or a degree taught in English with Ecctis confirmation where needed |
| TB certificate | Required for applicants from Bangladesh | From a Home Office approved clinic |
| Criminal record certificate | Education, health, therapy and social care roles | From each country lived in for the period GOV.UK specifies |
| Personal savings | £1,270 held for 28 days in a row | Not needed if the sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS |
| Application fee | £819 (up to 3 years) or £1,618 (over 3 years) | Lower fees for Immigration Salary List roles |
| Health surcharge | Usually £1,035 per year | Health and Care Worker visa applicants are exempt |
Each dependant also pays the fee and surcharge and must show savings. Every Bengali document needs a certified translation.
The application process step by step
- Secure a genuine offer. Obtain a written offer from a licensed sponsor and verify it independently.
- Check eligibility. Confirm the occupation code, skill level and salary against Appendix Skilled Occupations and the going rate.
- Prove English. Take an approved test at B2 or obtain Ecctis confirmation of an English-taught degree.
- Book a TB test. Attend one of the approved clinics in Bangladesh.
- Obtain a police certificate if needed. Apply in Bangladesh, and in any other country required, for roles in education, health or social care.
- Receive the CoS. The sponsor assigns it and sends you the reference number.
- Apply online and attend biometrics. Pay the fee and surcharge and attend the visa application centre. GOV.UK says overseas decisions usually take three weeks.
- Travel and start work. Travel within the permitted window and keep your immigration status and job details up to date.
After you arrive
Your permission is tied to your sponsor and your job. If you want to change employer, or your job changes significantly, you will usually need a new certificate of sponsorship and a fresh application before you start the new role. If your employment ends, your permission may be shortened, so take advice quickly. Under the rules in force as of October 2026, Skilled Workers can apply for settlement after five years, but the Home Office has consulted on lengthening the qualifying period, and settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 will need English at B2. Our guide to the immigration White Paper changes tracks these developments.
Dependants and family
A Skilled Worker can usually bring a partner and children under 18, who must each apply and pay. The important exception is for workers in medium-skilled roles (RQF 3 to 5) sponsored through the shortage lists: they generally cannot bring dependants unless they were already on the route with that entitlement. Families should check this before accepting an offer, because it can change the whole plan.
Partners of Skilled Workers can generally work in the UK. Children can attend state schools. Dependants must show evidence of the relationship, such as a nikahnama and birth certificates, with translations.
Dependants who have lived in Bangladesh also need their own TB certificates, and each must meet the savings requirement unless the sponsor certifies maintenance for the family. Timing matters: dependants can apply with the main applicant or later, but if they apply later they must still meet the rules in force at that time. Where a couple are not yet married, an unmarried partner must show that they have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years, which is often difficult to evidence for couples in Bangladesh. A marriage registered before the application avoids that issue.
An illustrative scenario
This example is illustrative only and does not describe a real client.
A software engineer in Dhaka with five years' experience is contacted on a professional network by a UK technology company. The offer is for a senior developer role with a salary above the going rate. Before accepting, she checks the company on the register of licensed sponsors and Companies House, confirms that its accounts show substantial revenue and staff, and speaks to the hiring manager by video call through the company's published number. She is never asked to pay anything.
She takes an approved English test at B2, attends a TB test in Dhaka, and receives her CoS with the sponsor certifying maintenance. Her husband and child apply as dependants with their nikahnama and birth certificate, translated. This is how a UK work visa from Bangladesh should look: a verifiable employer, a role that fits the rules, and no payments to intermediaries. No outcome is guaranteed, but every element can be checked.
The UK–Bangladesh angle
Bangladesh regulates overseas employment of its own citizens through the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013 and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). Workers going abroad may need to complete Bangladeshi registration and clearance formalities, and recruiting agents must be licensed. Check current requirements with BMET before departure, separately from the UK visa.
For Bangladeshi businesses, a UK work visa from Bangladesh is not the only route. A Bangladeshi group expanding into the UK may be able to sponsor senior staff through its own UK entity, using the Global Business Mobility routes or the Skilled Worker route once the UK company holds a sponsor licence. Our guide to setting up a UK company for Bangladeshi founders explains the corporate side.
What to do next
- Verify the employer on the register of licensed sponsors and Companies House.
- Never pay for a job offer, a CoS or a "work permit".
- Check the occupation code, skill level and salary against the current rules.
- Book a B2 English test, a TB test and, if needed, a police certificate.
- Check whether your dependants can come before you accept the job.
- Keep copies of every document and every payment.
TRW & Co's London office is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our immigration team for Bangladeshi nationals and business immigration team advise workers on offers and applications and advise UK employers on sponsorship compliance. See our general Skilled Worker visa guide for the wider rules. We cannot guarantee any visa outcome. To discuss a UK work visa from Bangladesh, contact our London office or email info@trw.co.
Frequently asked questions
01Can I get a UK work visa from Bangladesh without a job offer?
Not on the Skilled Worker route. It requires a job offer from a licensed sponsor and a certificate of sponsorship. Other routes exist for exceptional people, such as the Global Talent visa for recognised leaders in certain fields, and for founders with an endorsed business idea, but these have their own demanding criteria. Students who complete a UK degree can apply for the Graduate visa and look for sponsored work from inside the UK.
02How do I check if a UK company can sponsor me?
Download the Home Office register of licensed sponsors from GOV.UK and search for the company's exact legal name. Check that it is licensed for the Skilled Worker route. Then check the company on Companies House to confirm it is active and that its business, accounts and officers fit the job offered. Contact the employer through details you have found independently. A licence alone does not prove that a specific job is genuine.
03How much does a Skilled Worker visa cost from Bangladesh?
GOV.UK lists an application fee of £819 for visas of up to three years and £1,618 for longer visas, with lower fees for Immigration Salary List roles. The immigration health surcharge is usually £1,035 per year. You must show £1,270 in savings held for 28 days unless your sponsor certifies maintenance. You also pay for the English test, TB test and translations. You should never pay for the certificate of sponsorship.
04Can I bring my family on a UK work visa from Bangladesh?
Usually, yes. A partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants, each paying the fee and surcharge and showing savings. However, workers sponsored in medium-skilled roles through the shortage lists generally cannot bring dependants unless they were already on the route. Check the skill level of the role before accepting the offer, and prepare relationship documents such as the nikahnama and birth certificates with translations.
05What should I do if I paid an agent for a fake UK job?
Stop making payments and keep every record: messages, receipts, bank transfers and documents. Do not submit any document you suspect is false, because the consequences of deception fall on you. Report the agent to the police in Bangladesh and to BMET if the agent claims to be a licensed recruiter. If a UK employer was involved, the Home Office can be informed. Take legal advice before making any further application.
06How long does a Skilled Worker visa take from Bangladesh?
GOV.UK says applicants outside the UK usually get a decision within three weeks of their biometrics appointment. Paid faster decisions may be available. The overall timeline is often longer, because you need the job offer, the certificate of sponsorship, an English test, a TB certificate and, for some roles, a police certificate before you can apply. Allow time for each of these when agreeing a start date with the employer.
Sources and official materials
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa — Overview, length of stay and decision times
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa – your job — Skill level and salary requirements
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa – how much it costs — Fees, surcharge and savings
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa – documents you must provide — TB, criminal record and other documents
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker — Route requirements
- Home Office: Register of licensed sponsors – workers — Check whether an employer is licensed
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa — Health and care roles
General information only, current as at 21 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor–client relationship. It reflects the law of England and Wales unless stated otherwise; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems, and the law changes frequently. Check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.