The most common visa used by Teachers to come to work in the UK, 

To be eligible for a skilled worker Visa, you must:

• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ (CoS) from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do and the date you got your CoS

The great news is that many of Engage Education’s schools can sponsor, and almost all teachers in the UK meet the salary requirements!

For full details – Click Here

If you’re a teacher from a Commonwealth country and have a Grandparent who was born in the UK, you may be eligible for an Ancestry Visa. This allows you to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years without needing sponsorship. The even better news is that after 5 years in the UK, anyone can apply for residency.

For full details – Click Here

If you’re a teacher who has a partners or spouse who is already working in the UK, you may be able to apply for a Family/Spousal Visa. This will allow you to work in the UK without sponsorship from a UK School. 

• Your Partner or Spouse must be a British Citizen or have settled status
• You must be able to provide evidence of your relationship
• You must be able to prove your English language skills 
• Financial requirements may apply.

This visa lasts for up to 2 years, but there are some key requirements:

For full details – Click Here

If you come to the UK on a student visa, once you’ve completed your studies, you may want to apply for a Graduate Visa. This allows you to stay in the UK for up to 3 years, to live and work in whatever field you choose, including teaching! This does not require additional sponsorship and gives you a great opportunity to find the perfect school for you before applying for a longer-term visa.

For full details  – Click Here

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows young people aged 18–30 (and in some cases up to 35, depending on nationality) from eligible countries to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years.
This visa is not tied to a specific employer, meaning you can work freely in schools or other roles without needing sponsorship. It’s a great option for teachers who want to gain UK teaching experience, travel, and explore life in the UK before deciding on a longer-term visa.

The countries currently involved in the scheme are:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• ROW: 
• South Korea
• Andorra
• Iceland
• Japan
• Monaco
• San Marino
• Uruguay
• Hong Kong

For full details – Click Here

In addition to your visa, you’ll likely need to apply for QTS.

Congratulations, if you have a relevant teaching qualification in your home country, you can apply directly for Qualified Teacher Status – QTS.

You will need to meet the following basic criteria:

• You hold a teaching qualification that’s equivalent to a UK Level 6 or higher
• You are recognised as a teacher in the country where you are trained.

For Full Details – Click Here

Not eligible for QTS?

If you’re not eligible for QTS (Qualified Teacher Status), you may still be able to teach in the UK. Fully qualified teachers in their home country who cannot obtain QTS (or have had their application rejected) may be able to work as a teacher in the UK for up to 4 years without QTS.

The first step is to check if your teaching qualification is recognised. You can do this by applying for a Statement of Comparability from UK ENIC (UK European Network of Information Centres). Once you have this, you should visit the Department for Education (DfE) website to review the full requirements and next steps.