The Skilled Worker visa lets an employer sponsor a worker from outside the UK to fill an eligible job. For dentists, it sits alongside GDC registration and an NHS number as one of the steps to working here.
It starts with a Certificate of Sponsorship and ends with confirmed right to work, with eligibility and English language requirements in between.
The visa requires a job offer from a Home Office approved sponsor, who assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The CoS is an electronic record with a reference number, and the visa must be applied for within three months of it being assigned.
Since 22 July 2025, the job must normally be skilled to RQF level 6, that is graduate level, or be on a relevant shortage list. Dentistry is a graduate level profession, so it meets the skill level. A minimum salary requirement also applies, and the current figure should be checked on gov.uk before relying on it.
Workers making a first Skilled Worker application on or after 8 January 2026 must show English to at least level B2. Those extending a visa held before that date need level B1, and switching from another route needs B2.
A visa that arrives out of step with an NHS number means arriving and sitting idle. The value of a managed process is timing the visa, registration and NHS number to line up so the dentist can start, and right to work, on day one.
Sourced from official bodies. Always check the source for the current position.
If you want to employ an overseas dentist, the Skilled Worker visa sits between offer and start. Understanding it protects:
Approve the candidate and confirm the role.
Coordinates the administrative visa pathway with the candidate and authorised advisers, and tracks it to first day.
A job offer from a Home Office approved sponsor, who assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship. You then apply for the visa within three months of the CoS being assigned.
Yes. Since 22 July 2025 the job must normally be at RQF level 6, graduate level. Dentistry is a graduate profession, so it meets the requirement.
For a first application on or after 8 January 2026, at least level B2. Extending a visa held before that date needs B1, and switching from another route needs B2.
Yes, a minimum salary requirement applies. The figure changes, so check gov.uk for the current position rather than relying on a fixed number.
Explore how Dentello manages the visa alongside registration and NHS numbers, or talk to the team.
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