UKDESK.
UK visa hub · GOV.UK sourced

Every UK visa route, explained.

Work, study, family, visiting, settlement and citizenship, 14 routes, each with the cost, timeline and requirements in plain English.

Verified against GOV.UK · Updated 2026
Not sure which visa?Answer 6 questions, matched in 60 seconds.Already in the UK?Routes you can switch into without leaving.Torn between two?Compare cost, time and settlement side by side.

Work & business

Work for a UK employer or build a business here.

Skilled Worker Visa

Work in an eligible job with a UK Home Office licensed sponsor.

From £819 3 weeks decision

Health and Care Worker Visa

Fast-track route for eligible NHS and senior care roles.

From £304 3 weeks decision

Global Talent Visa

For leaders and exceptional promise in research, arts, and tech.

From £816 3 weeks decision

Innovator Founder Visa

Launch an innovative, viable and scalable UK business.

From £1,357 3 weeks decision

Study

Courses, child study and post-study work.

Student Visa

Study at a UK-licensed education provider aged 16+.

From £558 3 weeks decision

Graduate Visa

Post-study work, now 18 months (from May 2025 reform).

From £937 N/A, apply inside UK only decision

Family & partner

Join or stay with family in the UK.

Family Visa (Spouse / Partner)

Join a partner, parent or child who is British or settled in the UK.

From £2,064 12 weeks decision

UK Ancestry Visa

A 5-year work visa for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent, no sponsor needed, any job.

From £726 3 weeks · 5 working days Priority (+£500) decision

Visit

Short stays, tourism, business or family.

Standard Visitor Visa

Tourism, business, short study (up to 6 months) or medical treatment.

From £135 3 weeks decision

Settlement & citizenship

Indefinite leave to remain and becoming British.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

Permanent UK settlement with no time limit, no IHS and no work restrictions.

From £3,226 N/A, in-UK only decision

British Citizenship (Naturalisation)

British passport, voting rights, EU travel reciprocity and no immigration controls.

From £1,839 N/A, in-UK only decision

EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

Free settled or pre-settled status for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, no fee, ever.

N/A, UK in-country only decision

British National (Overseas) Visa

A bespoke 5-year UK route for Hong Kong BNO status holders and their family, no salary or sponsorship test.

From £206 12 weeks · 5 working days Priority (+£500) outside UK decision

10-Year Long Residence ILR

A continuous-residence settlement route for anyone who has lived in the UK lawfully for 10 years.

From £3,226 N/A, in-UK only decision

Edited & verified by

UKDesk Editorial, Editor & Researcher

Reads gov.uk, HMRC and ONS source pages, verifies every figure, and writes the plain-English explainers on UKDesk.

Verified against gov.uk · May 2026·Editorial policy
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