The documents that you need to submit for Tier 2 is pretty limited and almost the same for everyone. You need to show up at the booked date and time at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) with all the papers and submit them according the system of your countries VAC.

Some countries, e.g. USA, you have the option to mail them the papers, with the bio-metrics taken at a separate location. In other countries, e.g. Bangladesh, you have to attend the appointment where your documents will be scanned and also bio-metric information will be taken at the same day, just like the visitor visa.  

They will also take your fingerprints, so keep in mind that if you have henna on your hands, you will not be allowed to proceed as it doesn’t allow for a clear scan.Your case will be well explained in the online application part, or you can always have a look at your countries VAC website.

What documents do I have to provide for Tier 2 visa?

  1. A Cover letter
  2. Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
  3. Criminal records certificate
  4. TB clearance certificate (if you are from any of the listed countries)
  5. Additional documents
    1. Maintenance letter from sponsor / Bank statement having £945 for 3 months (If employer is not a fully A-rated sponsors)
    2. Certificate of full registration as a medical practitioner in the UK (GMC)
    3. Certificate of full registration as a medical practitioner in your country
    4. Tenancy agreement from the previous stay in the UK
    5. Previous/expired passports from the last 10 years

Check to see if your country’s VAC requires you to provide photocopies of all of your documents and supply them accordingly.

Cover letter for Tier 2 Visa

Find a redacted copy of my cover letter here to have an idea how the things were chalked down.

Please note that if in your online application you stated holding any sort of previous nationality, dual citizenship, or status such as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) or National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) in the last 10 years, these should be explained in your letter, especially if you still have any expired passports in your possession. Please also note that OCI and NICOP come under visas and not passports.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

This is one of the very vital documents for your Tier 2 visa application and you must have noticed the entire application is made on the basis of this. The vital information that you need from your CoS are:

  1. Sponsor details (Your Official Employer in the UK)
  2. Start and End Dates (those are your visa start and end dates)
  3. Job title
  4. Gross Salary
  5. Tick to certify maintenance
Read more on Certificate of Sponsorship here – The Formula for CoS.

And here is the most vital page:

Criminal records certificate

This is document is a MUST, and is covered in our post on obtaining criminal records certificate. It is also known as Police verification certificate in many countries I highly recommend reading the linked article separately to know in detail about this Tier 2 visa document.

You need police clearance certificate in order to apply for Tier 2 visa

TB clearance certificate

Another document you must provide in order to apply for a Tier 2 visa is a test to determine if you are positive for tuberculosis. You’ll need to have a tuberculosis test if you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months and are a resident of any of the following countries.

You’ll be given a chest x-ray to test for TB. If the result of the x-ray isn’t clear you may also be asked to give a sputum sample. If your test shows that you don’t have TB, you’ll be given a certificate which is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. Include this certificate with your UK visa application.

Can I not have a TB test?

You won’t need a TB test if any of the following apply:

  • you’re a diplomat accredited to the UK
  • you’re a returning UK resident and haven’t been away for more than 2 years
  • you lived for at least 6 months in a country where TB screening is not required by the UK, and you’ve been away from that country for no more than 6 months

Does my child need TB testing as well?

All children must see a clinician who will decide if they need a chest x-ray. Children under 11 will not normally have a chest x-ray taken.

You must take your child to an approved clinic and complete a health questionnaire. If the clinician decides your child doesn’t have TB, they’ll give you a certificate. Include this certificate with your child’s UK visa application.

What to do if a tier 2 visa (or tier 2 dependent visa) applicant is pregnant?

You can choose:

  • an x-ray with an extra shield to protect you and your unborn child in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters
  • a sputum test- there may be an extra fee and you could wait up to 8 weeks for results
  • to wait until after delivery

If you don’t want to be tested, you can use an x-ray taken within the last 3 months at a UK-approved screening clinic. Ask a clinician at an approved clinic to review your x-ray. If it’s accepted, the clinician will give you a certificate to send with your UK visa application.

Additional Documents

Maintenance letter/Bank Statement

As mentioned above, if your employer is not a fully approved (A-rated) sponsor, and they haven’t ticked “Y” for maintenance then you must provide a bank statement having £945 for the last 90 days before you apply. You can contact your HR about it also; sometimes they issue a maintenance letter.

If you are also applying for a dependent, please understand first what that means.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

  • your husband, wife, or partner
  • your child under 18
  • your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

You must show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK. Each dependant must have £630 available to them whether they apply with you or separately. This is in addition to the £945 you must have to support yourself.

You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply.

You won’t need evidence of your savings if you have a:

Educational Documents

Not mandatory. I had added those just because I mentioned about them in the cover letter.

Tenancy agreement from the previous stay

If you had stayed in a rented accommodation and you can make one, I suggest you do that. Here is a redacted copy of my tenancy agreement. Any sort of booking of a place will also do to back your claim of your previous stay in the UK.

Previous passports

If you still have an old passport that has been used in the last 10 years and is now either expired or of nationality you no longer hold, provide it. This is so they can verify transparency regarding your travel in the last 10 years and that you have provided criminal record certificates to all countries you’ve stayed in for at least 12 months, consecutively or not, in the last 10 years.

So there you have it, all the documents you need to submit in order to continue on your road to the UK by getting a Tier 2 visa. Good luck!