u/Acceptable-Fee2230

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand the UK Skilled Worker visa “new entrant” criteria, specifically the part that says:

“working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body”

In my case, I’m in software engineering and considering applying for BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (CITP route).

I’m a bit confused about what actually counts as “proof” for this requirement.

Do I need to:

•	already have started a formal CITP application?

•	be an active member of BCS and show I’m working towards it?

•	have my employer confirm it in the CoS / sponsorship?

•	or is it only valid once you actually achieve chartered status?

Or in other words — does “working towards chartered status” require any formal certification stage, or is it mainly a declaration supported by employer/sponsor?

Would appreciate any real experiences, especially from people who successfully used this route for Skilled Worker visa.

Thanks!

Hi guys, I’m currently on a Skilled Worker visa that expires on 14 July 2026. After it expires, I plan to switch to a dependent visa based on my wife’s Skilled Worker visa, which is valid until 2 January 2027.

I have two questions:

1.	Will my dependent visa be valid only until the same expiry date as my wife’s visa? In that case, would I only need to pay around 6 months of IHS, or is it still charged for a full year?

2.	My wife will reach 5 years on her Skilled Worker visa in December this year, so she may apply for ILR if the policy remains the same. If she gets ILR, how would that affect my dependent visa? Since her Skilled Worker visa would effectively end once she gets ILR, would I still be able to extend or switch my dependent visa based on her status?

Thanks in advance for any advice!