Northern Europe · Immigration

United Kingdom

70 immigration routes

United Kingdom sits in Northern Europe. Its immigration system runs 70 distinct routes — led by work, family and humanitarian protection, each set out in official law. All 70 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.

Immigration routes
70across 16 route categories, each set out in official law
Source-cited routes
70 of 70cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
Largest category
Work13 of the 70 routes — see them under Work below
Region
Northern Europe
Capital
London
Population
69,487,000
Official language
English
Currency
GBP
Time zone
9 zones
Source-cited pathways

Immigration routes

All 70 routes, grouped by purpose — 70 of 70 cite an official government source directly.

Work

12 of 13 say who you can bring
13 routes

Take part in an approved work-experience, training, research, fellowship or overseas-language programme.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Transfer to a linked UK business for a graduate training programme leading to a senior or specialist role.

Salary from GBP 27,300/yrCan bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Take an eligible health or adult social-care job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or another approved care sponsor.

Salary from GBP 25,000/yrCan bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Perform work covered by international law or treaty, including certain overseas-government, international-organisation, contractual-service or diplomatic-household roles.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Accompany an overseas employer to the UK for a short visit as an established domestic worker.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Take an eligible high-skilled job with an approved UK scale-up business.

Salary from GBP 39,100/yrCan bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Provide a service covered by a qualifying UK international trade agreement as an overseas employee or self-employed professional.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Take an eligible skilled job with a Home Office-approved UK employer.

Salary from GBP 41,700/yrCan bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Undertake work connected with establishing a UK branch or subsidiary of an overseas business that has not yet begun UK trading.

Salary from GBP 52,500/yrCan bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Business & self-employment

1 of 1 says who you can bring
1 route

Establish and run an innovative, viable and scalable business endorsed by an approved body.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Talent & merit

2 of 2 say who you can bring
2 routes

Work as a leader or potential leader in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Work or seek work after obtaining a recent qualification from an eligible global university.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Study

2 of 4 say who you can bring
4 routes

Study at an independent school in the UK while aged 4 to 17.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Remain after successful completion of an eligible UK course to work or look for work.

Can bring: dependants
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Study an eligible course with a licensed UK student sponsor.

Can bring: dependants
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Family

from GBP 1,560/mo · 12 of 12 say who you can bring
12 routes

Enter or remain as a child being adopted, already adopted or brought to the UK under a qualifying intercountry adoption arrangement.

Can bring: parents, de facto partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Join a qualifying close relative in the UK where long-term personal care is required and unavailable or unaffordable in the country of residence.

Can bring: grandparents, children, siblings, parents
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Enter the UK to join a qualifying EEA, Swiss or other eligible person under Appendix EU family-permit rules.

Can bring: grandparents, spouse, dependants, children…
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Join or remain with a qualifying parent in the UK.

Can bring: children, parents
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Join or remain with a qualifying partner who is British, Irish, settled, protected or otherwise eligible under the family rules.

Income from GBP 29,000/yrCan bring: partner, de facto partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Accompany and care for a qualifying Child Student aged 4 to 11.

Income from GBP 1,560/moCan bring: children, parents
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Settle after the death of a qualifying British, settled or otherwise covered partner.

Can bring: partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Obtain indefinite leave after completing the applicable partner, parent or child family-life route.

Can bring: children, parents, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Residence-based status

1 of 6 says who you can bring
6 routes

Live, work and study in the UK as a British National (Overseas) ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, the UK or Crown Dependencies.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Remain where the applicant meets the child, young-adult, long-residence or very-significant-obstacles private-life test.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Return to settle after previous indefinite UK residence has lapsed through absence.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Free movement

3 routes

Continue qualifying UK work while primarily resident outside the UK under preserved pre-2021 frontier-worker rights.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Youth mobility

2 of 2 say who you can bring
2 routes

Live and work temporarily in the UK after selection in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot.

Can bring: dependants
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Live and work temporarily in the UK as an eligible young national or territory passport holder.

Can bring: dependants
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Cultural, religious & volunteer

4 of 4 say who you can bring
4 routes

Work temporarily in the UK creative sector as a performer, entertainer, musician, model or production worker.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Take a leading pastoral role, missionary post or qualifying role in a UK faith community.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Perform temporary non-pastoral religious work or work in a religious order.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Short stay & visit

1 of 3 says who you can bring
3 routes

Come to the UK to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice without settling.

Can bring: partner, de facto partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Visit for tourism, family, business, permitted study, medical treatment or another permitted visitor activity.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Humanitarian protection

1 of 11 says who you can bring
11 routes

Request international protection in the UK because return would expose the person to persecution or another qualifying serious harm.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Remain where return would create a qualifying real risk of serious harm despite the refugee definition not being met.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Remain after recognition as a refugee under the Refugee Convention and UK rules.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Remain after formal determination that the applicant is stateless and cannot be admitted to another country.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Ancestry & return

2 of 2 say who you can bring
2 routes

For a person aged 18 or over, born on or after 1 July 1979, who is the child of a Hong Kong BN(O) status holder or of that holder's partner; a partner and children may come as dependants.

Can bring: dependants, children, parents, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

For a Commonwealth citizen, British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen, British national (overseas) or citizen of Zimbabwe aged 17 or over with a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the pre-1922 Irish Free State.

Can bring: grandparents, dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Medical treatment

1 route

Enter for planned healthcare covered by a qualifying S2 arrangement.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Sports

1 of 1 says who you can bring
1 route

Work or coach at elite level where the sport's governing body endorses the contribution.

Can bring: dependants, children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Transit

1 route

Other & special

2 of 4 say who you can bring
4 routes

Enter, remain or settle under the immigration provisions for non-British HM Armed Forces members and qualifying family.

Can bring: children, partner
Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Enter as an officially notified member of a qualifying head-of-state or head-of-government delegation.

Official government source: gov.uk · checked 2026-07-27

Official sources

Compiled by António Mira, founder · How we verify our data · Not legal advice — immigration rules and thresholds change; confirm with the official sources above before deciding.

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