Visa Employer Letter: What UK Businesses Need to Include
Your employee needs a letter from you to support their UK visa application. The Home Office won't accept vague or incomplete letters — and a weak employer letter can slow down or sink an application that's otherwise solid.
This guide covers exactly what to include, how to format it, and the mistakes that cause problems.
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, consult a qualified immigration solicitor.
When your employee needs an employer letter
An employer letter — sometimes called a visa support letter or employer reference letter — is a supporting document for UK visa applications. Your employee may need one for:
- Skilled Worker visa applications or extensions — confirming employment details and the sponsored role
- Visitor visa applications — confirming employment status, salary, and that leave has been approved
- Family visa financial evidence — confirming income to meet the minimum income requirement
- ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) applications — confirming continuous employment history
The gov.uk guide to supporting documents specifies that employment evidence should be "a letter from your employer on company headed paper, detailing your role, salary and length of employment."
What to include: section-by-section
Every visa employer letter should cover these elements. Missing any of them gives the caseworker a reason to request additional evidence — or refuse.
1. Company letterhead
Print on official headed paper showing your company name, registered address, phone number, and email. If you don't have formal letterhead, create a header with these details. The caseworker needs to be able to contact you to verify the letter.
2. Date and recipient
Date the letter and address it to "UK Visas and Immigration" or "The Entry Clearance Officer" (for applications made outside the UK). Do not leave the recipient blank.
3. Employee details
- Full name (matching their passport exactly)
- Job title and department
- Date employment started
- Whether the role is permanent, fixed-term, or part-time
4. Salary and compensation
- Gross annual salary (before tax)
- Payment frequency (monthly, weekly)
- Any additional regular compensation (overtime, bonuses) if relevant to meeting an income threshold
Be precise. "Approximately £30,000" is weaker than "£30,000 gross per annum, paid monthly." The caseworker will cross-reference this against payslips and bank statements your employee submits.
5. Leave approval (for visitor visas)
If the letter supports a visitor visa for travel, confirm:
- The dates of approved leave
- That the employee is expected to return to their role
- That their position will be held during their absence
6. Your details and signature
- Your full name and job title
- A handwritten signature (or electronic signature if submitting digitally)
- Direct contact details (phone and email) so the Home Office can verify
Common mistakes that weaken employer letters
Vague salary information. "Good salary" or "competitive pay" tells the caseworker nothing. State the exact figure.
Missing contact details. If the Home Office can't verify the letter, they may treat it as unreliable. Include a direct phone number, not just a general reception line.
Inconsistent details. The name, job title, salary, and start date must match what appears on payslips, P60s, and the employee's visa application form. Any mismatch raises a red flag.
Undated letters. A letter without a date could be months old. Always date it close to the application submission date.
Generic templates without personalisation. The letter should be specific to this employee and this visa application. A clearly recycled template with blanks filled in looks careless.
Sample structure
Use this framework — adapt the specifics to your employee's situation and the visa type they're applying for:
[Company letterhead]
[Date]
To: UK Visas and Immigration
Re: Visa support letter for [Employee full name]
I am writing to confirm that [Employee full name] has been employed by [Company name] since [start date] as a [job title] on a [permanent/fixed-term] basis.
[Employee first name]'s gross annual salary is £[amount], paid [monthly/weekly] by bank transfer.
[If visitor visa: [Employee first name] has been granted [X days] of annual leave from [start date] to [end date]. Their position will be held and they are expected to return to work on [return date].]
[If Skilled Worker: This role is sponsored under Certificate of Sponsorship reference [CoS number]. The role falls under SOC code [code] and meets the required salary threshold.]
Should you require any further information, please contact me directly at [phone] or [email].
Yours faithfully,
[Handwritten signature]
[Your full name]
[Your job title]
After the letter: your ongoing obligations
Writing a visa support letter is one step in a larger compliance picture. Once your employee's visa is granted, you have ongoing right to work obligations — including follow-up checks before their permission expires. See our complete guide to ongoing RTW compliance for the full lifecycle.
Not sure whether a document proves right to work? Use the RTW document checker to check instantly.