How a Non-UK Interior Designer Can Successfully Apply for a UK Job Visa

How can I get an interior design job in the UK? It’s one of the most common questions interior designers have asked me since joining the interiors industry. But what people are really asking me is ‘how do I get a UK work visa as an interior designer?’ There are a few different visa options available to you. Of the 7 talked about in this article, most people will need to focus on just two: Skilled Work Visa and Graduate Visa.    

5 Unusual Ways for Overseas Interior Designers to Apply for a UK Work Visa  

So, to tell you about the usual ways foreign nationals can get a work visa for an interior design job in the UK:  

• Youth Mobility Scheme visa. As the name suggests, you need to be young. Usually between 18 and 30. And come from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Monaco, San Marino, or Iceland. And there’s a ballot scheme for those from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

• India Young Professionals Scheme visa. You must be an Indian national aged between 18 and 30 years old. And you need to be selected through the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot.
• Work in the UK for Your Overseas Employer. This is a group of work visas available to interior designers working outside the UK for a company with a UK office. It means your current employer will sponsor you to work for them in the UK.

But for most interior designers wanting to work in the UK, you have two visa options available: Skilled Work Visa and Graduate Visa.  

How Foreign Interior Designers Can Apply for a UK Skilled Work Visa  

Before you can apply with this visa, you must first get an interior design job in the UK. And YourCoachApproach can help you do that. To apply for a UK Skilled Work Visa, you must meet the following requirements:  

• Be able to speak, read, write, and understand English.
• Your job is on the list of eligible occupations.
• Your interior design job is with a UK employer that’s approved by the UK Government.
• Your UK interior designer job pays a minimum salary.

The first point is obvious. And you need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply. Interior designer, interior architect, or similar jobs in the UK are on the list of eligible occupations. Specifically, occupation code 3422 for Product, Clothing and Related Designers. ‘Related Designers’ includes Furniture Designer, Kitchen Designer, and, crucially, Interior Designer. But now it starts to get harder.

The last point makes it very hard for inexperienced interior designers to get a job in the UK. Your job must pay at least the going rate of £26,800 a year. Unfortunately, many junior interior design jobs in the UK pay around £22-24,000 per year. Which is below the minimum salary for a UK Skilled Work visa.

But for those less experienced interior designers, there is another way.  

Will Education Provide Great Opportunities to Get a UK Interior Design Job?  

Of course, you may have already finished your Bachelor’s degree in interior design. In which case, consider doing a 1-year Master’s at a UK university.  

How Non-UK Interior Designers Can Successfully Apply for a UK Job Visa  

For more experienced designers, the UK Skilled Work visa is an option. But given the minimum salary to get a sponsored job as an interior designer in the UK is £26,800, it’s a route only available to Mid-weight and Senior Interior Designers.

For Junior Interior Designers, or those just leaving education, it’s a better option to apply for a Master’s degree in interior design in the UK. And then apply for a Graduate visa once you’ve successfully completed your second degree.