Why old names still matter
UK immigration routes are renamed and replaced often, but the old names live on in search results, in employers’ vocabulary and in people’s memories. A person who held a “Tier 2” visa wants to know what the Skilled Worker visa means for them. This page is a map from the old names to the current routes. The points-based system that gave them their “Tier” names was replaced in stages between 2019 and 2023.
The old routes and their successors
| Old route | Status | What to look at now |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) | Closed to new applicants in 2019 | Innovator Founder visa |
| Tier 1 (Investor) | Closed in February 2022 | Investor visa (closed) |
| Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) | Replaced by Global Talent in February 2020 | Global Talent visa |
| Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) and Start-up | Closed, replaced by Innovator Founder in 2023 | Innovator Founder visa |
| Tier 2 (General) | Replaced by Skilled Worker in December 2020 | Skilled Worker visa |
| Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) | Replaced by the Global Business Mobility routes | Global Business Mobility |
| Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) | Now its own route | Minister of Religion visa |
| Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) | Replaced by the International Sportsperson and Creative Worker visas | Temporary Worker visas |
| Tier 4 (General) student | Replaced by the Student visa in October 2020 | Student visa |
| Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) | Closed in 2012; the Graduate visa followed in 2021 | Graduate visa |
| Tier 5 (Youth Mobility and Temporary Worker) | Now separate routes | Youth Mobility, Temporary Worker |
| Shortage Occupation List | Replaced by the Immigration Salary List in April 2024, with a Temporary Shortage List added in July 2025 | Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List |
| Resident Labour Market Test | Abolished with the 2020 changes | No longer required for sponsored workers |
If you hold an old visa
A visa granted under an old route stays valid until it expires, and the rules for extending it, or settling on it, often continue under transitional arrangements. Time spent on an old route usually counts towards settlement when the route has been replaced by a successor with the same qualifying period. The details depend on the route and on the date. Check before you act, because an extension on a closed route may not be available at all. See indefinite leave to remain.
If you are an employer
The old terms are common in HR and recruitment: “Tier 2 licence”, “restricted certificate”, “intra-company transferee”. The current terms are sponsor licence, certificate of sponsorship and Global Business Mobility. See sponsor licences for UK employers and certificates of sponsorship.
How we help
If you are not sure which route your visa belongs to, or what has replaced it, we will map it out and tell you what to do next. A consultation costs from £99.
