MANCHESTER – The United Kingdom offers multiple types of visas and one can apply to a specific visa depending on qualification, skill and other factors.
As far as Temporary Worker visa is concerned, it is to be clarified that Government Authorised Exchange visa has replaced the Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa (T5).
You can apply to this visa type if you:
- want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme
- have a sponsor
- meet the other eligibility requirements
For citizens from EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
If you or your family member started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.
You must know that the deadline to apply was 30 June 2021 for most people (which has lapsed).
However, you can still apply if either:
- You have a later deadline – for example, you’re joining a family member in the UK who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
- You have ‘reasonable grounds’ for being unable to apply by 30 June 2021 – for example, you had an illness or were the victim of domestic abuse
To check if you can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, click here.
Otherwise, you need a visa to work in the UK but the case is different for Irish citizens who do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Need of sponsorship
Working in UK needs fulfilment of specific conditions, one of the most important of which is sponsorship. Before you can apply to come to the UK for work, you need to have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor.
It must be highlighted here that a certificate of sponsorship is not a paper document rather it is a reference number your sponsor gives which confirms your job and personal details.
Your work, training or research in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.
Eligibility of Sponsor
As far as the eligibility of sponsor is concerned, your sponsor can be any of the following:
- an organisation running an approved exchange scheme
- a higher education institution (if you are a sponsored researcher, visiting academic or examiner)
- a government department or agency
Processing Time
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
The UK Work Visa application has to be submitted along with documents and proof of your identity.
Decision Timeline
After having completed all the formalities including online application submission, identity verification and submission of documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK and within 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK.
You can also fast track your application and for that you can pay for a faster decision. How you do this depends on whether you’re outside the UK or inside the UK.
Cost of Work Visa
It merits mention that you, your partner or children will each need to pay the application fee. Moreover, the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £624 per year has to be paid as well by all. This can be checked here.
Besides, you have to prove you have enough personal savings. This can be checked from here.
Application fee
The application fee for each person applying is £259 irrespective of whether you’re applying from inside or outside the UK.
Duration of Stay in the UK
The amount of time you can stay depends on the length of your visa and the start and end dates of your job.
Depending on the scheme you apply for, you’ll get a visa for a maximum of 10 months, 12 months or 24 months.
When to Enter UK
You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the date your job starts, as long as you do not arrive before the start date on your visa. You can stay in the UK for up to 14 days after the date your job ends, as long as you do not stay past the end date on your visa.
A key aspect in this regard is that you cannot enter the UK before the date your visa starts and you must leave the UK by the end date on your visa.
Dos and Don’ts
You cannot take a permanent job or get public funds under this visa type.
As far as permissible options are concerned, you can:
- study (for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate)
- work in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
- do a second job for up to 20 hours per week
- do a job on the Skilled Worker shortage occupation list for up to 20 hours per week as well as your main job
- bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
