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Temporary Workers

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This category allows sponsored young people from participating countries and territories to live and work for short periods in the UK under special approved schemes, and for certain types of temporary worker whose entry helps to satisfy cultural, charitable, religious or international objectives including volunteering

There are four main categories under Tier 5

  • Government Authorised Exchanges
  • Charity Workers
  • Creative and Sporting Professionals
  • Young People from “Youth Mobility” Countries

Government Authorised Exchange (GAE)

This category is for individuals wishing to come to the UK through approved schemes to share knowledge, experience and best practice.  In particular:

  • Students and recent graduates to enable them to take up temporary employment in the UK to gain work experience, including volunteering, job-shadowing, internships and approved work experience programmes;
  • Individuals who will be working on specific scientific, academic, medical or government research projects at UK higher education institutions or other research institution operating under the authority and/or financial sponsorship of a relevant government department
  • Individuals who will be undertaking development placements to build and/or enhance foreign language skills and foster good cultural relations in the UK;
  • Individuals who will be receiving formal, practical training in the fields of science and/or medicine, those receiving training by HM armed forces or UK emergency services or those being sponsored to undertake a period of postgraduate professional training or work experience which is required to obtain a professional qualification or professional registration in the same professional field if they obtained a UK recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree during their last grant of UK leave.

The GAE category cannot be used to fill a vacant position.  Instead, the job must be supernumerary (over and above normal staffing requirements).  A Government approved sponsor will need to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) to allow an individual to make a visa application.

Are you eligible?

To apply certain criteria must be met which include:

  • Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or above or have been awarded a Bachelor’s degree or above in the last three years;
  • Must be paid the UK National Minimum Wage or above;
  • Must hold a specified balance in a bank account for a minimum period of 90 days to satisfy the maintenance requirement or maintenance must be certified by your sponsor;
  • The role must have a minimum skill level of NVQ Level 3;
  • Employment must be for no more than 12 months (although can be extended from within the UK to bring the total period of leave to 12 months);
  • If a research programme, training programme or overseas government language programme, the duration must not exceed 24 months;
  • Must not fill a permanent position (even on a temporary basis).

Charity workers

This category is for individuals who wish to come to the United Kingdom to do voluntary (unpaid) work for a charity.  The individual must be sponsored by the UK employer who will be required to issue a COS. It is important to note that the Charity Worker category cannot be used to fill a vacant position.  Instead, the job must be supernumerary (over and above normal staffing requirements).

Are you eligible?

  • Work must be unpaid other than reasonable expenses;
  • The work must contribute directly to the achievement or advancement of the sponsor’s charitable purpose in the UK;
  • Employment activities cannot include routine back office administrative roles such as retail, sales, fund-raising or maintenance;
  • The work must be for no more than 12 months (although can be extended from within the UK to bring the total period of leave to 12 months);
  • Must not fill a permanent position (even on a temporary basis).

Dependant partners and children under the age of 18 can apply.

Creative and Sporting:

This category is for individuals coming to the UK to work or perform as sports people, entertainers or creative artists.  In particular, this category is for:

  • Creative and sporting individuals who wish to enter the UK for short term contracts/engagements;
  • Sportspeople who are internationally established at the highest level and who will make a significant contribution to the development and operation of that particular sport in this country;
  • Sports coaches who are suitably qualified to fulfil the role in question;
  • Creative workers and their entourage operating in dance, theatre, film and television.

A COS must first be assigned by a Government approved sponsor.

Non-visa nationals applying under this category do not need to obtain an entry clearance visa prior to travelling to the UK if staying for less than three months and instead will apply for leave to enter at the border in line with the duration of their COS .

Individuals staying in the UK for three months or more, or individuals entering the UK via Ireland (regardless of the duration of stay), must apply for an entry clearance visa prior to travelling to the UK.

Are you eligible?

  • Must be seeking entry to the UK to work or perform in a relevant sector;
  • Must make a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example by being internationally renowned or required for continuity;
  • Must be paid the minimum salary as set by Equity, Pact or BECTU (except for models, musicians or circuses);
  • Must not start your own business in the UK;
  • Must not have previously entered the UK under the permit free concessions for entertainers, including permit free festivals and sportspeople;
  • Must not be a professional or amateur sportsperson wishing to play for a professional club;
  • Must hold a balance of at least £945 in a bank account for a minimum period of 90 days to satisfy the maintenance requirement or maintenance can be certified by your sponsor;
  • The work must be for no more than 12 months although individuals who remain with the same sponsor can apply for an extension of stay for a maximum of 12 months at a time up to a total of 24 months;
  • Must not fill a permanent position (even on a temporary basis).

Dependant partners and children under the age of 18 can apply.

Religious workers

This category is for individuals coming to the UK to work to carry out duties such as preaching, pastoral and non-pastoral work.

A resident labour market test may first be required unless the role is supernumerary.  A COS must be assigned by a Government approved sponsor.

Are you eligible?

  • Must be qualified to do the job in question;
  • Must live mainly within and being a member of a religious order in the UK (i.e. a lineage of communities or of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, for example, an order of nuns or monks).
  • The work must be for no more than 24 months;
  • Must have held a specified balance in a bank account for a minimum period of 90 days to satisfy the maintenance requirement, or maintenance can be certified by the sponsor.

Dependant partners and children under the age of 18 can apply.

Youth Mobility

This category is for young people from participating countries and territories who wish to experience life in the UK for mainly non-economic reasons.  The visa is valid for two years and allows the holder to take up any form of employment in the UK, except for self-employment (unless the premises are rented, there are no employees and equipment is worth less than £5,000) or employment as a professional sportsperson or as a doctor or dentist in training.

Youth Mobility status cannot be extended beyond two years and it cannot be converted to any other migrant visa from within the UK.

Are you eligible?

  • Must be aged between 18 and 30 years;
  • Must be from a participating country (Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong*, Republic of Korea* or Taiwan) or must be a British overseas citizen, a British overseas territories citizen or a British national overseas;
  • Must not have any children who live with you;
  • Must not be financially responsible for any children;
  • Must not have previously travelled to the UK on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa;
  • Must not have previously travelled to the UK on a Working Holidaymaker visa;
  • Must not set up in self-employment in the UK;
  • Must not take up employment as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach);
  • Must not work as a doctor or dentist in training in the UK;
  • Must have a specified amount of cash savings in a bank account to satisfy the maintenance requirement;

* Hong Kong and Republic of Korea nationals must first obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship from their Government.

Family members cannot apply for a dependant visa.

For more information on how we can support you, contact us today to speak with our specialist team.

 

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