Tier 5 (Temporary workers)

This Tier of the points based system provides two routes for people to come to the UK to work temporarily. The first sub category is youth mobility - the other sub category is for temporary workers.

Creative and sporting worker

The creative and sporting worker category is for people coming to the UK to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months.

If you are a sportsperson, you must be internationally established at the highest level in your sport, and/or your employment must make a significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level in the UK. If you are a coach, you must be suitably qualified to do the job.

Before you apply under the creative and sporting worker category, you must have:

  • a sponsor; and
  • a valid certificate of sponsorship.

Before assigning your certificate of sponsorship, your sponsor must have an endorsement for you from the governing body for your sport, which confirms you meet the governing body's requirements to give their endorsement. The governing body must be recognised by the UKBA.

When you apply you are awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).

You can apply under the creative and sporting worker category now if you are:

  • applying for permission to enter the UK (known as 'entry clearance') under the creative and sporting worker category;
  • already in the UK as a sportsperson and want to extend your permission to stay for up to 12 months;
  • already in the UK as a creative worker who has been here for 12 months or less - you will be able to extend your permission to stay for up to a maximum of 24 months. The job must continue with your original sponsor.

The creative and sporting category is not for people who want to come or who are already in the UK as entertainers or sports visitors, including for specified festivals.

You can switch in to the creative and sporting category if you came to the UK as a sports or entertainer visitor, and before you entered the UK, your sponsor gave you a certificate of sponsorship for this category. You can use the certificate to apply to switch.

Otherwise switching is not allowed in or out of the creative and sporting working category. You can apply under the creative and sporting category from a country that is not your normal place of residence if you are there doing a job similar to the one that you want to do in the UK.

If you are given permission to stay as a sportsperson, you can come to live and work in the UK for a maximum of 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship).

If you are a sportsperson, you can only apply to extend your stay for a maximum of 12 months.

If you are given permission to stay as a creative worker, you can come to live and work in the UK for an initial time of up to 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship).

You can apply to extend your permission to stay in the UK as a creative worker for up to 12 months at a time, up to a maximum of 24 months. If your extension will take your time in the UK beyond 12 months, the job must continue with your last sponsor.

If you need to leave and come back to the UK quite often as part of the job you are doing, you can get a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship from your employer. This will allow you to come and go a number of times during the length of the certificate.

If you leave the UK and you were given no more than 6 months' permission to stay, you will lose the right to come back again. You will need to apply again from abroad.

You cannot get a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship if you are coming to the UK for less than three months and are a non-visa national.

Sports visitor

You will only need permission to come (known as 'entry clearance' or 'a visa') to the United Kingdom for a sports visit of up to six months if you are a visa national.

If you a non-visa national, permission to come as a sports visitor for up to six months is not needed.

Multiple entry visas are available for sports visitors for six months, and one, two, five and 10 years.

To come to the UK as a professional or amateur sports visitor you must be able to show that you:

  • only want to visit the UK for up to six months;
  • plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
  • have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working, help from public funds or you will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
  • do not intend to charge members of the public for services provided or goods received;
  • do not intend to study;
  • can meet the cost of the return or onward journey.

You will be a sports visitor if during the course of your short visit you intend to:

  • take part a particular sporting event, tournament or series of events;
  • take part in a specific one-off charity sporting event and that you will not be paid other than cash prizes or for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
  • join as an amateur a wholly or mainly amateur team and that you will not be paid other than for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
  • be a member of the support staff of a visiting sportsperson or an official (including those officials coming on a voluntary basis) attending the same event as the visiting sportsperson;
  • undertake personal appearances or promotional activities;
  • undertake a trial provided it is not in front of an audience, or training provided that they are not basing themselves here and they participate in friendly or exhibition matches only.

The maximum time that you can spend in the UK at any one time as a sports visitor is six months. If you were given three months permission to enter (known as 'leave to enter') when you arrived (this will be stamped in your passport) you may apply for an extension as long as your stay would not go beyond six months in total.

You are not allowed to change into any category for which permission to come under the points-based system is needed.

This is unless you already have a certificate of sponsorship the creative and sporting category of tier 5 that was issued before you came to the UK. If you do, you can apply to switch into this category without leaving the UK to do this prearranged work.

You may do activities of business and entertainer visitor as well as sports visitor activities.

If you are coming to the UK as a sports visitor, your dependants can also come for up to six months. Your dependants are a wife, husband, civil partner, same sex partner, unmarried partner and child under the age of 18 years old.

Your dependants may need permission to enter before they come.

If the UKBA refuses your application, the entry clearance officer or the immigration officer will tell you in writing why you have been refused. If you travel to the UK without permission to enter and are refused permission to enter, the UKBA will recommend that you apply for permission to come before attempting to travel to the UK again.

Religious worker

The religious worker category is for people coming to the United Kingdom to work temporarily as a religious worker. Religious workers can do:

  • preaching, pastoral work and non-pastoral work;
  • work in the United Kingdom in the same way you are working in an overseas organisation (although your duties in the United Kingdom may be different). The job should be done during a break from your job overseas; or
  • work in a religious order with community which involves a permanent commitment like a monastery or convent. The work in a religious order must be in the order itself or outside work directed by the order.

You can apply if you are a novice whose training means taking part in the daily community life of the order.

Before you apply under the religious category, you must have:

  • a sponsor; and
  • a valid certificate of sponsorship.

When you apply you are awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).

You can apply under the religious worker category now if you are:

  • applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the religious worker category;
  • already in the United Kingdom as a Tier 5 religious worker and want to extend your permission to stay if you have been here for less than 24 months, which is the maximum time you are allowed to stay.

If you are coming to the United Kingdom for a business visit, for example, you are attending a conference, you can do some preaching and pastoral work as long as you are based overseas and do not plan to work here.

If you are a member of a religious order and studying for a qualification, a formal full-time course of study or training in an academic institution not looked after by the order, you should apply under the student category (tier 4 when it launches).

Teachers working in schools not looked after by their order must apply as a teacher under the sponsored skilled worker category of tier 2.

If your main reason for coming to the United Kingdom is to do preaching and pastoral work, you should apply under the minister or religion category of tier 2.

Switching is not allowed in or out of the religious worker category.

If you are given permission to stay as a religious worker, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum time of 24 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship). If you would like to come to the United Kingdom for longer you should see the minister of religion category of tier 2 of the UKBA points-based system to work in the United Kingdom.

If you need to leave and come back to the United Kingdom quite a few times as part of the job you are doing, you can get a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship. Your sponsor will give you a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship that allows you to come and go from the United Kingdom a number of different times during the length of your certificate.

If you have permission to come (entry clearance) for any length of time, you will be able to leave and come back to the United Kingdom during the time you have permission. If you leave the United Kingdom and you were given six months or less permission to stay (leave to remain), you will not be able to come back as your permission to stay ends when you leave the United Kingdom. You must apply again to be able to come back.

Charity worker

The charity worker category is for people coming to the United Kingdom to do voluntary work for charity, which is not paid work. The work must be directly related to the work of your sponsor's organisation.

Before you apply under the charity worker category, you must have:

  • a sponsor; and
  • a valid certificate of sponsorship.

When you apply you are awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).

You can apply under the charity worker category now if you are:

  • applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the charity worker category;
  • already in the United Kingdom as a charity worker and want to extend your permission to stay if you have been here for less than 12 months, which is the maximum time you are allowed to stay.

Switching is not allowed in or out of the charity worker category.

If you are given permission to stay as a charity worker, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum time of 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship).

If you need to leave and come back to the United Kingdom quite a few times as part of the job you are doing, you can get a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship. Your sponsor will give you a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship that allows you to come and go from the United Kingdom a number of different times during the length of your certificate.

If you have permission to come (entry clearance) for any length of time, you will be able to leave and come back to the United Kingdom during the time you have permission.

If you leave the United Kingdom and you were given six months or less permission to stay (leave to remain), you will not be able to come back as your permission to stay ends when you leave the United Kingdom. You must apply again to be able to come back.

Entertainer visitors

You can come to the UK as an entertainer visitor for a maximum of six months.

You will be an entertainer visitor, if during the course of your short visit, you intend to:

  • take part as a professional in one or more music competitions; or
  • fulfil one or more specific engagements as an individual amateur entertainer or as part of an amateur group; or
  • take part, as either an amateur or a professional, in a cultural event that is included in the list of specific permit-free festivals; or
  • be a member of a visiting entertainer's support staff or an official attending the same event as the visiting entertainer; or
  • take part in broadcasts or public appearances, provided you are not being paid; or
  • do an audition, provided this is not performed in front of an audience.

You will need to be able to show that you:

  • want to visit the UK for a maximum of six months;
  • plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
  • have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working or help from public funds, or will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
  • do not intend to charge members of the public for services provided or goods received;
  • do not intend to study;
  • can meet the cost of the return or onward journey; and
  • intend to take part in particular events, including charity events, and will not be paid other than cash prizes or for board and lodging expenses.

You will need to apply for permission to come to the UK (known as a 'visa' or 'entry clearance') as an entertainer visitor if you are a visa national. If you are a non-visa national, you do not need to obtain permission before you come here as an entertainer visitor.

Multiple entry visas for entertainer visitors are available for six months and for one, two, five and 10 years.

The maximum time that you can spend in the UK at any one time as an entertainer visitor is six months. When you arrive in the UK, the length of your permitted visit will be stamped in your passport. If you are given permission to come here (known as 'leave to enter') for three months when you arrive, you may apply for an extension - but your visit must not last for more than six months in total.

You are not allowed to switch into any immigration category other than that for which the UKBA give you permission to stay.

This is unless you have a certificate of sponsorship under the 'creative and sporting category' of Tier 5, which was given to you before you came to the UK. If you do, you can apply to switch into this category to do this prearranged work without leaving the UK.

While you are in the UK as an entertainer visitor, you can also carry out the activities of a business visitor or sports visitor.

If you are coming to the UK as an entertainer visitor, your dependants can also come for up to six months. A dependant is a wife, husband, civil partner, same-sex partner or unmarried partner, or a child under the age of 18 years.

Your dependants may need permission to enter before they come.

If the UKBA refuse your application, the entry clearance officer or immigration officer will tell you in writing why you have been refused. If you have full rights of appeal, you will be told who you should contact.

If you travel to the UK without permission to enter and are refused permission to enter, wthe UKBA recommend that you apply for permission to enter before you try to travel to the UK again.

Youth mobility scheme

The youth mobility scheme is for young people from participating countries who would like to come and experience life in the UK.

The countries in the scheme are:

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • Monaco

If you are a national of one of these countries, you may be able to come to the UK under the youth mobility scheme. Your national government will be your sponsor. British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) can also apply under the scheme, and do not need a sponsor.

Business and special visitors

We can also assist you If you are coming to the United Kingdom as a business or special visitor, you can usually stay for six months unless you are:

  • an academic visitor
  • a doctor taking the professional and linguistic assessment board test
  • a parent of a child at school
  • a visitor in transit

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