Temporary work visas (formerly Tier 5 visa) allow foreign nationals to work in the UK for a short period of up to 12 months (or more in some cases).
Contact our immigration lawyers for a free telephone consultation on 020 3744 2797 or complete our enquiry form to discuss your temporary work visa.
Temporary work visas (formerly Tier 5 visa) allow foreign nationals to work in the UK for a short period of up to 12 months (or more in some cases). There are several types of UK Temporary Work Visa, as explained below. With a UK Temporary Work Visa, you will be able to work, study, and in some cases, bring your dependant family members with you. You may also be able to extend your visa and even switch to a different type once here, such as a Skilled Worker visa or family visa.
There are several types of Temporary Work Visa (formerly Tier 5 visa) available in the UK, as follows:
The Charity Worker Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to come to the UK for unpaid voluntary work with a charitable organisation. Applicants need a Certificate of Sponsorship from a charity in the UK with a sponsor licence. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for 12 months.
The Creative Worker Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to come to the UK to work for an employer in the creative sector. This may include performers, actors, dancers, musicians, or film crew. The Creative Worker Visa replaced the Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting visa (T5) scheme. Applicants need a Certificate of Sponsorship from an employer in the UK with a sponsor licence. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for 12 months and extend for a further 12 months if staying with the same employer.
The Government Authorised Exchange Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to come to the UK to work for a short duration, either for work experience, training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research, or undertake a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme. The Government Authorised Exchange Visa replaces the Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa (T5) scheme. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for up to 24 months if coming to the UK for research, an overseas language programme, or a training programme. Those coming for work experience under this scheme can only come for up to 12 months.
The International Agreement Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to come to the UK to undertake contract work covered by international law or treaty. This applies to those who work for a foreign government, work as a private servant in a diplomatic household, or provide a service under contract as a contractual service supplier or independent professional. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for up to 24 months if coming to the UK for research, an overseas language programme, or a training programme. Those coming for work experience under this scheme can come for up to:
The Religious Worker Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to undertake religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for up to 24 months.
The Seasonal Worker Visa is for foreign nationals who wish to work in ‘edible horticulture’ in the UK. This includes workers who pick fruit and vegetables. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for up to 6 months.
The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is for nationals of Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Iceland, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. It is also open to British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, and British nationals (overseas). Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 and live and work in the UK for up to 2 years.
The UK Graduate Visa is for international students who have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the UK. Successful applicants can stay in the UK for up to 2 years. Many will use this route to secure permanent full-time work after their studies.
Not all Temporary Work Visa applicants need sponsorship. Those requiring sponsorship include the:
The Temporary Work Visa schemes that do not require sponsorship include the Youth Mobility Scheme visa and the Graduate visa.
To check if you need sponsorship for your preferred temporary work visa route, speak to our team of immigration solicitors for Tier 5 visa guidance today on 020 3744 2797.
The eligibility rules vary depending on which visa you are applying for. The general eligibility requirements that apply to all temporary work visas are as follows:
To check the requirements for your preferred temporary work visa route and to verify your eligibility, speak to one of our specialist solicitors for Tier 5 visa guidance today on 020 3744 2797.
When applying for a Temporary Worker visa, you will be asked by the Home Office to provide a number of documents and items of evidence to support your case. These differ depending on the type of Temporary Worker visa and your specific circumstances. For most Temporary Worker visa applications, you can expect to be asked to provide:
Other visa specific documents you may be asked to provide include:
One of the main reasons for the refusal of a Temporary Work Visa is not providing the necessary documents. Let us check that the documents you have prepared meet the requirements of the Home Office prior to the submission of your application. Speak to our team of solicitors for today on 020 3744 2797.
It is important to note that in most cases, you can only apply for a new Temporary Worker visa if you are outside the UK. Some Temporary work visas may allow you to switch within the UK from another visa type. With the Graduate visa, for example, as you will already be in the UK completing your studies, you will be able to apply “in-country”. It is important to check the rules for the visa type you are applying for.
The process of applying for a Temporary Worker visa will depend on the specific type of visa you require. In most cases, you will need to complete the following steps:
You may be able to apply within the UK, depending on the type of visa you require. To check if you can make a Temporary Worker Visa application within the UK, speak to one of our immigration solicitors on 020 3744 2797.
The Temporary Worker visa application fees are as follows:
Visa type | Fee |
Charity Worker visa | Application fee: £244 Healthcare surcharge: £624 per year (not payable for seasonal workers) Biometric fee: £19.20 |
Creative Worker visa | |
Government Authorised Exchange visa | |
International Agreement visa | |
Religious Worker visa | |
Seasonal Worker visa | |
Youth Mobility Scheme visa | Application fee: £244 Healthcare surcharge: £470 per year Biometric fee: £19.20 |
Graduate visa | Application fee: £700 Healthcare surcharge: £624 per year Biometric fee: £19.20 |
In most cases, you can expect to receive a decision on your Temporary Worker visa application within 3 weeks if you are outside the UK or 8 weeks if you are inside the UK. Alternatively, you may wish to apply using the priority or super-priority application processing service. The priority service provides a decision within 5 working days for a fee of £500, and the super-priority service will provide a decision within 1 working day for a fee of £800. Not everyone can use these services; you will be advised if you can when you apply.
The following explains what you can and cannot do on your Temporary Worker visa:
Visa type | You Can | You Cannot |
Charity Worker visa |
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Creative Worker visa |
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Government Authorised Exchange visa |
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International Agreement visa |
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Religious Worker visa |
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Seasonal Worker visa |
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Youth Mobility Scheme visa |
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Graduate visa |
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You may be able to switch to a long-term work visa in the UK. Switching means that you can apply for a different visa from within the UK without needing to leave the country. It is important to check which long-term visa types you can switch to. Some possible long-term visa options that you may be able to switch to include the:
It is important to note that to switch to a different type of visa, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements for your chosen route.
To check if you can switch to a different visa type from within the UK, and the options available to you, speak to our team of specialist immigration solicitors on 020 3744 2797.
You may be able to request an Administrative Review if your Temporary Worker visa application is refused. This would be the recommended route if the Home Office made a mistake when refusing your visa application. Your decision letter will explain the options available to you. In any event, if your Temporary Worker visa application has been refused, it is important to act quickly, as in most cases, you will have a deadline to respond.
Your application may be refused for one (or more) of a number of reasons, including if:
To lodge an Administrative Review, you will need to:
Applications for Administrative Reviews can take up to 6 months to be processed.
Alternatively, you may be able to consider applying for a Judicial Review, to challenge the legal basis for your refusal, or submitting a new application.
At Reiss Edwards, we specialise in quickly overturning Temporary Work visa refusals. We will assess the reason for the refusal and explain the best way forward to achieve your objectives. Speak to our team of specialist temporary work visa solicitors today on 020 3744 2797.
References
1 GOV.UK: Authorised exchange schemes
2 GOV.UK: Online application visa
3 GOV.UK: Graduate visa application