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This immigration route was created for persons who are given employment to take up a Position/Role/Post in the United Kingdom within his/her faith community either as a Minister of Religion who will partake in giving sermons and other clerical work, a Missionary, or a Religious Order member.
To make an application under this route, the applicant is expected to carry out the following duties:
Taking up work as a missionary is not just preaching and teaching it also includes:
If you seek to study further for a qualification either a full-time course of study or training in an educational institution, which is not overseen by the order, you should not make an application for Tier 2 Minister of Religion but apply for the Tier 4 Student of the Points-Based System.
If you intend to take up work as a Teacher in a School that is overseen by the religious institution or missionary organization, you are required to make an application as a Teacher under the Tier 2 (General) category because working full-time as teacher does not count as missionary work.
In a situation where you were issued Certificate of Sponsorship on the 6th of April 2012 or after, it is required that confirmation is gotten from your sponsor that a resident labour market test was indicated as complete on the Certificate of Sponsorship; or that the role which you will undertake is supernumerary and that you will not be occupying a position that can be occupied by a resident employee; and you have the intention to reside in the United Kingdom for the length time that you will be authorised to stay.
More so, your sponsor will be required to confirm that you will be supported through funds and/or accommodation which will be adequate for your maintenance through your employment period as contained on the Certificate of Sponsorship issued to you. They should also confirm that you will be paid (a traditional salary, lodgings, board, stipend or a fusion of these) equal to or more as resident workers who take up the same role as you.
This immigration route was created for individuals who have been offered employment, posts or roles in the UK to take up positions within their religious faith communities such as:
For an individual to carry out missionary duties, in addition to preaching and teaching he/she is expected to also:
Work as a missionary is not just preaching and teaching. It can include:
If the individual's intention to enter the United Kingdom is to take up a Full-time job as a teacher in a school that is managed by the religious body or missionary organisation, he/she is required to make an application as a teacher under Tier 2 (General) category and not apply for Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) because such job is not seen to be a missionary job.
If the individual is issued a Certificate of Sponsorship that was assigned on or after 6 April 2012, he/she is required to confirm some issues with his/her sponsor. They include:-
More so, if the Certificate of Sponsorship is to be assigned on or after the 6 April 2012, the individual's sponsor will be required to confirm some issues, they include:
The application for a Tier 2 Minister of Religion can be made only after a Licence Sponsor or employer that is approved by the Home Office, United Kingdom Border Agency to offer employment opportunities to foreign nationals, has been granted a certificate of sponsorship giving them the authority to finance an individual's stay in the UK as a foreign worker. The Tier 2 Minister of Religion being a points-based category offers opportunities for point to be allocated for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), Suitable funds available for maintenance and English Language prowess.
However, an individual who has been issued authority to enter the United Kingdom under a visa category that permits switching into the Tier 2 Minister of Religion, he/she is permitted to make the application to the Home Office, UKBA from within the United Kingdom seeking authority to switch into the Tier 2 Minister of Religion category.
The application for a Tier 2 Minister of Religion can be made only after a Licenced Sponsor or employer that is approved by the Home Office, United Kingdom Border Agency to offer employment opportunities to foreign nationals, has been granted a certificate of sponsorship giving them the authority to finance an individual's stay in the UK as a foreign worker. The Tier 2 Minister of Religion being a points-based category offers opportunities for point to be allocated for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), Suitable funds available for maintenance and English Language prowess.
To be eligible for settlement via indefinite Leave to remain as a person on a Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa, you must have continuously resided in the country under the same route (Tier 2 Minister of Religion) for a period of at least 5 years.
In order to lodge a successful application, the applicant has to show reasonable evidence that they have been employed in the UK in the capacity of a Minister of Religion whilst for their sponsor. Importantly, the sponsor will also have to write a letter stating that they have worked for them throughout that period, is still an integral part of the company and will continue to be needed for the role. ILR applications under this route will be submitted using the Form SET (O)
Dependants to an application refers to the husband/wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same sex partner or the child under the age of 18 of a main applicants. Importantly, for child dependants, only children under the age of 18 are eligible to apply as dependants. However, persons over the age of 18 can still qualify as child dependants if they became 18 in the UK.
PBS dependant leave applications are granted in line with the expiration of the main applicant.
You can submit a PBS Dependent of a Tier 2 Minister of Religion application if you are the husband/wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same sex partner or the child under the age of 18 of a tier 2 Minister of Religion applicant.
Based on the Immigration Rules which came into force on the 1st of October 2013; it is now possible for a person to make an application to switch into a PBS Dependent of a Tier 2 Minister of Religion migrant whilst they are in the UK. The exception to this are as follows: -
It is also important to note that PBS Dependants applying in this category must be over the age of 18 except for child dependants.
If you are currently in the UK as a PBS dependant of a Tier 2 Minister of Religion migrant, you may be able to extend you leave to remain in the UK. You will be able to extend your leave when the main applicant is extending their leave to remain.
Under the provisions of old immigration rule which came into force for applications prior to 9th of July, 2012; an applicant will be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to remain as a PBS Dependent of a Tier 2 minister of religion if they have resided in the UK for a minimum of two years. In this case, the main applicant must have either already been granted settlement (ILR) or has made an application for ILR as a Tier 2 Minister of religion.
However, for applications granted after the 9th of July 2012, the PBS Dependant will need to have resided in the United Kingdom for a minimum of 5 years as a PBS dependant; whereas the main applicant has either been granted ILR or is just submitting an application for indefinite leave to remain.
In line with PBS applications, applicants will need to show that they can support themselves without recourse to public funds in the UK. They will need to show the maintenance funds for at least 90 days prior to the date of application.
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