Overview

You

can

apply

for

an

Innovator

visa

if

you

want

to

set

up

and

run

an

innovative

business

in

the

UK

it

must

be

something

that

’s

different

from

anything

else

on

the

market

your

business

or

business

idea

has

been

endorsed

by

an

approved

body

also

known

as

an

endorsing

body

you

meet

the

other

eligibility

requirements

If

you

’re

from

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

If

you

or

your

close

family

member

started

living

in

the

UK

before

January

you

may

be

able

to

apply

to

the

free

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Otherwise

you

need

a

visa

to

work

in

the

UK

Irish

citizens

do

not

need

to

apply

for

a

visa

or

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Eligibility

You

must

be

able

to

show

that

your

business

idea

is

new

you

can

not

join

a

business

that

is

already

trading

innovative

you

must

have

an

original

business

idea

which

is

different

from

anything

else

on

the

market

viable

with

potential

for

growth

Knowledge

of

English

You

must

be

able

to

speak

read

write

and

understand

English

You

’ll

usually

need

to

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

when

you

apply

If

you

’re

not

eligible

for

an

Innovator

visa

You

may

be

eligible

for

another

type

of

visa

to

work

in

the

UK

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

stay

for

years

if

you

either

come

to

the

UK

on

an

Innovator

visa

switch

to

this

visa

from

another

visa

while

in

the

UK

If

you

want

to

stay

longer

in

the

UK

You

can

apply

to

extend

your

stay

for

another

years

when

your

visa

is

due

to

expire

There

’s

no

limit

on

the

number

of

times

you

can

extend

You

may

be

able

to

apply

for

settlement

once

you

’ve

been

in

the

UK

for

years

If

your

endorsement

is

withdrawn

Your

visa

may

be

cut

short

if

your

endorsement

is

withdrawn

by

the

endorsing

body

If

you

want

to

stay

longer

you

must

re

apply

with

a

new

endorsement

before

your

current

visa

expires

How

to

apply

You

must

apply

online

How

you

apply

depends

on

whether

you

’re

outside

the

UK

and

are

coming

to

the

UK

inside

the

UK

and

extending

your

current

visa

inside

the

UK

and

switching

from

a

different

visa

You

can

include

your

partner

and

children

in

your

application

to

stay

in

the

UK

if

they

are

eligible

How

long

it

takes

As

part

of

your

application

you

’ll

need

to

prove

your

identity

and

provide

your

documents

You

may

need

to

allow

extra

time

if

you

need

an

appointment

to

do

this

You

’ll

find

out

if

you

need

one

when

you

start

your

application

Getting

a

decision

Once

you

’ve

applied

online

proved

your

identity

and

provided

your

documents

you

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

on

your

visa

within

weeks

if

you

’re

outside

the

UK

weeks

if

you

’re

inside

the

UK

If

you

need

to

go

to

an

appointment

you

may

be

able

to

pay

for

a

faster

decision

How

you

do

this

depends

on

whether

you

’re

outside

the

UK

or

inside

the

UK

Fees

How

much

you

pay

for

an

Innovator

visa

depends

on

your

situation

and

where

you

apply

from

Who

you

’re

applying

for

Apply

outside

the

UK

Extend

or

switch

in

the

UK

You

Your

partner

and

children

each

person

each

person

You

must

pay

the

visa

fee

for

each

person

that

applies

at

the

same

time

as

you

or

applies

later

to

join

you

in

the

UK

Healthcare

surcharge

You

’ll

also

have

to

pay

the

healthcare

surcharge

as

part

of

your

application

Check

how

much

you

’ll

have

to

pay

before

you

apply

If

you

’re

from

an

eligible

country

Your

application

fee

will

be

automatically

reduced

by

if

you

’re

from

one

of

the

following

countries

Austria

Belgium

Croatia

Republic

of

Cyprus

Czech

Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

North

Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Slovakia

Spain

Sweden

or

Turkey

This

reduction

only

applies

to

your

visa

application

Your

partner

and

children

will

still

need

to

pay

the

full

application

fee

If

you

’re

applying

to

extend

or

switch

in

the

UK

You

may

need

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

What

you

can

and

can

not

do

With

an

Innovator

visa

you

can

set

up

a

business

or

several

businesses

work

for

your

business

this

includes

being

employed

as

a

director

or

self

employed

as

a

member

of

a

business

partnership

bring

your

partner

and

children

with

you

as

your

dependants

if

they

’re

eligible

travel

abroad

and

return

to

the

UK

apply

to

settle

permanently

in

the

UK

also

known

as

indefinite

leave

to

remain

if

you

’ve

lived

in

the

UK

for

years

and

meet

the

other

eligibility

requirements

You

can

not

do

any

work

outside

your

business

for

example

work

where

you

’re

employed

by

another

business

work

as

a

professional

sportsperson

for

example

a

sports

coach

apply

for

most

benefits

public

funds

or

the

State

Pension

If

your

application

is

successful

you

’ll

get

a

full

list

of

what

you

can

and

can

not

do

with

an

Innovator

visa

Eligibility

Before

you

apply

you

need

to

have

your

business

or

business

idea

assessed

by

an

endorsing

body

They

will

provide

you

with

an

endorsement

letter

if

your

business

is

eligible

You

must

also

meet

the

English

language

requirement

be

at

least

years

old

be

able

to

prove

that

you

have

enough

personal

savings

to

support

yourself

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

Read

the

specific

requirements

for

the

Innovator

visa

before

you

apply

If

you

want

to

set

up

a

new

business

You

must

have

at

least

in

investment

funds

to

apply

for

an

Innovator

visa

if

you

want

to

set

up

a

new

business

You

’ll

need

to

prove

where

you

got

your

funding

from

You

do

not

need

any

investment

funds

if

either

your

business

is

already

established

and

has

been

endorsed

for

an

earlier

visa

you

’ve

changed

your

business

and

already

agreed

it

with

your

endorsing

body

Supporting

yourself

You

need

to

have

had

at

least

in

your

bank

account

for

consecutive

days

before

you

either

apply

for

an

Innovator

visa

apply

to

extend

your

Innovator

visa

or

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

if

you

’ve

been

in

the

UK

for

less

than

a

year

You

can

not

use

either

of

the

following

to

support

yourself

money

from

your

investment

funds

money

earned

while

working

in

the

UK

illegally

Read

the

guidance

on

financial

evidence

for

more

information

about

the

money

you

need

and

how

to

prove

it

Sharing

investment

funds

You

can

form

a

team

with

other

Innovator

applicants

but

you

can

not

share

the

same

investment

funds

Your

team

must

have

for

each

Innovator

applicant

For

example

if

you

have

Innovator

applicants

your

team

must

have

to

invest

Knowledge

of

English

You

’ll

usually

need

to

prove

your

knowledge

of

the

English

language

when

you

apply

unless

you

did

this

in

a

previous

successful

visa

application

Level

of

English

You

must

prove

you

can

read

write

speak

and

understand

English

to

a

level

on

the

Common

European

Framework

of

Reference

for

Languages

CEFR

scale

You

can

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

by

passing

a

Secure

English

Language

Test

SELT

from

an

approved

provider

having

a

GCSE

A

level

Scottish

National

Qualification

level

or

Scottish

Higher

or

Advanced

Higher

in

English

gained

through

study

at

a

UK

school

that

you

began

when

you

were

under

having

a

degree

level

academic

qualification

that

was

taught

in

English

if

you

studied

abroad

you

’ll

need

to

apply

for

confirmation

through

Ecctis

formerly

UK

NARIC

that

your

qualification

is

equivalent

to

a

UK

bachelor

’s

degree

master

’s

degree

or

PhD

Who

does

not

need

to

prove

their

knowledge

of

English

You

do

not

need

to

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

if

you

’re

a

national

of

one

of

the

following

countries

Antigua

and

Barbuda

Australia

the

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Canada

Dominica

Grenada

Guyana

Jamaica

Malta

New

Zealand

St

Kitts

and

Nevis

St

Lucia

St

Vincent

and

the

Grenadines

Trinidad

and

Tobago

USA

Documents

you

’ll

need

to

apply

When

you

apply

you

need

to

provide

an

endorsement

letter

to

show

that

an

endorsing

body

has

assessed

your

business

or

business

idea

You

also

need

to

provide

a

valid

passport

or

other

document

that

shows

your

identity

and

nationality

bank

statements

showing

you

’ve

had

at

least

in

savings

in

your

bank

account

for

consecutive

days

before

you

apply

proof

that

you

meet

the

English

language

requirement

evidence

of

your

investment

funds

if

you

’re

setting

up

a

new

business

your

tuberculosis

test

results

if

you

’re

from

a

country

where

you

have

to

take

the

test

If

your

documents

are

not

in

English

or

Welsh

you

’ll

also

need

to

provide

a

certified

translation

You

’ll

need

a

blank

page

in

your

passport

for

your

visa

if

you

’re

from

outside

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

from

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

but

do

not

have

a

biometric

passport

with

a

chip

in

it

You

may

need

to

provide

additional

documents

depending

on

your

circumstances

Apply

from

outside

the

UK

You

must

apply

online

for

an

Innovator

visa

Check

which

documents

you

’ll

need

to

apply

Your

partner

or

children

will

need

to

apply

separately

Proving

your

identity

and

supplying

supporting

documents

As

part

of

your

application

you

’ll

need

to

prove

your

identity

How

you

do

this

depends

on

where

you

’re

from

and

what

type

of

passport

you

have

You

’ll

either

have

your

fingerprints

and

photograph

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

this

is

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

use

the

UK

Immigration

ID

Check

app

to

scan

your

identity

document

you

’ll

also

create

or

sign

into

your

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

account

You

’ll

be

told

what

you

need

to

do

when

you

apply

If

you

do

need

an

appointment

the

centre

may

need

to

keep

your

passport

and

documents

while

they

process

your

application

you

may

have

to

travel

to

get

to

your

nearest

visa

application

centre

this

could

be

in

another

country

Apply

for

an

Innovator

visa

Once

you

’ve

started

your

application

you

can

save

your

form

and

complete

it

later

Start

now

Continue

your

application

Sign

in

to

your

account

using

the

link

from

your

sign

up

email

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

Once

you

’ve

applied

online

proved

your

identity

and

provided

your

documents

you

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

weeks

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

will

take

longer

for

example

if

you

’re

applying

with

a

family

member

who

needs

an

appointment

but

you

do

not

if

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

if

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

because

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

If

you

’ve

applied

through

a

visa

application

centre

find

out

if

you

can

pay

to

get

a

faster

decision

this

depends

on

where

you

’re

applying

from

After

you

apply

If

you

need

to

change

something

in

your

application

after

you

’ve

sent

it

contact

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

You

can

ask

to

cancel

your

application

You

’ll

only

get

your

fee

refunded

if

UKVI

has

not

started

processing

your

application

You

’ll

get

an

email

or

a

letter

containing

the

decision

on

your

application

This

will

explain

what

you

need

to

do

next

Your

partner

and

children

Your

partner

and

children

can

apply

to

join

you

or

to

stay

in

the

UK

as

your

dependants

if

they

’re

eligible

If

their

application

is

successful

their

visa

will

end

on

the

same

date

as

yours

Your

relationship

A

dependant

partner

or

child

is

any

of

the

following

your

husband

wife

civil

partner

or

unmarried

partner

your

child

under

including

if

they

were

born

in

the

UK

during

your

stay

your

child

over

if

they

’re

currently

in

the

UK

as

your

dependant

You

’ll

need

to

provide

evidence

of

your

relationship

when

you

apply

Your

partner

You

must

be

able

to

prove

that

either

you

’re

in

a

civil

partnership

or

marriage

that

’s

recognised

in

the

UK

you

’ve

been

living

together

in

a

relationship

for

at

least

years

when

you

apply

If

your

child

is

or

over

They

must

live

with

you

unless

they

’re

in

full

time

education

at

boarding

school

college

or

university

not

be

married

in

a

civil

partnership

or

have

any

children

be

financially

supported

by

you

If

your

child

lives

with

you

you

’ll

need

to

provide

of

the

following

documents

confirming

their

address

a

bank

statement

credit

card

bills

driving

licence

NHS

registration

document

an

official

letter

from

their

university

or

college

Money

they

need

to

support

themselves

Your

partner

and

children

must

each

have

a

certain

amount

of

money

available

to

support

themselves

while

they

’re

in

the

UK

In

addition

to

the

you

must

have

to

support

yourself

you

or

your

partner

or

child

will

need

for

your

partner

for

one

child

for

each

additional

child

You

’ll

need

to

have

had

the

money

in

your

bank

account

or

your

dependant

’s

bank

account

for

at

least

days

before

you

or

they

apply

You

’ll

usually

need

to

show

proof

of

this

when

you

apply

unless

you

or

they

are

applying

from

inside

the

UK

and

you

’ve

been

here

for

year

or

more

Apply

from

outside

the

UK

Your

partner

and

children

must

either

apply

online

as

a

partner

apply

online

as

a

child

Each

family

member

will

need

to

complete

a

separate

application

and

pay

the

visa

fee

They

must

apply

before

they

travel

to

the

UK

Each

family

member

will

need

to

complete

a

separate

application

and

pay

the

visa

fee

They

’ll

also

need

your

application

number

you

’ll

get

this

when

you

apply

This

number

is

called

a

Global

Web

Form

GWF

or

a

Unique

Application

Number

UAN

You

’ll

find

it

on

emails

and

letters

from

the

Home

Office

about

your

application

As

part

of

their

application

they

’ll

need

to

have

their

fingerprints

and

photograph

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

This

is

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

which

they

’ll

need

to

collect

within

days

of

when

they

said

they

’d

arrive

in

the

UK

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

Once

they

’ve

applied

online

proved

their

identity

and

provided

their

documents

they

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

weeks

They

may

be

able

to

pay

to

get

their

visa

faster

or

use

other

services

depending

on

which

country

they

’re

in

check

with

the

visa

application

centre

Apply

from

inside

the

UK

extend

or

switch

Apply

for

your

partner

or

child

’s

visa

at

the

same

time

as

you

apply

to

extend

or

switch

your

own

visa

This

includes

children

who

were

born

or

have

turned

during

your

stay

If

you

can

not

apply

at

the

same

time

your

partner

or

child

can

apply

to

extend

or

switch

their

visas

at

a

later

date

This

must

be

before

their

current

visa

expires

Your

partner

or

children

will

not

be

able

to

apply

to

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

if

they

are

currently

in

the

UK

in

one

of

the

following

circumstances

on

a

visit

visa

on

a

short

term

student

visa

on

a

Parent

of

a

Child

Student

visa

on

a

seasonal

worker

visa

on

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

visa

on

immigration

bail

they

were

given

permission

to

stay

outside

the

immigration

rules

for

example

on

compassionate

grounds

How

to

apply

Your

partner

and

child

must

apply

online

to

either

extend

or

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

as

your

partner

extend

or

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

as

your

child

They

’ll

need

your

application

number

you

’ll

get

this

when

you

apply

This

number

is

called

a

Global

Web

Form

GWF

or

a

Unique

Application

Number

UAN

You

’ll

find

it

on

emails

and

letters

from

the

Home

Office

about

your

application

As

part

of

their

application

they

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

their

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

They

’ll

also

need

to

submit

their

supporting

documents

They

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

their

UKVCAS

appointment

They

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

they

get

a

decision

Their

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

they

do

Getting

a

faster

decision

They

may

be

able

to

pay

to

get

a

faster

decision

they

’ll

be

told

if

they

can

when

they

apply

Children

born

in

the

UK

If

you

have

a

child

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

they

do

not

automatically

become

a

British

citizen

You

can

apply

online

for

their

dependant

visa

You

must

do

this

if

you

want

to

travel

in

and

out

of

the

UK

with

your

child

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

full

UK

birth

certificate

for

each

child

showing

the

names

of

both

parents

You

must

apply

for

their

dependant

visa

before

they

turn

if

they

want

to

stay

in

the

UK

Extend

your

visa

You

can

usually

apply

to

extend

an

Innovator

visa

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

meet

the

eligibility

requirements

you

’re

still

running

a

business

in

the

UK

or

want

to

set

up

a

new

one

Your

partner

or

children

will

need

to

apply

separately

You

should

apply

before

your

current

visa

expires

You

must

have

in

investment

funds

if

you

want

to

set

up

a

new

business

You

do

not

need

funds

if

either

your

business

is

already

established

and

has

been

endorsed

for

an

earlier

visa

you

’ve

changed

your

business

and

already

agreed

it

with

your

endorsing

body

You

need

to

have

your

business

or

business

idea

assessed

by

an

endorsing

body

when

you

extend

your

visa

Fees

Check

how

much

money

you

’ll

need

to

extend

your

visa

and

support

yourself

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

In

addition

to

the

application

fee

you

may

need

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

Proving

your

identity

and

supplying

supporting

documents

As

part

of

your

application

you

’ll

need

to

prove

your

identity

How

you

do

this

depends

on

where

you

’re

from

and

what

type

of

passport

you

have

You

’ll

either

give

your

fingerprints

and

a

photograph

biometric

information

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

this

is

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

use

the

UK

Immigration

ID

Check

app

to

scan

your

identity

document

you

’ll

also

create

or

sign

into

your

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

account

You

’ll

be

told

what

you

need

to

do

when

you

apply

If

you

do

need

an

appointment

the

centre

may

need

to

keep

your

passport

and

documents

while

they

process

your

application

you

may

have

to

travel

to

get

to

your

nearest

visa

application

centre

this

could

be

in

another

country

Apply

in

the

UK

You

must

apply

online

Once

you

’ve

started

your

application

you

can

save

your

form

and

complete

it

later

Start

now

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

Apply

outside

the

UK

You

can

apply

online

to

extend

an

Innovator

visa

you

’ve

had

in

the

last

year

You

may

also

be

able

to

apply

at

a

visa

application

centre

You

can

apply

from

any

country

as

long

as

you

’ve

been

given

permission

to

live

there

for

at

least

months

Check

if

there

’s

a

visa

application

centre

that

you

can

travel

to

that

accepts

Innovator

visa

applications

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

weeks

of

your

application

date

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

will

take

longer

for

example

if

you

’re

applying

with

a

family

member

who

needs

an

appointment

but

you

do

not

if

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

if

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

because

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

You

may

be

able

to

pay

to

get

a

faster

decision

you

’ll

be

told

if

you

can

when

you

apply

After

you

apply

If

you

need

to

change

something

in

your

application

after

you

’ve

sent

it

contact

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

You

can

ask

to

cancel

your

application

You

’ll

only

get

your

fee

refunded

if

UKVI

has

not

started

processing

your

application

You

’ll

get

an

email

or

a

letter

containing

the

decision

on

your

application

This

will

explain

what

you

need

to

do

next

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

you

applied

before

your

last

visa

expired

Switch

to

this

visa

You

might

be

able

to

apply

to

change

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

if

you

’re

already

in

the

UK

on

a

different

type

of

visa

Your

partner

or

children

will

need

to

apply

separately

You

should

apply

before

your

current

visa

expires

Eligibility

You

can

apply

to

switch

to

this

visa

if

you

meet

the

eligibility

requirements

Who

can

not

apply

to

switch

to

this

visa

You

can

not

switch

to

this

visa

if

you

have

one

of

the

following

a

visit

visa

a

short

term

student

visa

a

Parent

of

a

Child

Student

visa

a

seasonal

worker

visa

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

visa

immigration

bail

permission

to

stay

outside

the

immigration

rules

for

example

on

compassionate

grounds

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

stay

for

years

after

switching

to

an

Innovator

visa

There

’s

no

limit

on

the

number

of

times

you

can

extend

your

visa

How

much

it

costs

Check

the

visa

application

fees

If

you

’ve

been

in

the

UK

for

less

than

year

you

’ll

also

need

to

prove

you

have

enough

money

to

support

yourself

Proving

your

identity

and

supplying

supporting

documents

As

part

of

your

application

you

’ll

need

to

prove

your

identity

How

you

do

this

depends

on

where

you

’re

from

and

what

type

of

passport

you

have

You

’ll

either

have

your

fingerprints

and

photograph

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

this

is

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

use

the

UK

Immigration

ID

Check

app

to

scan

your

identity

document

you

’ll

also

create

or

sign

into

your

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

account

You

’ll

be

told

what

you

need

to

do

when

you

apply

If

you

do

need

an

appointment

the

centre

may

need

to

keep

your

passport

and

documents

while

they

process

your

application

you

may

have

to

travel

to

get

to

your

nearest

visa

application

centre

this

could

be

in

another

country

Apply

to

switch

to

an

Innovator

visa

You

must

apply

online

Once

you

’ve

started

your

application

you

can

save

your

form

and

complete

it

later

Start

now

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

Continue

your

application

Sign

in

to

your

account

using

the

link

from

your

sign

up

email

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

weeks

of

your

application

date

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

will

take

longer

for

example

if

you

’re

applying

with

a

family

member

who

needs

an

appointment

but

you

do

not

if

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

if

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

because

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

You

may

be

able

to

pay

to

get

a

faster

decision

you

’ll

be

told

if

you

can

when

you

apply

After

you

apply

If

you

need

to

change

something

in

your

application

after

you

’ve

sent

it

contact

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

You

can

ask

to

cancel

your

application

You

’ll

only

get

your

fee

refunded

if

UKVI

has

not

started

processing

your

application

You

’ll

get

an

email

or

a

letter

containing

the

decision

on

your

application

This

will

explain

what

you

need

to

do

next

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

you

applied

before

your

last

visa

expired


Overview

You

can

apply

for

a

Tier

Investor

visa

if

you

want

to

invest

or

more

in

the

UK

you

meet

the

other

eligibility

requirements

You

must

have

access

to

at

least

in

investment

funds

to

apply

If

you

or

your

family

are

from

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

If

you

or

your

close

family

member

started

living

in

the

UK

before

January

you

may

be

able

to

apply

to

the

free

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Otherwise

you

need

a

visa

to

work

in

the

UK

Irish

citizens

do

not

need

to

apply

for

a

visa

or

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

How

long

it

will

take

The

earliest

you

can

apply

is

months

before

you

travel

You

should

get

a

decision

on

your

visa

within

weeks

when

you

apply

from

outside

the

UK

Find

out

about

paying

for

a

faster

decision

Fees

You

must

pay

to

apply

for

a

Tier

Investor

visa

The

fee

is

the

same

if

you

’re

extending

or

switching

visas

or

if

you

’re

applying

as

a

family

member

Healthcare

surcharge

You

’ll

also

have

to

pay

the

healthcare

surcharge

as

part

of

your

application

Check

how

much

you

’ll

have

to

pay

before

you

apply

Get

a

faster

decision

on

your

application

If

you

’re

applying

to

extend

or

switch

in

the

UK

you

can

pay

an

extra

for

the

priority

service

to

get

a

decision

within

working

days

Once

you

’ve

got

your

decision

letter

your

biometric

residence

permit

will

take

up

to

working

days

to

arrive

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

come

to

the

UK

with

a

Tier

Investor

visa

for

a

maximum

of

years

and

months

You

can

apply

to

extend

this

visa

for

another

years

What

you

can

and

can

not

do

You

can

work

or

study

apply

to

settle

after

years

if

you

invest

million

apply

to

settle

after

years

if

you

invest

million

apply

to

settle

after

years

if

you

invest

million

You

can

not

work

as

a

professional

sportsperson

or

sports

coach

get

public

funds

You

also

can

not

work

as

a

doctor

or

dentist

in

training

unless

one

of

the

following

applies

you

have

a

primary

degree

at

bachelors

level

or

above

in

medicine

or

dentistry

from

a

UK

institution

that

holds

a

Student

sponsor

licence

or

is

a

UK

recognised

or

listed

body

you

worked

as

a

doctor

or

dentist

in

training

the

last

time

you

were

in

the

UK

neither

of

those

conditions

were

part

of

the

terms

and

conditions

on

a

previous

visa

Eligibility

You

must

have

at

least

investment

funds

to

apply

for

a

Tier

Investor

visa

You

must

be

or

over

to

apply

for

this

visa

be

able

to

prove

that

the

money

belongs

to

either

you

or

your

husband

wife

unmarried

or

same

sex

partner

have

opened

an

account

at

a

UK

regulated

bank

to

use

for

your

funds

Your

funds

must

be

held

in

one

or

more

regulated

financial

institutions

free

to

spend

disposable

in

the

UK

Your

money

can

be

in

the

UK

or

overseas

when

you

apply

Students

with

financial

sponsorship

You

may

be

able

to

apply

for

a

Tier

Investor

visa

if

you

’re

already

in

the

UK

and

you

’re

a

student

including

Tier

visa

holder

You

must

have

unconditional

agreement

in

writing

from

your

financial

sponsor

to

re

enter

or

stay

in

the

UK

if

your

course

fees

and

living

costs

were

paid

by

either

a

government

an

international

scholarship

agency

Documents

you

must

provide

When

you

apply

you

’ll

need

to

provide

a

current

passport

or

other

valid

travel

identification

your

tuberculosis

test

results

if

you

’re

from

a

country

where

you

have

to

take

the

test

a

criminal

record

certificate

from

any

country

you

have

stayed

in

for

a

total

of

months

or

more

over

the

last

years

You

need

a

blank

page

in

your

passport

for

your

visa

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

certified

translation

of

any

documents

that

are

not

in

English

or

Welsh

Evidence

of

investment

funds

You

’ll

need

to

provide

evidence

showing

that

you

have

the

required

investment

funds

Your

own

money

If

you

’re

using

your

own

money

to

invest

you

should

be

able

to

show

how

much

money

you

have

and

where

it

’s

being

held

where

the

money

came

from

if

you

’ve

had

the

money

for

less

than

years

for

example

you

inherited

it

from

a

relative

that

the

money

can

be

transferred

to

the

UK

and

converted

to

sterling

if

it

’s

not

already

in

the

UK

Your

partner

’s

money

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

certificate

of

marriage

or

civil

partnership

or

in

the

case

of

unmarried

or

same

sex

relationships

proof

that

you

are

in

a

long

term

relationship

at

least

years

a

statement

from

your

partner

confirming

that

they

will

allow

you

to

control

the

funds

in

the

UK

a

letter

from

a

legal

adviser

stating

that

the

declaration

is

valid

Read

the

guide

for

a

list

of

documents

you

can

provide

Evidence

you

have

a

UK

bank

account

You

must

provide

a

letter

to

prove

you

have

an

account

at

a

UK

regulated

bank

to

use

for

your

investment

funds

The

letter

must

have

been

issued

by

an

authorised

official

be

dated

within

months

of

your

application

be

on

the

official

headed

paper

of

the

bank

state

your

name

and

account

number

confirm

you

’ve

opened

an

account

with

the

bank

in

order

to

invest

confirm

the

bank

is

regulated

by

the

Financial

Conduct

Authority

confirm

checks

for

money

laundering

have

been

carried

out

You

may

need

to

provide

additional

documents

depending

on

your

circumstances

Apply

Read

the

guidance

before

you

apply

Apply

outside

the

UK

You

must

apply

online

for

a

Tier

Investor

visa

You

’ll

need

to

have

your

fingerprints

and

photograph

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

as

part

of

your

application

You

must

collect

your

biometric

residence

permit

within

days

of

when

you

said

you

’d

arrive

in

the

UK

even

if

you

actually

arrive

at

a

later

date

Find

out

how

to

get

your

visa

decision

faster

this

depends

on

what

country

you

’re

in

Check

if

your

visa

application

centre

offers

faster

decisions

and

other

services

Apply

in

the

UK

Check

if

you

can

apply

from

inside

the

UK

to

extend

your

existing

Tier

Investor

visa

switch

to

this

visa

from

another

visa

Extend

your

visa

You

may

be

able

to

extend

your

Tier

Investor

visa

You

should

include

any

dependants

who

are

on

your

current

visa

on

your

application

to

extend

including

children

who

have

turned

during

your

stay

You

should

apply

before

your

current

visa

expires

Read

the

full

guidance

on

the

Tier

Investor

visa

before

you

apply

You

successfully

applied

for

your

visa

before

November

You

can

apply

to

extend

your

visa

if

you

have

at

least

under

your

control

in

the

UK

have

invested

at

least

or

of

that

in

UK

government

bonds

share

capital

or

loan

capital

in

active

UK

companies

invested

this

sum

within

months

of

your

investor

start

date

Funds

under

your

control

in

the

UK

This

sum

should

include

the

or

more

investment

and

or

the

balance

needed

to

bring

it

up

to

at

least

These

funds

can

be

either

your

own

money

or

your

partner

’s

money

money

that

has

been

loaned

to

you

by

a

UK

regulated

financial

institution

as

long

as

you

have

personal

assets

with

a

value

of

or

more

You

can

not

mix

the

sources

of

funds

You

successfully

applied

for

your

visa

on

or

after

November

You

can

apply

to

extend

your

visa

if

you

have

at

least

under

your

control

in

the

UK

have

invested

those

funds

in

share

capital

or

loan

capital

in

active

UK

companies

invested

this

sum

within

months

of

your

investor

start

date

If

you

successfully

applied

before

March

you

can

also

apply

to

extend

if

you

invested

your

funds

in

UK

government

bonds

Funds

under

your

control

in

the

UK

You

must

have

invested

the

full

amount

made

up

of

your

own

money

or

your

partner

’s

money

Investment

made

within

months

of

your

investor

start

date

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

series

of

investment

portfolio

reports

produced

by

a

UK

regulated

financial

institution

that

show

you

invested

at

least

in

UK

government

bonds

or

UK

business

within

months

of

your

investor

start

date

if

you

first

got

your

visa

under

the

Immigration

Rules

in

place

before

November

you

invested

all

million

if

you

first

got

your

visa

under

the

Immigration

Rules

in

place

on

or

after

November

this

level

of

investment

has

been

maintained

for

the

length

of

your

visa

Your

investor

start

date

is

either

the

date

you

came

into

the

UK

if

you

have

proof

of

this

the

date

your

original

visa

application

or

switch

from

a

different

visa

category

was

approved

if

you

can

not

prove

your

date

of

entry

How

to

extend

your

visa

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

You

must

apply

online

Fees

For

each

person

you

’ll

need

to

pay

to

extend

this

visa

the

healthcare

surcharge

check

how

much

you

’ll

have

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

If

you

want

to

get

a

decision

more

quickly

than

the

standard

weeks

you

can

pay

an

extra

for

the

priority

service

to

get

a

decision

within

working

days

Providing

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

When

you

apply

you

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

your

biometric

information

your

fingerprints

and

a

photo

You

’ll

also

need

to

submit

your

supporting

documents

You

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

your

UKVCAS

appointment

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

How

long

it

takes

A

decision

will

usually

be

made

within

weeks

of

your

application

date

if

you

use

the

standard

service

within

working

days

of

your

UKVCAS

appointment

if

you

use

the

priority

service

Once

you

’ve

got

your

decision

letter

your

biometric

residence

permit

will

take

up

to

working

days

to

arrive

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

is

complicated

and

will

take

longer

for

example

because

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

you

applied

before

your

last

visa

expired

How

to

extend

your

visa

if

you

’re

outside

the

UK

If

you

’re

outside

the

UK

you

must

apply

online

to

extend

a

Tier

Investor

visa

Switch

to

this

visa

You

may

be

able

to

switch

to

a

Tier

Investor

visa

You

should

apply

before

your

current

visa

expires

Who

can

apply

You

can

apply

to

switch

to

this

visa

if

you

meet

the

eligibility

requirements

and

you

’re

already

in

the

UK

under

one

of

the

following

categories

Tier

General

Tier

Entrepreneur

any

Tier

category

Student

including

Tier

You

must

leave

the

UK

and

make

your

application

from

abroad

if

you

’re

in

another

category

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

stay

a

maximum

of

years

after

switching

to

a

Tier

Investor

visa

You

can

also

extend

your

visa

if

you

’re

eligible

Fees

For

each

person

you

’ll

need

to

pay

to

switch

to

this

visa

the

healthcare

surcharge

check

how

much

you

’ll

have

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

If

you

want

to

get

a

decision

more

quickly

than

the

standard

weeks

you

can

pay

an

extra

for

the

priority

service

to

get

a

decision

within

working

days

How

to

switch

Read

the

full

guidance

on

the

Tier

Investor

visa

before

you

apply

You

must

apply

online

Providing

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

When

you

apply

you

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

your

biometric

information

your

fingerprints

and

a

photo

You

’ll

also

need

to

submit

your

supporting

documents

You

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

your

UKVCAS

appointment

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

How

long

it

takes

A

decision

will

usually

be

made

within

weeks

of

your

application

date

if

you

use

the

standard

service

within

working

days

of

your

UKVCAS

appointment

if

you

use

the

priority

service

Once

you

’ve

got

your

decision

letter

your

biometric

residence

permit

will

take

up

to

working

days

to

arrive

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

is

complex

and

will

take

longer

for

example

because

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

you

applied

before

your

last

visa

expired

Family

members

Your

family

members

dependants

can

join

you

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

on

this

visa

Your

family

members

must

apply

for

their

own

visa

If

they

’re

from

the

European

Economic

Area

EEA

or

Switzerland

and

arrive

before

January

they

may

be

able

to

apply

to

the

free

EU

Settlement

Scheme

A

dependant

is

any

of

the

following

your

husband

wife

or

partner

your

child

under

your

child

over

if

they

’re

currently

in

the

UK

as

a

dependant

Read

the

guidance

on

dependant

applications

before

you

apply

Adult

family

members

must

provide

a

criminal

record

certificate

from

any

country

they

have

lived

in

for

months

or

more

in

the

last

years

Fees

Check

the

fees

for

this

visa

Dependants

applying

from

outside

the

UK

Your

family

members

must

apply

online

They

’ll

need

to

have

their

fingerprints

and

photograph

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

to

get

a

biometric

residence

permit

as

part

of

their

application

They

’ll

have

to

collect

their

biometric

residence

permit

within

days

of

when

they

said

they

’d

arrive

in

the

UK

even

if

they

actually

arrive

at

a

later

date

They

may

be

able

to

get

their

visa

faster

or

other

services

depending

on

what

country

they

’re

in

check

with

the

visa

application

centre

If

your

child

is

over

they

can

not

apply

if

they

are

outside

the

UK

They

can

apply

from

inside

the

UK

if

they

are

already

here

as

your

dependant

Dependants

applying

in

the

UK

You

can

include

dependants

in

your

online

application

to

extend

or

switch

to

a

Tier

Investor

visa

if

they

want

to

do

it

at

the

same

time

as

you

If

they

want

to

extend

or

switch

their

visa

at

a

different

time

they

can

apply

online

dependant

partner

application

apply

online

dependant

child

application

Family

members

can

not

apply

in

the

UK

as

your

dependant

if

they

hold

a

visitor

visa

Providing

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

When

they

apply

they

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

their

biometric

information

their

fingerprints

and

a

photo

They

’ll

also

need

to

submit

their

supporting

documents

They

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

their

UKVCAS

appointment

They

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

they

get

a

decision

Their

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

they

do

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

A

decision

will

be

made

within

weeks

of

their

application

date

if

they

use

the

standard

service

If

they

pay

an

extra

to

use

the

super

priority

service

a

decision

will

be

made

by

the

end

of

the

next

working

day

after

their

UKVCAS

appointment

if

their

appointment

is

on

a

weekday

working

days

after

their

UKVCAS

appointment

if

their

appointment

is

at

the

weekend

Working

days

are

Monday

to

Friday

not

including

bank

holidays

They

’ll

be

contacted

if

their

application

is

complex

and

will

take

longer

for

example

if

their

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

if

they

need

to

attend

an

interview

because

of

their

personal

circumstances

for

example

if

they

have

a

criminal

conviction

Once

they

’ve

applied

they

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

they

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

they

applied

before

their

last

visa

expired

Children

born

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

If

you

have

children

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

you

can

apply

online

to

add

them

to

your

visa

as

your

dependant

You

must

do

this

if

you

want

to

travel

in

and

out

of

the

UK

with

them

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

full

UK

birth

certificate

for

each

child

showing

the

names

of

both

parents


Overview

You

can

apply

for

a

visa

to

visit

the

UK

with

your

employer

if

you

live

outside

the

UK

are

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

have

worked

for

your

employer

for

at

least

one

year

meet

the

other

eligibility

requirements

Domestic

workers

include

cleaners

chauffeurs

cooks

those

providing

personal

care

for

the

employer

and

their

family

nannies

If

you

or

your

family

are

from

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

If

you

started

living

in

the

UK

on

or

before

December

you

can

apply

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

From

January

you

’ll

need

to

apply

for

an

Overseas

Domestic

Worker

visa

Irish

citizens

do

not

need

to

apply

for

a

visa

or

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

How

long

it

will

take

You

can

apply

for

a

visa

up

to

months

before

your

date

of

travel

to

the

UK

You

should

get

a

decision

on

your

visa

within

weeks

when

you

apply

from

outside

the

UK

Find

out

about

paying

for

a

faster

decision

Fees

It

costs

for

an

Overseas

Domestic

Worker

visa

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

use

this

visa

to

visit

the

UK

with

your

employer

for

up

to

months

You

must

return

home

at

the

end

of

the

months

You

can

not

extend

an

Overseas

Domestic

Worker

visa

You

may

be

able

to

extend

a

Domestic

Worker

in

a

Private

Household

visa

if

you

applied

on

or

before

April

What

you

can

and

can

not

do

You

can

travel

abroad

and

return

to

the

UK

to

complete

your

stay

change

employers

to

another

job

as

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

only

if

you

do

not

stay

longer

than

the

months

You

can

not

work

except

as

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

live

in

the

UK

for

long

periods

of

time

through

frequent

visits

get

public

funds

Eligibility

You

must

prove

that

you

are

or

older

have

worked

for

your

employer

for

at

least

year

work

in

the

same

household

as

your

employer

or

one

they

use

regularly

plan

to

travel

to

the

UK

with

your

employer

their

partner

or

children

intend

to

work

as

a

full

time

domestic

worker

in

a

UK

household

your

employer

will

live

in

plan

to

leave

the

UK

at

the

end

of

months

are

able

to

support

yourself

in

the

UK

without

the

need

for

public

funds

Your

employer

Your

employer

must

be

either

a

British

citizen

who

usually

lives

outside

the

UK

and

who

does

not

intend

to

remain

in

the

UK

for

more

than

months

foreign

citizen

who

is

coming

to

the

UK

on

a

visit

and

who

does

not

intend

to

remain

for

more

than

months

Your

employer

must

also

pay

you

at

least

the

national

minimum

wage

Documents

you

must

provide

When

you

apply

you

’ll

need

to

provide

a

current

passport

or

other

valid

travel

identification

proof

you

can

support

yourself

during

your

trip

for

example

bank

statements

or

payslips

for

the

last

months

a

completed

Appendix

domestic

worker

statement

signed

by

both

you

and

your

employer

a

letter

from

your

employer

confirming

your

job

title

how

long

you

’ve

worked

for

them

and

that

you

’re

a

permanent

employee

You

’ll

need

to

have

a

blank

page

in

your

passport

on

which

to

put

the

visa

You

must

also

provide

of

the

following

documents

covering

the

same

period

of

employment

pay

slips

or

bank

statements

showing

payment

of

salary

confirmation

of

tax

paid

confirmation

of

health

insurance

paid

contract

of

employment

work

visa

residence

permit

or

equivalent

passport

endorsement

for

the

country

where

you

’re

currently

employed

by

your

employer

visas

or

equivalent

passport

endorsement

if

you

’ve

travelled

with

your

employer

before

You

may

need

to

provide

additional

documents

depending

on

your

circumstances

You

’ll

need

to

provide

a

certified

translation

of

any

documents

that

are

not

in

English

or

Welsh

Apply

from

outside

the

UK

You

must

apply

online

for

this

visa

You

’ll

need

to

have

your

fingerprints

and

photograph

known

as

biometric

information

taken

at

a

visa

application

centre

as

part

of

your

application

Find

out

how

to

get

your

visa

decision

faster

this

depends

on

what

country

you

’re

in

Check

if

your

visa

application

centre

offers

faster

decisions

and

other

services

Domestic

workers

who

applied

before

April

There

are

different

rules

if

you

applied

for

a

Domestic

Worker

in

a

Private

Household

visa

on

or

before

April

You

can

extend

your

stay

in

the

UK

every

months

apply

to

settle

permanently

in

the

UK

after

years

bring

your

partner

and

children

under

change

employer

while

your

visa

is

valid

How

long

you

can

stay

You

can

apply

to

extend

your

visa

for

months

at

a

time

If

you

’ve

worked

in

the

UK

as

a

domestic

worker

for

years

you

can

apply

to

settle

permanently

in

the

UK

You

should

apply

before

your

current

permission

to

stay

expires

Eligibility

To

extend

your

visa

you

must

be

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

have

applied

for

your

domestic

worker

visa

on

or

before

April

have

continued

to

live

in

the

UK

apply

while

you

’re

still

in

the

UK

To

settle

in

the

UK

as

a

domestic

worker

you

must

have

applied

for

your

domestic

worker

visa

on

or

before

April

have

been

living

here

legally

for

at

least

years

currently

have

permission

to

stay

here

as

a

domestic

worker

have

been

in

the

UK

as

a

full

time

domestic

worker

continuously

throughout

the

years

you

can

not

have

been

outside

the

UK

for

more

than

days

in

any

consecutive

months

have

maintained

and

accommodated

yourself

and

any

dependants

without

the

use

of

public

funds

throughout

the

years

have

sufficient

knowledge

of

English

and

life

in

the

UK

Documents

you

’ll

need

To

extend

your

visa

you

must

provide

both

of

the

following

a

letter

from

your

employer

confirming

that

they

want

to

continue

to

employ

you

a

completed

Appendix

domestic

worker

statement

signed

by

both

you

and

your

employer

To

settle

in

the

UK

you

must

provide

a

letter

from

your

employer

confirming

that

they

want

to

continue

to

employ

you

evidence

that

you

can

satisfy

the

knowledge

of

English

and

life

in

the

UK

criteria

If

you

’ve

had

any

absences

because

of

serious

illness

births

or

deaths

in

your

family

or

had

to

leave

the

UK

you

also

need

to

write

a

letter

detailing

these

You

should

also

include

any

related

supporting

documents

with

your

letter

for

example

medical

certificates

birth

death

certificates

information

about

why

you

had

to

leave

the

UK

How

to

extend

your

visa

You

must

apply

online

to

extend

your

visa

You

can

include

your

dependants

partner

and

children

aged

under

on

your

application

If

you

have

any

dependant

children

aged

over

they

will

need

to

apply

separately

How

to

apply

to

settle

You

must

apply

online

to

settle

You

can

include

your

dependants

partner

and

children

aged

under

on

your

application

Your

partner

must

be

able

to

demonstrate

their

knowledge

of

English

and

life

in

the

UK

If

you

have

any

dependant

children

aged

over

they

will

need

to

apply

separately

Fees

For

each

person

applying

it

costs

to

apply

to

extend

your

visa

to

apply

to

settle

You

’ll

also

need

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

Get

a

faster

decision

on

your

application

You

can

pay

an

extra

to

use

the

super

priority

service

Providing

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

When

you

apply

you

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

your

biometric

information

your

fingerprints

and

a

photo

You

’ll

also

need

to

submit

your

supporting

documents

You

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

your

UKVCAS

appointment

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

Get

help

using

a

computer

to

apply

online

You

can

get

help

with

accessing

a

computer

or

the

internet

finding

the

right

information

on

GOV.UK

You

can

not

get

advice

on

whether

you

’re

eligible

to

apply

what

information

to

put

in

your

application

an

application

you

’ve

already

made

How

long

it

takes

A

decision

will

be

made

within

weeks

of

your

application

date

if

you

use

the

standard

service

If

you

use

the

super

priority

service

a

decision

will

be

made

by

the

end

of

the

next

working

day

after

your

UKVCAS

appointment

if

your

appointment

is

on

a

weekday

working

days

after

your

UKVCAS

appointment

if

your

appointment

is

at

the

weekend

Once

you

’ve

got

your

decision

letter

your

biometric

residence

permit

will

take

up

to

working

days

to

arrive

Working

days

are

Monday

to

Friday

not

including

bank

holidays

You

’ll

be

contacted

if

your

application

is

complex

and

will

take

longer

for

example

if

your

supporting

documents

need

to

be

verified

if

you

need

to

attend

an

interview

because

of

your

personal

circumstances

for

example

you

have

a

criminal

conviction

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

can

stay

in

the

UK

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

as

long

as

you

applied

before

your

last

visa

expired

Knowledge

of

English

If

you

want

to

settle

in

the

UK

you

’ll

need

to

prove

that

you

can

satisfy

the

English

language

requirement

You

can

only

settle

as

a

domestic

worker

in

a

private

household

if

you

applied

for

entry

on

or

before

April

You

can

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

by

either

passing

an

approved

English

language

test

with

at

least

CEFR

level

in

reading

writing

speaking

and

listening

having

an

academic

qualification

that

was

taught

in

English

and

is

recognised

by

Ecctis

formerly

UK

NARIC

as

being

equivalent

to

a

UK

bachelor

’s

degree

master

’s

degree

or

PhD

You

may

be

able

to

meet

the

English

language

requirement

in

other

ways

Check

the

full

visa

guidance

for

detailed

information

Exceptions

You

will

not

need

to

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

if

you

’re

a

national

of

one

of

the

following

countries

Antigua

and

Barbuda

Australia

the

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Canada

Dominica

Grenada

Guyana

Jamaica

New

Zealand

St

Kitts

and

Nevis

St

Lucia

St

Vincent

and

the

Grenadines

Trinidad

and

Tobago

USA

You

also

may

not

have

to

prove

your

knowledge

of

English

in

other

circumstances

check

the

full

visa

guidance

Your

employment

rights

When

you

work

in

the

UK

your

employer

must

pay

you

an

agreed

rate

which

must

be

at

least

the

national

minimum

wage

not

force

you

to

work

excessive

hours

give

you

agreed

holiday

pay

give

you

the

notice

you

’re

entitled

to

if

your

employment

ends

You

should

already

have

agreed

your

employment

conditions

with

your

employer

and

have

a

copy

of

these

in

writing

Your

employer

can

not

change

your

employment

conditions

unless

you

agree

If

your

employer

does

not

meet

these

requirements

you

can

take

legal

action

through

an

employment

or

industrial

tribunal

or

the

civil

courts

Get

advice

and

support

You

can

get

free

and

confidential

advice

from

the

Acas

helpline

You

can

also

contact

the

charity

Kalayaan

for

free

confidential

and

independent

advice

as

a

domestic

worker

in

the

UK

If

you

want

to

return

home

Contact

your

country

’s

Embassy

or

High

Commission

in

the

UK

if

you

want

to

return

home

You

can

also

get

confidential

advice

from

a

registered

immigration

adviser

Use

the

Office

of

the

Immigration

Services

Commissioner

OISC

Adviser

Finder

to

find

a

registered

adviser

near

you

If

you

’re

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

Modern

slavery

and

human

trafficking

involve

being

forced

to

do

something

you

do

not

want

to

do

usually

by

being

hurt

or

threatened

You

may

be

forced

to

work

for

free

or

less

than

the

minimum

wage

get

married

or

move

to

a

country

against

your

will

You

can

apply

to

stay

in

the

UK

for

up

to

years

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

entered

the

UK

on

a

Overseas

Domestic

Worker

visa

on

a

Domestic

Worker

in

a

Private

Household

visa

or

as

a

private

servant

of

a

diplomat

known

as

a

International

Agreement

visa

you

have

a

conclusive

grounds

letter

from

the

Single

Competent

Authority

SCA

confirming

that

you

’re

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

How

to

get

a

conclusive

grounds

letter

If

you

think

you

’re

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

you

need

to

contact

the

police

or

another

first

responder

organisation

They

can

help

refer

your

case

to

the

SCA

Read

the

First

responder

organisations

section

of

the

guidance

on

referrals

to

find

out

which

organisations

can

refer

your

case

The

SCA

will

decide

if

you

’re

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

They

will

send

you

a

conclusive

grounds

letter

confirming

their

decision

Apply

You

must

apply

within

days

of

getting

confirmation

you

’re

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

You

must

apply

online

to

stay

in

the

UK

It

’s

free

to

apply

Get

help

using

a

computer

to

apply

online

You

can

get

help

with

accessing

a

computer

or

the

internet

finding

the

right

information

on

GOV.UK

You

can

not

get

advice

on

whether

you

’re

eligible

to

apply

what

information

to

put

in

your

application

an

application

you

’ve

already

made

Applying

for

a

different

visa

If

you

apply

for

a

different

type

of

visa

within

days

of

getting

confirmation

but

are

refused

you

can

still

apply

as

a

victim

of

modern

slavery

or

human

trafficking

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

getting

the

refusal

Working

in

the

UK

You

’ll

be

able

to

work

as

a

domestic

worker

for

up

to

years

You

do

not

need

to

have

a

job

offer

before

you

apply

You

can

change

job

while

you

’re

in

the

UK


Overview

You

’ll

usually

need

a

sponsor

licence

to

employ

someone

to

work

for

you

from

outside

the

UK

This

includes

citizens

of

the

EU

Iceland

Liechtenstein

Norway

and

Switzerland

who

arrived

in

the

UK

after

December

This

includes

unpaid

work

like

running

a

charity

You

will

not

need

a

licence

to

sponsor

certain

groups

for

example

Irish

citizens

those

with

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

those

with

indefinite

leave

to

remain

in

the

UK

Read

more

about

who

does

not

need

sponsorship

Sponsoring

someone

does

not

guarantee

that

they

’ll

be

allowed

to

come

to

or

stay

in

the

UK

How

to

get

a

sponsor

licence

Check

your

business

is

eligible

Choose

the

type

of

licence

you

want

to

apply

for

this

will

depend

on

what

type

of

worker

you

want

to

sponsor

Decide

who

will

manage

sponsorship

within

your

business

Apply

online

and

pay

the

fee

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

may

visit

your

business

to

check

it

’s

suitable

After

you

apply

You

’ll

be

given

a

licence

rating

if

your

application

is

successful

You

’ll

be

able

to

issue

certificates

of

sponsorship

if

you

have

jobs

that

are

suitable

for

sponsorship

Your

licence

will

be

valid

for

years

You

may

lose

your

licence

if

you

do

not

meet

your

responsibilities

as

a

sponsor

Eligibility

To

get

a

licence

you

can

not

have

unspent

criminal

convictions

for

immigration

offences

or

certain

other

crimes

such

as

fraud

or

money

laundering

had

a

sponsor

licence

revoked

in

the

last

months

You

’ll

need

appropriate

systems

in

place

to

monitor

sponsored

employees

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

will

review

your

application

form

and

supporting

documents

They

may

visit

your

business

to

make

sure

you

’re

trustworthy

and

capable

of

carrying

out

your

duties

Types

of

licence

The

licence

you

need

depends

on

whether

the

workers

you

want

to

fill

your

jobs

are

Workers

for

those

with

long

term

job

offers

Temporary

workers

You

can

apply

for

a

licence

covering

one

or

both

types

of

worker

Worker

licence

A

Worker

licence

will

let

you

employ

people

long

term

or

permanently

It

’s

split

into

Skilled

Worker

the

role

must

meet

the

job

suitability

requirements

Intra

company

visas

this

includes

Intra

company

Transfer

and

Intra

company

Graduate

Trainee

for

multinational

companies

which

need

to

transfer

established

employees

or

graduate

trainees

to

the

UK

Minister

of

Religion

for

people

coming

to

work

for

a

religious

organisation

Sportsperson

for

elite

sportspeople

and

coaches

who

will

be

based

in

the

UK

Temporary

Worker

licence

A

Temporary

Worker

licence

will

let

you

employ

people

on

a

temporary

basis

It

’s

split

into

Creative

or

Sporting

Worker

to

work

as

a

high

level

sportsperson

up

to

year

entertainer

or

artist

up

to

years

Charity

Worker

for

unpaid

workers

at

a

charity

up

to

year

Religious

Worker

for

those

working

in

a

religious

order

or

organisation

years

Government

Authorised

Exchange

Worker

work

experience

year

research

projects

or

training

for

example

practical

medical

or

scientific

training

years

to

enable

a

short

term

exchange

of

knowledge

International

Agreement

Worker

where

the

worker

is

coming

to

do

a

job

which

is

covered

by

international

law

for

example

employees

of

overseas

governments

Seasonal

Worker

for

those

coming

to

the

UK

for

up

to

months

to

do

farm

work

Sponsorship

management

roles

You

need

to

appoint

people

within

your

business

to

manage

the

sponsorship

process

when

you

apply

for

a

licence

The

main

tool

they

’ll

use

is

the

sponsorship

management

system

SMS

The

roles

are

authorising

officer

a

senior

and

competent

person

responsible

for

the

actions

of

staff

and

representatives

who

use

the

SMS

key

contact

your

main

point

of

contact

with

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

level

user

responsible

for

all

day

to

day

management

of

your

licence

using

the

SMS

These

roles

can

be

filled

by

the

same

person

or

different

people

You

can

also

appoint

an

optional

level

user

once

you

have

your

licence

This

is

an

SMS

user

with

more

restricted

access

than

a

level

user

for

example

they

can

not

withdraw

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

Suitability

checks

You

and

your

staff

will

be

checked

to

make

sure

you

’re

suitable

for

these

roles

You

may

not

get

your

licence

if

anyone

involved

in

sponsorship

has

an

unspent

criminal

conviction

been

fined

by

UKVI

in

the

past

months

been

reported

to

UKVI

broken

the

law

been

a

key

person

at

a

sponsor

that

had

its

licence

revoked

in

the

last

months

failed

to

pay

VAT

or

other

excise

duty

You

and

your

allocated

staff

must

also

be

based

in

the

UK

most

of

the

time

not

be

a

contractor

or

consultant

contracted

for

a

specific

project

not

be

subject

to

a

bankruptcy

restriction

order

or

undertaking

or

a

debt

relief

restriction

order

or

undertaking

not

have

a

history

of

non

compliance

with

sponsor

requirements

Your

allocated

staff

must

usually

be

paid

members

of

staff

or

office

holders

Read

the

full

guidance

on

appointing

key

personnel

HR

contractors

and

agency

staff

You

must

have

at

least

one

level

user

who

is

your

employee

You

can

have

other

level

or

level

users

employed

by

third

party

organisations

contracted

to

provide

you

with

HR

services

Your

level

user

can

be

a

temporary

member

of

staff

supplied

by

an

agency

UK

based

legal

representatives

You

can

allocate

any

of

the

roles

to

a

UK

based

legal

representative

apart

from

the

authorising

officer

role

Your

representative

must

be

qualified

to

give

immigration

advice

or

services

Apply

for

your

licence

You

need

to

apply

online

for

your

licence

Once

you

’ve

finished

the

online

application

you

need

to

send

in

the

submission

sheet

at

the

end

of

the

application

your

supporting

documents

Any

affidavits

or

statutory

declarations

you

send

must

be

witnessed

by

a

qualified

independent

person

for

example

a

solicitor

Notary

Public

Justice

of

the

Peace

Commissioner

for

Oaths

or

in

Scotland

only

a

Councillor

Apply

now

How

to

send

the

documents

You

can

scan

or

take

pictures

of

your

submission

sheet

and

supporting

documents

and

send

them

to

the

email

address

given

on

the

submission

sheet

Make

sure

your

files

are

in

PDF

JPEG

or

PNG

format

have

descriptive

titles

with

or

fewer

characters

are

high

enough

quality

to

be

read

If

your

documents

are

not

in

English

or

Welsh

they

must

be

accompanied

by

a

certified

translation

there

’s

more

information

in

part

of

the

guidance

for

sponsors

If

you

can

not

scan

and

send

the

documents

by

email

contact

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

using

the

contact

details

on

the

submission

sheet

Licence

fees

You

need

to

pay

a

fee

when

you

apply

The

fee

depends

on

the

type

of

licence

you

’re

applying

for

and

what

type

of

organisation

you

are

You

’re

usually

a

small

sponsor

if

two

of

the

following

apply

your

annual

turnover

is

million

or

less

your

total

assets

are

worth

million

or

less

you

have

employees

or

fewer

You

’re

a

charitable

sponsor

if

you

’re

either

a

registered

excepted

or

exempt

charity

an

ecclesiastical

corporation

established

for

charitable

purposes

Contact

the

Business

Helpdesk

if

you

’re

unsure

which

category

your

business

fits

into

Type

of

licence

Fee

for

small

or

charitable

sponsors

Fee

for

medium

or

large

sponsors

Worker

Temporary

Worker

Worker

and

Temporary

Worker

Add

a

Worker

licence

to

an

existing

Temporary

Worker

licence

No

fee

Add

a

Temporary

Worker

licence

to

an

existing

Worker

licence

No

fee

No

fee

How

long

it

takes

to

get

a

decision

Most

applications

out

of

are

dealt

with

in

less

than

weeks

UKVI

may

need

to

visit

your

business

You

may

be

able

to

pay

to

get

a

decision

within

working

days

You

’ll

be

told

if

you

can

after

you

apply

Applications

refused

because

of

a

mistake

You

can

apply

to

request

a

review

of

your

application

if

you

think

it

was

refused

because

the

caseworker

processing

your

application

made

a

mistake

your

supporting

documents

were

not

considered

You

can

not

apply

just

because

you

disagree

with

the

decision

Help

and

advice

Sponsors

can

get

advice

from

the

sponsorship

employer

and

education

helpline

You

can

also

join

the

premium

customer

service

scheme

to

get

extra

support

from

a

licence

manager

this

costs

at

least

a

year

UK

businesses

and

Tier

Investors

can

get

help

from

the

Business

Helpdesk

Your

licence

rating

You

’ll

get

an

A

rated

licence

if

your

application

is

approved

A

rating

full

sponsor

licence

An

A

rated

licence

lets

you

start

assigning

certificates

of

sponsorship

Your

business

will

be

listed

in

the

register

of

sponsors

Downgrading

to

B

rating

Your

A

rated

licence

may

be

downgraded

to

a

B

rating

at

a

later

stage

if

you

do

not

continue

to

meet

your

sponsor

duties

If

this

happens

you

will

not

be

able

to

issue

new

certificates

of

sponsorship

until

you

’ve

made

improvements

and

upgraded

back

to

an

A

rating

You

’ll

still

be

able

to

issue

certificates

to

workers

you

already

employ

who

want

to

extend

their

permission

to

stay

Upgrade

to

an

A

rating

You

need

to

follow

an

action

plan

provided

by

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

to

upgrade

your

licence

You

have

to

pay

for

an

action

plan

You

must

pay

the

fee

within

working

days

of

the

date

UKVI

tells

you

about

the

downgrade

If

you

do

not

you

’ll

lose

your

licence

At

the

end

of

the

action

plan

You

’ll

be

upgraded

to

an

A

rating

if

you

complete

all

the

steps

and

there

’s

nothing

else

you

need

to

improve

You

’ll

lose

your

licence

if

you

do

not

complete

all

the

steps

If

you

need

to

make

other

improvements

you

’ll

be

given

another

B

rating

and

will

have

to

follow

a

new

action

plan

You

’ll

have

to

pay

the

fee

again

If

you

get

a

second

B

rating

You

can

only

have

B

ratings

in

the

years

that

your

licence

is

valid

You

’ll

lose

your

licence

if

you

still

need

to

make

improvements

after

your

second

action

plan

How

to

reapply

You

can

not

appeal

if

your

licence

is

revoked

but

you

can

reapply

You

have

to

wait

at

least

months

before

reapplying

You

need

to

start

a

new

application

when

you

reapply

Certificates

of

sponsorship

You

must

assign

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

to

each

foreign

worker

you

employ

This

is

an

electronic

record

not

a

physical

document

Each

certificate

has

its

own

number

which

a

worker

can

use

to

apply

for

a

visa

When

you

assign

the

certificate

to

a

worker

they

must

use

it

to

apply

for

their

visa

within

months

They

must

not

apply

for

their

visa

more

than

months

before

the

start

date

of

the

job

listed

on

the

certificate

Defined

certificates

These

are

for

people

applying

on

a

Skilled

Worker

visa

from

outside

the

UK

You

must

apply

for

defined

certificates

for

these

workers

through

the

sponsorship

management

system

SMS

You

’ll

get

access

to

this

when

you

get

your

licence

When

you

get

the

certificate

Applications

are

usually

approved

within

one

working

day

It

may

take

longer

if

UKVI

need

to

carry

out

further

checks

on

the

information

in

your

application

Defined

certificates

will

appear

in

your

SMS

account

once

they

have

been

approved

You

can

then

assign

them

to

a

worker

Undefined

certificates

These

are

for

Skilled

Workers

applying

from

inside

the

UK

and

applicants

on

all

other

visas

When

you

apply

for

your

licence

you

’ll

be

asked

to

estimate

how

many

undefined

certificates

you

’ll

need

for

Workers

and

Temporary

Workers

in

the

first

year

Certificate

costs

Certificates

are

free

for

citizens

of

the

following

countries

Austria

Belgium

Croatia

Republic

of

Cyprus

Czech

Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

North

Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Slovakia

Spain

Sweden

or

Turkey

For

other

citizens

you

need

to

pay

for

each

certificate

Type

of

certificate

Cost

per

certificate

Worker

Temporary

Worker

If

you

assign

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

to

a

worker

on

a

Skilled

Worker

or

Intra

company

Transfer

visa

you

might

also

need

to

pay

the

immigration

skills

charge

Immigration

skills

charge

You

might

have

to

pay

an

additional

charge

when

you

assign

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

to

someone

applying

for

a

Skilled

Worker

or

Intra

company

Transfer

visa

This

is

called

the

immigration

skills

charge

You

must

pay

the

immigration

skills

charge

if

they

’re

applying

for

a

visa

from

outside

the

UK

to

work

in

the

UK

for

months

or

more

inside

the

UK

for

any

length

of

time

When

you

do

not

need

to

pay

You

will

not

pay

the

immigration

skills

charge

if

you

’re

sponsoring

someone

on

an

Intra

company

Graduate

Trainee

visa

who

is

on

a

visa

to

study

in

the

UK

and

switches

to

a

Skilled

Worker

or

Intra

company

Transfer

visa

if

they

then

extend

their

stay

on

the

new

visa

you

will

not

have

to

pay

the

charge

You

will

also

not

have

to

pay

the

charge

if

you

’re

sponsoring

someone

with

one

of

the

following

occupation

codes

chemical

scientists

biological

scientists

and

biochemists

physical

scientists

social

and

humanities

scientists

natural

and

social

science

professionals

not

elsewhere

classified

research

and

development

managers

higher

education

teaching

professionals

clergy

sports

players

sports

coaches

instructors

or

officials

You

also

might

not

have

to

pay

the

charge

if

you

’re

sponsoring

a

worker

who

was

assigned

a

certificate

before

April

there

’s

more

information

in

part

of

the

guidance

for

sponsors

You

will

not

need

to

pay

the

charge

for

any

of

the

worker

’s

dependants

for

example

their

partner

or

child

If

the

person

you

’re

sponsoring

changes

jobs

If

you

’ve

assigned

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

to

someone

in

your

organisation

who

then

moves

to

a

new

job

in

your

organisation

you

’ll

need

to

assign

them

a

new

certificate

They

will

use

this

to

apply

for

a

new

visa

You

only

need

to

do

this

if

the

new

job

has

a

different

occupation

code

You

’ll

need

to

pay

the

immigration

skills

charge

again

if

the

end

date

on

their

new

visa

is

later

than

the

end

date

on

their

existing

visa

How

to

pay

You

pay

the

immigration

skills

charge

when

you

assign

a

certificate

of

sponsorship

to

the

worker

How

much

it

costs

The

amount

you

need

to

pay

is

based

on

the

size

of

your

organisation

how

long

the

worker

will

work

for

you

using

the

start

and

end

dates

on

their

sponsorship

certificate

Period

Small

or

charitable

sponsors

Medium

or

large

sponsors

First

months

Each

additional

months

If

the

worker

will

be

in

the

UK

for

longer

than

months

but

less

than

a

year

you

must

pay

for

at

least

months

You

must

pay

the

full

charge

in

one

go

Contact

the

Business

Helpdesk

if

you

’re

not

sure

which

category

your

business

fits

into

As

the

longest

you

can

sponsor

a

worker

for

is

years

the

most

you

have

to

pay

will

be

x

if

you

’re

a

small

or

charitable

sponsor

x

if

you

’re

a

medium

or

large

sponsor

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

will

contact

you

if

you

do

not

pay

the

charge

or

pay

the

wrong

amount

You

’ll

have

working

days

to

pay

the

charge

the

worker

’s

visa

application

will

be

refused

if

you

do

not

Refunds

You

’ll

get

a

full

refund

if

the

worker

’s

visa

application

is

refused

or

withdrawn

successful

but

they

do

not

come

to

work

for

you

You

’ll

get

a

partial

refund

if

the

worker

gets

less

time

on

their

visa

than

you

sponsored

them

for

starts

working

for

you

but

then

changes

to

another

sponsor

leaves

their

job

before

the

end

date

on

their

certificate

of

sponsorship

You

’ll

also

get

a

partial

refund

if

you

paid

the

medium

or

large

sponsor

fee

when

assigning

the

certificate

but

had

already

notified

UKVI

that

you

’re

now

a

small

or

charitable

sponsor

How

long

it

takes

You

usually

get

a

refund

within

days

of

telling

UKVI

that

the

worker

did

not

come

to

work

for

you

the

expiration

date

on

the

worker

’s

certificate

of

sponsorship

if

they

did

not

use

it

to

apply

for

a

visa

the

date

the

worker

’s

visa

application

is

refused

or

withdrawn

the

date

you

assigned

the

certificate

of

sponsorship

if

you

had

already

notified

UKVI

that

you

became

a

small

or

charitable

sponsor

If

the

worker

’s

visa

application

is

refused

they

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

reviewed

This

is

known

as

an

administrative

review

If

they

do

not

ask

for

an

administrative

review

you

’ll

get

a

refund

within

days

of

the

deadline

for

applying

for

one

You

’ll

get

a

refund

within

days

of

the

administrative

review

being

dismissed

if

the

worker

applied

for

one

and

were

unsuccessful

Contact

UKVI

if

your

refund

is

not

paid

within

days

Job

suitability

You

can

sponsor

a

worker

if

the

job

they

’re

going

to

do

has

a

suitable

rate

of

pay

and

skill

level

or

meets

the

other

criteria

needed

for

their

visa

Additional

requirements

for

religious

workers

You

’ll

usually

have

to

advertise

any

job

you

offer

to

someone

with

a

Religious

Worker

visa

unless

it

’s

a

non

essential

position

or

involves

living

within

a

religious

order

such

as

a

monk

or

nun

When

you

do

not

need

to

advertise

the

job

you

need

to

have

records

showing

that

there

is

not

a

suitable

person

who

does

not

require

sponsorship

to

take

on

the

role

There

are

rules

you

must

follow

about

how

to

advertise

jobs

for

religious

workers

Additional

requirements

for

creative

workers

Creative

jobs

done

by

someone

on

a

Creative

or

Sporting

Worker

visa

include

ballet

dancers

and

other

dancers

film

and

TV

performers

theatre

and

opera

performers

film

and

TV

workers

models

For

creative

jobs

you

must

make

sure

that

either

you

comply

with

the

creative

workers

code

of

practice

if

it

exists

for

that

occupation

the

job

is

on

the

shortage

occupations

list

If

the

job

is

not

on

the

shortage

occupation

list

and

there

is

no

code

of

practice

you

need

to

check

that

the

job

can

not

be

done

by

a

worker

who

does

not

need

sponsoring

Additional

requirements

for

sporting

workers

For

sporting

jobs

that

will

be

done

by

someone

on

either

the

Creative

or

Sporting

Worker

visa

or

Sportsperson

visa

you

must

get

an

endorsement

letter

from

the

relevant

governing

body

Sponsoring

You

can

not

sponsor

a

foreign

worker

under

on

a

Skilled

Worker

visa

an

Intra

company

visa

an

International

Agreement

Worker

visa

if

they

’ll

be

working

as

a

private

servant

in

a

diplomatic

household

or

in

the

household

of

an

employee

of

an

international

organisation

a

Seasonal

Worker

visa

You

can

not

sponsor

a

child

under

for

a

Minister

of

Religion

or

Sportsperson

visa

If

you

’re

also

a

Student

sponsor

ATAS

certificates

If

you

also

have

a

Student

sponsor

licence

you

may

need

to

check

whether

the

worker

needs

an

Academic

Technology

Approval

Scheme

ATAS

certificate

Who

needs

to

do

this

You

need

to

do

this

if

all

of

the

following

are

true

you

’re

licensed

as

a

Student

sponsor

you

’re

sponsoring

the

worker

for

a

Skilled

Worker

Intra

company

Transfer

Intra

company

Graduate

Trainee

Government

Authorised

Exchange

Worker

or

International

Agreement

Worker

visa

you

’re

sponsoring

the

worker

for

a

role

in

a

relevant

occupation

code

If

any

of

these

do

not

apply

to

you

you

do

not

need

to

do

anything

What

you

need

to

do

If

you

do

need

to

check

you

must

follow

these

steps

Check

if

the

worker

needs

an

ATAS

certificate

Add

a

sponsor

note

to

your

certificate

of

sponsorship

confirming

whether

or

not

the

worker

needs

an

ATAS

certificate

If

the

worker

does

need

an

ATAS

certificate

you

must

tell

them

that

they

need

to

get

one

and

include

it

in

their

visa

application

Check

if

the

worker

needs

an

ATAS

certificate

The

worker

will

need

an

ATAS

certificate

if

all

of

the

following

are

true

they

will

be

carrying

out

research

at

PhD

level

or

above

they

will

be

carrying

out

research

in

a

relevant

subject

check

the

relevant

subject

areas

list

in

the

worker

sponsor

guidance

their

nationality

is

not

exempt

from

needing

an

ATAS

certificate

check

the

exempt

nationalities

list

in

the

worker

sponsor

guidance

If

the

worker

does

not

need

an

ATAS

certificate

Your

sponsor

note

should

say

that

the

worker

does

not

need

an

ATAS

certificate

and

explain

why

If

the

worker

needs

an

ATAS

certificate

You

must

tell

the

worker

that

they

need

to

get

an

ATAS

certificate

and

include

it

in

their

visa

application

add

a

sponsor

note

to

your

certificate

of

sponsorship

make

and

keep

a

copy

of

the

ATAS

certificate

once

it

has

been

issued

Tell

the

worker

that

they

need

an

ATAS

certificate

Tell

the

worker

that

they

must

apply

for

an

ATAS

certificate

and

include

it

in

their

visa

application

If

the

worker

does

not

include

their

ATAS

certificate

their

visa

application

will

be

refused

and

you

may

lose

your

sponsor

licences

ATAS

certificate

applications

for

workers

can

take

at

least

weeks

to

be

processed

weeks

between

April

and

September

Add

a

sponsor

note

to

your

certificate

of

sponsorship

Your

sponsor

note

should

say

that

the

worker

needs

an

ATAS

certificate

and

mention

whether

they

have

already

applied

for

or

been

issued

with

one

Make

and

keep

a

copy

of

the

ATAS

certificate

When

the

worker

has

received

their

ATAS

certificate

you

must

make

and

keep

a

copy

of

the

certificate

or

the

electronic

approval

notice

the

worker

received

from

the

Foreign

Commonwealth

Development

Office

FCDO

Your

responsibilities

You

must

check

that

your

foreign

workers

have

the

necessary

skills

qualifications

or

professional

accreditations

to

do

their

jobs

and

keep

copies

of

documents

showing

this

only

assign

certificates

of

sponsorship

to

workers

when

the

job

is

suitable

for

sponsorship

tell

UK

Visas

and

Immigration

UKVI

if

your

sponsored

workers

are

not

complying

with

the

conditions

of

their

visa

Your

licence

may

be

downgraded

suspended

or

withdrawn

if

you

do

not

meet

them

Read

the

full

guidance

on

sponsor

requirements

and

duties

and

check

workers

have

the

right

to

work

in

the

UK

Monitoring

employees

You

must

have

HR

systems

in

place

that

let

you

monitor

your

employees

immigration

status

keep

copies

of

relevant

documents

for

each

employee

including

passport

and

right

to

work

information

track

and

record

employees

attendance

keep

employee

contact

details

up

to

date

report

to

UKVI

if

there

is

a

problem

for

example

if

your

employee

stops

coming

to

work

Changes

to

your

business

You

must

report

any

significant

changes

in

your

own

circumstances

within

working

days

for

example

if

you

stop

trading

or

become

insolvent

substantially

change

the

nature

of

your

business

are

involved

in

a

merger

or

take

over

You

must

also

tell

UKVI

if

you

’re

changing

your

details

like

your

address

or

allocated

roles

To

register

a

change

of

circumstances

use

the

sponsorship

management

system

SMS

Requests

can

take

up

to

weeks

You

can

register

a

change

within

working

days

instead

if

you

use

the

priority

service

It

costs

Sponsoring

You

must

make

sure

that

foreign

workers

under

have

suitable

care

arrangements

for

their

travel

to

the

UK

arrival

in

the

UK

living

arrangements

in

the

UK

You

must

also

get

a

letter

from

their

parents

giving

consent

to

the

care

arrangements

You

must

get

a

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

check

on

any

of

your

workers

who

need

it

You

’ll

lose

your

licence

if

you

do

not

do

this

Children

under

You

must

get

a

licence

from

the

local

education

authority

in

the

area

where

the

child

will

work