Tier 5 consists of a Youth Mobility Scheme and the following “Temporary Workers” schemes: Creative and Sporting; Charity Workers; Religious Workers; Government Authorised Exchange; International Agreement.
All these schemes are for limited periods of leave and they cannot lead to settlement, unless leave under any of the schemes is included in an application for settlement based on ten years’ continuous lawful residence. Tier 5 Migrants are allowed to have their dependants with them in the UK.
The Tier 5 charity worker visa is a scheme that enables people to come to the UK for up to 12 months and carry out unpaid work for a registered charity, which must sponsor them. They are allowed to receive reasonable expenses but no salary. It is necessary for the migrant to apply for entry clearance from outside the UK.
There is no English language requirement.
The Tier 5 religious worker visa is a scheme that enables people to come to the UK for up to 24 months to work for a religious order or organisation, which must sponsor them. It is necessary for the migrant to apply for entry clearance from outside the UK.
There is no English language requirement.
This category enables people to come to or remain in the UK on various visa schemes approved by the British Government, for either 12 months or 24 months, depending on the scheme. These schemes consist of the following:
• Work experience programmes (volunteering, job shadowing, internships)
• Research programmes (programmes carried out at higher education institutions and other research institutions operating under the auspices of a UK Government department)
• Overseas government language programmes (programmes operating under the auspices of a UK Government Department or Government-sponsored organisation)
• Training programmes (various programmes carried out under state or private organisations)
Migrants under Tier 5 GAE schemes must be sponsored, but unless the employer/organisation is a Government Department or a higher education institution they will not act as the sponsor themselves. The sponsor is a separate body, known as an “overarching body”. This makes the schemes relatively simple, because the employer/organisation does not have to get involved in the complexities of sponsorship.
The various work experience programmes include paid and unpaid schemes in predominantly private sector organisations and in some cases switching into the visa in the UK is allowed, e.g. by Tier 4 Students.
There is no English language requirement for any of the schemes.
This category enables people to come to or remain the UK on visa schemes in the following sub-categories:
• Private servants in diplomatic households
• Employees of overseas governments and international organisations
• People who are providing a contracted service under international agreements such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and similar schemes
In some cases, depending on the scheme, it is possible to extend leave in the UK for up to six years.
There is no English language requirement for any of the schemes.
Our Tier 5 temporary workers lawyers can assist with all stages of the process and fully prepare the application on behalf of the client. We will advise on the merits at the outset and make clear the legal and evidential requirements so that the application is set up on the best footing from the very start. We of course advise on all the supporting documents and evidence required and take the client through the immigration process from start to finish.
We can assist with templates for documents specified by the Rules and deal with third parties where necessary and we aim to make the whole process as smooth as possible. If there are any issues in your immigration matter you will know before applying and we can help best overcome them. In short, we prevent mistakes and ensure any application meets the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We are here to help you safely navigate your way through the UK immigration process.
