Visa options for temporary
work in the UK
7 October 2022
The UK’s points-based immigration system offers a wide variety of different routes which grant successful applicants the right to work in the UK.
The most commonly used is the Skilled Worker route. Under this route, employers can ‘sponsor’ a migrant worker for up to five years. After five years’ continuous residency, Skilled Workers can usually apply for settlement in the UK. For this reason, the Skilled Worker route is popular among those wishing to live and work in the UK long-term, often relocating with their family. However, the eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker visa are strict, and the fees for a three or five-year visa can be costly.
So what are the options for those wishing to undertake temporary work in the UK? Many multi-national organisations have a need to send their employees to the UK for short-term assignments or training purposes, often for just a few months at a time. Likewise, certain UK-based employers in key sectors such as farming only need to recruit overseas workers during a certain time of year and therefore wish to keep sponsorship fees to a minimum.
The points-based system offers a variety of different routes which allow successful applicants to undertake temporary work in the UK. The type of visa you need to apply for depends on the type of work you will be carrying out. We explore the most common options below.
Temporary Work routes
The points-based immigration system offers a range of visas under the ‘Temporary Work’ category, designed for different types of short-term work. Those applying for a visa under the Temporary Work routes outlined below still require formal sponsorship from their employer in the UK. However, the visa application fees for these routes are lower compared to Worker routes, as are the sponsorship fees payable by the employer.
You can apply for a Seasonal Worker visa to come to the UK to work in horticulture for up to 6 months – for example, picking fruit and vegetables or flowers.
You can apply for a Temporary Work – International Agreement visa if you’ll be contracted to do work covered by international law or treaty while in the UK. This includes working:
- for an overseas government or international organisation
- as a private servant in a diplomatic household
- as an employee in the household of someone who works for a ‘recognised international organisation’.
An International Agreement visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 2 years.
Government Authorised Exchange visa
You can apply for a Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa if you want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme. On this visa, you can stay in the UK for up to 12 or 24 months (depending on the scheme you’re applying for).
You can apply for a Temporary Work – Religious Worker visa if you want to do religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order. Religious Workers can live and work in the UK for up to 24 months.
You can apply for a Temporary Work – Charity Worker visa if you want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity for up to 12 months.
You can apply for a Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa if you’ve been offered work in the UK as a creative worker. A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industries, for example an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member. You can stay in the UK on this visa for up to 12 months.
Global Business Mobility routes
In April 2022, the UK government launched the Global Business Mobility (GBM) route. This ‘umbrella category’ consisting of five different visa types is for overseas businesses who need to temporarily send workers to the UK for a specific purpose that cannot be done by a settled worker.
Senior or Specialist Worker visa
A Senior or Specialist Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at your employer’s UK branch. This visa has replaced the Intra-company Transfer (ICT) visa.
This route is the only one of the five GBM routes which is classified as a ‘Worker’ route for sponsor licencing purposes. This means that applicants will pay a higher application fee, and sponsors are required to pay higher sponsorship fees when transferring workers to the UK under this route compared to the other four GBM routes.
A Graduate Trainee visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to work for your employer in their UK branch. Your job must be eligible and part of a graduate training programme for a managerial or specialist role. This visa has replaced the Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa.
A UK Expansion Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. You must already work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee.
You can apply for a Service Supplier visa if you have a contract to provide services for a UK company, either as:
- an employee for an overseas company
- a self-employed professional based overseas.
Apply for this visa if your overseas employer is transferring you to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation. Your overseas employer must have a high-value contract with the UK organisation.
Other routes
Alongside the above sponsored visas, there are several other routes available which allow applicants to work in the UK without a sponsor, for as long as their visa is valid. They include:
This post-study immigration route is for international students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at an eligible UK Higher Education Provider. A Graduate visa gives you permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years, during which time you can work, or look for work, at any skill level.
High Potential Individual visa
The High Potential Individual (HPI) route is open to recent graduates of top global universities. To apply, you must have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university in the last 5 years. A HPI visa gives you permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years, during which time you can work, or look for work, at any skill level.
This reciprocal cultural exchange programme exists to provide young people aged between 18 and 30 from participating countries with an opportunity to experience life in the UK for up to two years. With a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, individuals can live in the UK and study, work in most jobs or be self-employed during the visa’s 24-month validity period.
Coming to the UK for temporary work?
If you are looking to apply for a UK work visa, or if you are an employer looking to sponsor overseas workers under any of the Worker or Temporary Worker routes, Smith Stone Walters can help. To discuss your requirements with a qualified immigration advisor, please contact us today.
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