Temporary
Worker Visas

There are six separate categories of Temporary Worker visa designed for different purposes:

• Seasonal Worker visa – For workers in the horticulture or poultry sectors doing seasonal work in the UK with an approved scheme operator.
• Government Authorised Exchange visa – For workers coming to the UK for work experience, job shadowing or training, to take part in an overseas government language programme, or undertake research or a fellowship through an approved exchange scheme.
• Creative Worker visa – For people working in the creative industries, for example an actor, dancer, musician, or film crew member.
• Religious Worker visa – For people conducting religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order.
• Charity Worker visa – For people doing unpaid voluntary work with a charitable organisation.
• International Agreement visa – For workers providing a service covered under international law, such as private servants in diplomatic households or employees of overseas governments and international organisations.

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Each Temporary Worker visa category listed above has its own set of eligibility criteria that applicants must satisfy in order to qualify for a visa.

All Temporary Workers in the above categories must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from an approved employer in the UK before they can apply for a visa.

Employers wishing to bring Temporary Workers to the UK must have a sponsor licence in place and must be approved by the Home Office to sponsor workers under their chosen route.

You can apply to be licensed on as many routes as you feel appropriate for your organisation. Route-specific guidance is in place for all Temporary Worker categories, and the eligibility requirements that sponsors must fulfil will depend on the route you are applying to sponsor workers under.  For example, to sponsor Seasonal Workers you must be an approved scheme operator, and to sponsor Charity Workers you must show evidence of your organisation’s charitable status.

sponsorship fees:

The cost to apply for a Temporary Worker sponsor licence is £536.

Sponsors will also be charged a £25 fee for each Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) they assign to a Temporary Worker.

It costs £298 to apply for a Temporary Worker visa.

In most cases, applicants will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS costs £1,035 per person per year, or £776 per year for under-18s. You will usually need to pay the IHS if you are applying for a visa for more than 6 months from outside the UK, or for any length of time if you are applying from inside the UK.

You may also need to show the Home Office that you have enough money to support yourself in the UK, unless you are exempt. You will usually need to have at least £1,270 available.

You must apply online for a Temporary Worker visa.

As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents. To do this, you will need to do one of the following:

• Have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a Visa Application Centre (VAC)
• Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, if you are eligible.

You can apply for a Temporary Worker visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re inside the UK.

If your chosen route is eligible, you may be able to pay for a faster decision using the Home Office priority services.

How long you can stay in the UK on a Temporary Worker visa depends on the category you are applying under. The Temporary Worker routes have different maximum validity periods:

• With a Seasonal Worker visa, you can stay for up to 6 months to work in horticulture, or from 18 October to 31 December each year for poultry work.
• A Government Authorised Exchange visa is valid for a maximum of 12 months or 24 months, depending on the scheme you apply for.
• With a Creative Worker visa, you can stay in the UK for up to 12 months, with the possibility to extend for up to a maximum of 24 months if working for the same sponsor.
• A Religious Worker visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 24 months.
• A Charity Worker visa allows you can stay in the UK for up to 12 months.
• An International Agreement visa is valid for up to 2 years at a time. In some cases, you can stay in the UK for up to a maximum of 5 years under this route.

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Due to the temporary nature of these immigration routes, they do not lead to settlement in the UK.

The list of permitted activities that you can undertake in the UK will depend on the route you have secured your immigration permission under.

All Temporary Workers are permitted to work for their sponsor in the job described in their Certificate of Sponsorship, but restrictions apply under some routes for other activities such as supplementary employment or bringing dependant family members.

If your Temporary Worker visa application is successful, you will get a full list of what you can and cannot do under the conditions of your visa.

If your business intends to sponsor overseas nationals under any of the Temporary Worker routes, Smith Stone Walters can help.

We can assess your organisation’s eligibility for a Temporary Worker sponsor licence under your chosen route, and support you with the licence application process and submitting individual Temporary Worker visa application thereafter.

To find out more about the tailored service we can offer, please contact us today.

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This page is intended for informational purposes only. Immigration rules are subject to change and may vary based on your individual circumstances. For up-to-date advice and guidance, please contact Smith Stone Walters.