Temporary Work – Creative, Charity and Religious Workers

If you are an overseas national who wants to work in the UK on a temporary basis in the creative sector or for a charity or faith-based organisation, you may be eligible for one of the following UK Temporary Worker visas:

• Creative Worker: This visa is for people who work in the creative industry, such as actors, dancers, musicians, film crew or artists. You can apply for this visa if you have a certificate of sponsorship from a UK-based organisation that is licensed to sponsor creative workers. You can stay in the UK for up to 12 months, or up to 24 months in certain circumstances.
• Charity Worker: This visa is for people who want to do voluntary work for a UK-based charity that is registered with the Charity Commission or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. You can apply for this visa if you have a certificate of sponsorship from the charity that you intend to work for. You can stay in the UK for up to 12 months. You cannot do any paid work while you are here.
• Religious Worker: This visa is for people who want to do religious work in a non-pastoral role or as part of a religious order in the UK. You can apply for this visa if you have a certificate of sponsorship from a UK-based organisation that is licensed to sponsor religious workers. You can stay in the UK for up to 24 months.

Can I apply for a Temporary Worker visa?

To apply for any of these visas, you must meet certain requirements, such as having enough funds to support yourself and your dependants, paying the immigration health surcharge and meeting the English language requirement (if applicable), and providing a TB certificate (if required).

To issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for migrants to perform or work in dance, theatre, opera, film, television, or as a fashion model, sponsors must consider the residence labour market before offering the role to an overseas national.

You usually need to secure entry clearance in this category before you can come to the UK unless you are a

non-visa national seeking entry for a period of 3 months or less under the Creative Worker visa concession. You must still meet all the eligibility criteria including having a previously arranged Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from an approved sponsor, which is then activated at the border.

Your dependent partner and dependent children can apply to accompany or join you in the UK on the Temporary Worker route.

There are also temporary work visa routes available for interns, people undertaking work experience and sponsored researchers; see our guide on Government Authorised Exchange Visas here . Additionally, people can secure visa clearance on a temporary basis as a Graduate , on the Youth Mobility Scheme , as a Seasonal Worker  of as an Overseas Domestic Worker 

How our immigration solicitors can help you

We have a team of experienced immigration lawyers who can assist you with all aspects of your Temporary Worker visa application. We can help you with:

• Advising you on which Temporary Worker visa category is suitable for you.
• If you are a sponsor, assisting you in obtaining and assigning a certificate of sponsorship.
• Helping you with preparing and submitting your Temporary Worker visa application and supporting documents
• Liaising with the Home Office on your behalf and resolving any issues or queries
• Advising you on how to comply with the conditions and restrictions of your Temporary Worker visa

Our team of immigration solicitors can help by advising on whether this route provides the best fit, assessing the documentation, assisting with drafting documents as required and preparing and submitting the required visa application.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your Temporary Worker visa.