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Skip to content Foreign nationals seeking employment as domestic helpers in private homes in the UK can apply for a Domestic Worker Visa. Caretakers, cooks, nannies, chauffeurs, and housekeepers all fall under the category of domestic workers. To apply for a Domestic Worker visa, you are not required to have a job offer.
For immediate assistance call us at 02033844389. Our immigration lawyers are always happy to help you.
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You can apply for a visa to visit the UK with your employer if you:
Domestic workers include:
There is no way to settle in the UK through the domestic worker visa path, and dependents cannot join or go with the main applicant.
Speak to our assessment team now to confirm your eligibility and options for free on 02033844389.
You must prove that you:
Your employer must be either a:
The specific conditions that you must meet will differ based on your individual situation. For professional guidance, you should see an immigration lawyer. Call us now at 02033844389.
“Overseas domestic worker” is not defined under the Immigration Rules. Overseas domestic workers are broadly defined by the Home Office as anyone who provides a personal service to an employer and their family, including but not limited to cleaners, chefs, chauffeurs, nannies, and others.
As an overseas domestic worker, you are required to get entrance clearance before you go. This means they can’t just show up at any UK port or airport and ask to be let in as a tourist or domestic worker; they have to apply for a visa overseas.
A domestic worker visa application can be submitted up to three months prior to the intended travel date to the UK.
An online application is required. Additionally, in an overseas visa application centre, the applicant must provide biometric data. A picture of their face and a fingerprint scan will be part of this.
To discuss your domestic worker visa UK application you can call our immigration lawyers at 02033844389 or fill out the form below.
When you apply you’ll need to provide:
You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa. You must also provide information about your job, including:
You must also provide 1 of the following documents covering the same period of employment:
You can only stay 6 months with a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa. Also, you can apply for an extension so that the total is 6 months if your original visa was for less than 6 months.
The regular processing fee for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa is £637 and the application takes about three weeks.
You may speed up the decision-making process by £500 for the optional priority service, which guarantees a response within 5 business days, or by £1000 for the super-priority service, which guarantees a response the very next business day. Priority service timelines begin counting down the day the applicant provides their biometric data.
You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:
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.
Domestic workers are only allowed a six-month stay in the UK. They are required to return home either when their visa expires or at the same time as their employer, whichever comes first. Domestic workers are not allowed to apply for an extension of stay while they are in the UK. However, they can apply from overseas as long as they don’t plan to reside with their employer in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits.
Although domestic workers are not restricted in their ability to apply for entry to the UK, each application is reviewed separately. For instance, if the same person has applied for the visa multiple times in the past, it may be difficult to convince the Home Office that they do not intend to permanently reside in the UK by means of multiple trips, even after a short break overseas.
Different rules apply to you if you’re a domestic worker who applied for entry to the UK on or before 5 April 2012.
You can:
To extend your visa you must:
To settle in the UK as a domestic worker you must:
To extend your visa you must provide both of the following:
To settle in the UK you must provide:
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, and information about why you had to leave the UK.
A decision will be made:
You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:
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.
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 apply for entry on or before 5 April 2012. You can prove your knowledge of English by either:
You may be able to meet the English language requirement in other ways. Check the full visa guidance for detailed information.
You won’t need to prove your knowledge of English if you’re a national of one of the following countries:
You also may not have to prove your knowledge of English in other circumstances
You can apply to stay in the UK for up to 2 years if all the following apply:
You must apply within 28 days of getting confirmation you’re a victim of slavery or human trafficking.
If you apply for a different type of visa within 28 days of getting confirmation but are refused, you can still apply as a victim of slavery or human trafficking. You must do this within 28 days of getting the refusal.
You’ll be able to work as a domestic worker for up to 2 years. You don’t need to have a job offer before you apply. You can change jobs while you’re in the UK.
From inside the UK, you cannot change your immigration status to that of an Overseas Domestic Worker. It is not possible to apply for a visa to work as a domestic worker overseas from within the UK.
You might be able to challenge an incorrect denial of your Overseas Domestic Worker visa application by requesting an Administrative Review. For professional legal counsel, you might want to consult an immigration lawyer.
With years of expertise, our skilled immigration solicitors can help with any kind of visa application. If you are seeking an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa, our lawyers can help you navigate the maze of regulations and laws set forth by the Home Office.
We take great pleasure in being kind and helpful, and in anticipating and addressing the requirements of our clients. Our team is committed to helping people apply for Overseas Domestic Worker Visas efficiently and professionally while also providing them with precise and simple immigration assistance.
