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Religious Worker Visa UK

The Religious Worker Visa UK now replaces the T5 (Temporary Workers) Religious Visa and is an option for those who wish to work in the UK for a short period in a religious role.

Simply call us at 02033844389 if you need help with your temporary religious worker visa UK. You can also fill out the online form here.

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What is Religious Worker Visa UK?

The UK temporary worker-religious worker visa is for people who wish to conduct religious work for a UK religious institution by completing non-pastoral work for that institution for a maximum of two years.

Religious Workers are not eligible to settle in the UK, but their dependent partners and children can live with them.

Those Ministers of Religion who are required to lead congregations in rites, and rituals, and preach the basics of the creed in the UK should apply under the Tier 2 framework instead.

Immigration routes and rules are constantly changing in line with UK government guidelines. UK Immigration Solicitors strive to ensure that they are always well-informed about any changes and how they may affect you and your next steps.

Speak to our immigration solicitors now to confirm your eligibility and options for free on 02033844389.

Religious Worker Visa UK

Who is eligible for the religious worker work visa?

UK Visas & Immigration requires the following requirements in order to grant you a UK temporary worker – religious worker visa:

In order to qualify for a Religious Worker Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration:

  • You are at least 18 years old
  • The sponsoring organisation has offered you a job as a religious worker (which requires you to hold a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role you wish to take up)
  • Are you genuinely intending and capable of undertaking the role for which you are being sponsored, and are not planning to undertake other employment
  • You meet a financial requirement
  • In the previous 12 months, you did not possess permission to carry out religious work or charity work (unless you were overseas during this time)
  • The general grounds for refusal do not apply to your application
  • the TB certificate, if required, has been submitted by you.

You can bring along your dependent partner and dependent children under 18 if you are granted entry clearance or leave to remain as a Religious Worker.

If you want to enter the UK through the Religious Worker Visa route, you must apply for a visa from outside the UK. To apply for religious workers visa, you must not have been granted permission on these routes within the 12 months immediately prior to your application unless you can prove that you were not in the UK during this time.

You must provide a valid tuberculosis certificate if necessary.

You may have to meet different requirements depending on your situation. To ensure that any mistakes can be identified, and a solid strategy can be developed and implemented, you must seek professional advice and guidance as soon as possible.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

Additional Requirements for UK Tier 5 Religious Worker Visa

To be eligible for the Religious Worker Visa, you need to meet several requirements, including getting a job offer to work in an appropriate role. It is essential that you:

Certificate of Sponsor Requirement (CoS)

If you wish to apply for a temporary religious worker visa UK, you will need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office licensed sponsor with an ‘A-rated’ rating (unless you are applying to extend your previous period of leave to work for the same employer). To sponsor the job under the Religious Worker visa, your sponsor must be authorised by the Home Office.

If your sponsor is a religious order, the certificate of sponsorship must confirm that the role you intend to undertake meets the religious worker requirements (see further below).

The Certificate of Sponsorship must begin no more than three months before the application date and may not have been used in a previous, unsuccessful application. The certificate will be valid for three months after it has been assigned to you. After this date, you may not be eligible for a religious visa UK. After being assigned, the Certificate of Sponsorship cannot be withdrawn or revoked.

Permitted role of a Religious Worker Visa holder

People who qualify for the role of a Religious Worker in the UK are eligible to apply.

Your role as a Religious Worker must involve supporting the activities of your sponsor’s organization through religious duties performed within the organisation or directed by your sponsor.

Work that falls within the scope of a Minister of Religion is not allowed as part of your religious duties. Thus, you must not be primarily responsible for leading a congregation in performing rites and rituals of the faith and for preaching the essentials of the creed.

Pay and working conditions must be at least as good as those for settled workers in the same role, and your wage must comply with or be exempt from the National Minimum Wage.

Financial Requirement

You will need to have £1,270 in your bank account, held for at least 28 days, ending not more than 31 days before the date of your UK Religious Worker Visa application, unless you have resided in the UK on a valid visa for at least 12 months or your sponsor agrees to cover your expenses during your first month in the UK (which is confirmed on your Certificate of Sponsorship)

English Language Requirement for the Religious Worker Visa

There is no English language requirement for the Religious Worker Visa UK.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

How to Apply for a Temporary Religious Worker Visa?

This visa lets you work temporarily in the UK for up to three months before your first day of work. To apply, you need to be outside of the UK at the moment and use the gov.uk website. 

Fill out the application form online and send it in.

As part of the application process, you will also be asked to prove your identity. You can either use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document or go to a visa application centre to get your biometric information (picture and fingerprints) taken. This process is dependent on the type of passport you have.

We’ll let you know which of those choices is best for you. If you need to go to a visa application office for an appointment, they might keep your passport and other papers while your application is being processed.

We will begin processing your visa application once you have finished these procedures. In most cases, you should expect to hear back from the Home Office within three weeks.

Applying for priority service might help you make a decision faster.

  • Plus £500 for priority service that gets you a decision within 5 business days.
  • Super Priority Service – £1000 more for a decision in one business day
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.