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Skip to content 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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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.
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 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.
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:
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.
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.
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)
There is no English language requirement for the Religious Worker Visa UK.
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.
To demonstrate that you are eligible for a visa, you will need to submit several documents with your application. This process requires the following documents:
You will need to provide extra documents to confirm your relationship with any dependents you are bringing with you to the UK.
It is necessary to hire a professional translator for any document that is not written in English or Welsh.
You will be allowed to work in the role you are sponsored for if your UK Temporary Work – Religious Worker Visa application is approved.
A second job, as well as study (for some courses an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate is required), will be permitted (up to 20 hours per week outside the hours of your main job, provided the second job is in the same sector and on the Skilled Worker shortage occupation list).
No public funds will be available to you.
Upon the approval of your UK tier 5 religious worker visa application, you will be permitted to enter the UK and stay for 24 months or the period of the role stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days prior to and following the role.
A successful application for a stay extension as a Religious Worker will result in an additional time, either equal to the difference between the time you have already spent in the UK since your last permission as a Religious Worker and 24 months or equal to the period stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship as well as 14 days after, whichever is shorter.
A Religious Worker can be sponsored for a maximum of 24 months.
It is not possible to settle on a UK religious worker visa sponsorship. The UK temporary worker – religious worker visa in the UK, part of the Tier 5 category of visas, is typically not a route to settlement. This visa is designed for those coming to the UK for temporary religious work, such as preaching, pastoral work, or working in a religious order
However, another immigration route may be available, which can lead to indefinite leave to remain.
Within the UK, it is not possible to switch to the Religious Worker route. To apply for a Religious Worker visa, applicants must submit an application from abroad.
Call us now at 02033844389 to confirm your eligibility and options for free.
You must apply for a visa from outside of the UK if you are applying under the UK Religious Worker Visa UK. In order to apply for this route or the Charity Worker route, you must not have had permission within the 12 months immediately before your application, unless you can prove that you were not in the UK at any time during that period.
Applicants from the following countries will automatically have their application fee reduced by £55:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey.
Applications for Religious Worker Visas to the UK are typically decided within 3 weeks. If the visa application centre offers a priority service, you may be able to obtain a faster decision.
Religious Workers generally receive a decision within eight weeks of submitting their extension applications. By applying through the Priority Service or the Super Priority Service, you can also receive a decision within 5 days.
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We offer easy-to-understand, fixed fee services and comprehensive representation so you, the client know exactly what to expect and have full peace of mind about how much our service costs without worrying about unexpected further fees.
We offer free initial assessments for all cases so if you have some questions, want to make sure you qualify, or just want to understand the process and associated costs, get in touch with us now by phone or online enquiry and take the first proactive step in your immigration journey today.
Immigration is a constantly changing and complex area and government application fees are rising each year, so it is important you seek expert advice and assistance to ensure that you are fully clear on what to do, when and why.
We are available via phone at 02033844389 or through our easy-to-use online contact form in case you need to get in touch.
To apply for a visa extension, a Religious Worker must still be in the UK and meet all qualifying requirements. Also, before their existing visa expires, they need to file for an extension of stay. Nevertheless, a Religious Worker’s stay can only be extended for a maximum of 24 months, or for the duration specified on their sponsorship certificate plus an additional 14 days, whichever is less.
Also, keep in mind that the main visa holder’s partner or dependent children cannot have their permit extended simultaneously when requesting to extend a Religious Worker visa. This also implies that any dependent children or partners need to apply to remain in the UK for an extended period. Their visas will only be valid until the initial termination date unless they apply for extra leave to remain. The dependents of religious workers have the option to apply either concurrently with their partner or parent, or before the expiration of their visas.
Although the application process for an extension of stay might take up to 8 weeks, there are priority services available for those who want a faster answer. When they apply to extend their visa, they will be informed if they can expedite the decision-making process. The applicant and their family are not allowed to leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man after submitting their application and until they get a decision from UKVI. Failure to comply may result in the withdrawal of their visa application(s).
