Charity Worker Visa
If you want to do temporary charity work in the UK then you
could be eligible for the Charity Worker Visa, find out more about the
requirements.
The Temporary Worker Visa for Charity Work
The Charity Worker Visa is a subcategory of the UK Temporary
Worker Visa. This visa is for those who plan to do unpaid voluntary work whilst
in the UK and it has recently replaced the Tier 5 Charity Worker Visa.
The Charity Worker Visa allows you to stay in the UK for up
to 12 months, or the time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14
days, whichever is the shorter of the two. If you want to work in the UK for
longer than this, or if you want to do paid work whilst in the UK you should
consider one of the other work visas.
Whilst in the UK on a Charity Worker Visa you can do unpaid
charity work for your sponsor and you can also study and take on a second job
providing it is either in the same sector as your main job or is for a role on
the Shortage Occupation List.
There are some limitations to this visa that you should
note. You cannot receive payment for any of the work that you do whilst in the
UK or take on a permanent job. You also cannot access public funds.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for a Charity Worker Visa you must be doing
unpaid voluntary work in the UK. The UK immigration rules define this as
“activities which would not normally be offered at a waged or salaried rate,
and which contribute directly to the achievement or advancement of the
sponsor’s charitable purpose.”
The charity work cannot include roles in administration,
retail, fund-raising or the maintenance of the charity’s offices or other
assets.
As well as meeting the above work requirements there are
several other requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible for this
visa, you must:
- Be over the age of 18
- Hold a certificate of sponsorship from a charity
that holds a valid UK Sponsor Licence
- To be able to financially support yourself whilst
in the UK, you will need to have at least £1,270 of personal savings available
in your bank account
How to apply
You can apply for the Charity Worker Visa up to 3 months
before you intend to start work in the UK. You must apply for this visa online
and can do so on the gov.uk website
As well as completing the application form you must also
prove your identity as part of the application. How you do this will depend on
what type of passport you hold. You can either scan your passport on the ‘UK
Immigration: ID Check’ app or if you are unable to do this you will need to
attend an appointment at a visa application centre to have your biometric
information taken, this is your photograph and fingerprints.
You will be told which one you need to do when you apply. If
you do need to go to a visa application centre they might need to keep your
passport and other documents whilst your application is being processed.
Once you successfully submit your application you can
usually expect to receive a decision on your application within 3 weeks.
Required documents
As part of your Charity Worker Visa application, the Home
Office will also expect you to submit a number of documents as well as a
portfolio of supporting evidence to demonstrate that you are able to meet the
visa requirements.
- The documents you will need for your Charity Worker Visa
application include:
- A valid passport or another national identity document
- Your certificate of sponsorship reference number
- Evidence that you have enough money to support yourself
whilst in the UK such as bank statements
- Your tuberculosis test results if you are travelling from a
country that requires the test
If you intend to bring any dependent relatives with you to
the UK then you will also need to submit documents to prove your relationships
with them such as marriage certificates or children’s birth certificates.
Bringing family members to the UK
Temporary workers are able to bring certain family members
with them to the UK. The family members that can join you on your Temporary
Worker Charity Visa include:
- Spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners
- Children under the age of 18
- Children over the age of 18 if they are already living in
the UK as your dependent
Any dependent relatives joining you in the UK must make a
separate visa application and they can apply to join you online.
To be eligible they will need to be able to prove their
relationship with you and must also show that they have enough money to be
financially supported whilst in the UK. You will need to show that there is at
least:
- £285 for your partner
- £315 for one child
- £200 for each additional child
How long it takes
You can apply for a 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.
As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your
identity and provide your documents.
You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment
to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.
Getting a decision
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
8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK
If you need to go to an appointment, you may be able to pay
for a faster decision. How you do this depends on whether you’re outside
the UK or inside the UK.
How much it costs
You, your partner or children will each need to:
pay the application fee
pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £624 per year
- you can check
how much you’ll have to pay
prove you have enough personal savings - check how much in
the eligibility
requirements
Application fee
The application fee for each person applying is £259.
The fee is the same whether you’re applying from inside or
outside the UK.
How long you can stay
You can stay for up to 12 months or the time given on your
certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.
You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of
your job.
What you can and cannot do
You can:
study - for some courses you’ll need an Academic
Technology Approval Scheme certificate
work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate
of sponsorship
do a second job in the same sector at the same level as your
main job for up to 20 hours per week
do a job on the Skilled
Worker shortage occupation list for up to 20 hours per week
bring your
partner and children with you, if they’re eligible
You cannot:
receive any payment for work
take a permanent job
get public funds
