The purpose of this visa is to allow eligible international workers to enter the UK to undertake specific forms of work for a limited period of time.
You may be eligible for an International Agreement Worker Visa if one of the following applies to your situation:
As well as these conditions, you must the other eligibility requirements of the International Agreement Worker Visa.
This visa replaced the former Temporary Worker – International Agreement Worker Visa (T5). As part of the new points-based immigration system, this visa was established in December 2020.
The agreement was established under international law and the UK is a signatory of this agreement.
This page outlines how you can apply for this visa and other relevant considerations.
As well as meeting the above conditions for the nature of your work, you must also meet additional eligibility criteria.
The conditions you must meet include:
The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
The nature of the work you intend to carry out must be one of the following:
If you are working in a role with a relevant occupation code for a UK sponsor which is also a licensed student sponsor, you may also be required to apply for an Academic Approval Technology Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
As well as this, your employer must be a valid sponsor with the power to issue Certificates of Sponsorship.
It is a requirement of the International Agreement Worker Visa that you must have at least £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days in advance of your the International Agreement Worker Visa application date.
Two reasons why you may not need to show proof of financial maintenance may occur if:
In the latter instance, the Certificate of Sponsorship must indicate the employer’s intention to do so.
This can be found under the section titled ‘sponsor certifies maintenance.’
It may be possible to bring dependents with you on this visa route. Your dependent partner or child includes one of the following:
To be able to list your partner as a dependent, you must provide proof of your relationship (e.g., marriage certificate) or proof of cohabitation as part of your relationship for at least two years.
As well as this, your child aged over 16 years must meet the following requirements:
In order to be eligible for this visa, your partner and child must also meet a financial requirement. These include:
For example, for the visa applicant (£1,270), their spouse (£285), and child (£315), the total funds needed would total £1,870.
There are a number of required supporting documents that you must submit with your application. These include:
Please note that you will be required to submit a certified translation of any documents not in English or Welsh.
You will be notified whether you need to submit your biometric information at the time of your application.
To apply for the International Agreement Worker Visa, you must follow the below steps to apply:
There is no way to ensure a successful application, but you can maximise your chances by working with a qualified and experienced immigration lawyer.
An immigration specialist will give you the knowledge required to submit the strongest possible application.
The International Agreement Worker Visa can be extended for a maximum period of 24 months at one time, or the time period stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 28 days (whichever is shorter).
This may be extended for 24 months at a time for a total of five years if you are a private servant in a diplomatic household.
A contractual service supplier or independent professional may stay for up to six months in a 12-month period unless the following instances apply:
If you have any questions about your extension, contact WMYV for further information about your personal circumstances.
If you are currently in the UK on another visa or immigration permission, you will typically not be permitted to switch to the International Agreement Worker Visa.
You may be eligible to switch to this category if one of the following situations applies to your case:
Note that you must apply in advance of the expiration of your current visa.
However, it may be possible to leave the UK, apply for the visa while abroad and return if it is granted.
Otherwise, it is not possible to switch to this visa from another.
Sponsoring International Agreement Workers as an employer involves facilitating the entry and employment of foreign workers under international agreements. In the UK context, this primarily refers to workers from European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries following the end of the Brexit transition period.
Here’s what you need to know about sponsoring international agreement workers as an employer:
Our team of specialist immigration advisers can guide you through each step of your application process for an International Agreement worker visa in the UK. Our services include:
Reach out to us for more information or to see how we can help you?
The application fee for the International Agreement Worker Visa is £259 per person, and there is no difference between applying from inside the UK or outside.
There are additional costs involved, including the healthcare surcharge (where relevant) which costs £624 per year.
As well as this, you pay be required to pay to submit your biometric information (usually £19.20).
You must also show that you meet the minimum financial requirement.
In general, most cases will be processed within three weeks from outside the UK, or eight weeks if the application is made within the UK.
It may be possible to pay for a faster decision under the priority processing time. You will be told if this is an option for you at the time of your application.
If you are an employer in the UK wishing to employ a worker, you must hold a valid Sponsor Licence. This qualifies you to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship and legally employ foreign nationals.
Some of the foreign worker visas include:
Speak to a qualified immigration lawyer if you need support with applying for a Sponsor Licence to hire foreign workers.
Additionally, if you require assistance with your Sponsor Licence renewal, speak to our friendly client care team today to set up an appointment.
As experts in immigration and international law, we have the expertise to assist you.
Call us for an immediate discussion about how we can help you and your business.
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