Do I need a work permit?

If you are an overseas national who is not settled in the UK and you intend to work in the UK, you must have a work permit unless you are:
» An EEA national
» A Swiss national
» A family member of an EEA or Swiss national who is in the UK exercising their treaty rights or a family member of an EEA or Swiss national who intends to join them in, or is travelling with them to, the UK
» A citizen of Gibraltar
» A Commonwealth citizen with permission to stay in the UK on the basis of UK Ancestry
» A seaman under contract to join a ship due to leave British waters
» A person employed as a civilian in NATO Forces
» A person given permission to stay as the dependant of a person settled in the UK
» A dependant under another category (in some cases), or
» A student (in some cases).

What is a work permit?

Work permits are issued by Work Permits (UK), part of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate. A work permit relates to a specific person and a specific job. The work permit scheme lets UK employers recruit or transfer people from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) while still protecting the interests of resident workers in the UK. Work permits also allow overseas nationals to come to the UK for training or work experience.
There are four types of work permit.
» Ordinary work permits, also used for the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES).
» Multiple-entry work permits (MEWPs)
»» The MEWP is designed for employees travelling regularly for short periods of work permit employment with the same employer in the UK (other than Northern Ireland). It is not valid for the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES).
»» The MEWP is valid for between six months and two years for individual work permit holders. For sportspeople and groups of entertainers the maximum period is 12 months.
»» MEWP holders do not qualify for indefinite leave to remain in the UK (in other words they cannot apply for permission to stay in the UK with no time limit).
»» MEWP holders must support themselves and live without taking other employment or needing any help from public funds.
»» They cannot bring their husband, wife, or dependent children with them to the UK.
» Letters of approval, which are used in place of individual work permits, when a large group of people (20 or more) are travelling together.
» Sectors Based Scheme (SBS). You can get more information on this from Work Permits (UK), whose details are at the end of this guidance.

What is the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES)?

The scheme allows overseas nationals to come to the UK for training towards a professional or specialist qualification or to undertake short periods of work experience as an extra member of staff.
To qualify, you must:
» Hold a valid TWES work permit and be able to carry out the training or work experience it applies to
» Intend to leave the UK after the training or work experience
» Be aged between 16 and 65
» Not intend to take employment except as set out on the permit, and
» Be able to support yourself and any dependants, and live without needing any help from public funds.

How long must I wait to become eligible for a further TWES work permit?

You will not normally be eligible for a further TWES work permit until you have spent 24 months abroad, using the skills you gained in the UK. However, if you have only taken on a development opportunity of less than one year on a TWES work permit, you will be eligible to apply for a further permit after 12 months abroad.

Are there any exceptions?

The Immigration Rules allow people to come to the UK for certain types of employment without a work permit. You can get more information from other guidance notes:
» Permit free employment
» Setting up in business
» Investors
» Working holidaymakers
» Au pairs
» Overseas domestic workers

How do I apply for a work permit?

You cannot apply directly for a work permit. The employer in the UK who wants to employ you must do this. They should contact Work Permits (UK).
The employer should send the filled-in application form at least eight weeks before the date they need you to start work.

Can I travel before my work permit has been issued?

No. You should not travel to the UK to start work before you get your work permit. If you arrive in the UK without a work permit to take up a job that needs one, you will be refused entry.

Can my other dependants join me in the UK?

As a concession outside the Immigration Rules, children over the age of 18 and dependent parents can join you if:
» You have been posted to the UK branch of your employer's company by your employer, and
» The person applying:
»» Is genuinely dependent upon you
»» Is, and will continue to be, part of the family unit, and
»» Will not stay in the UK after your stay has ended.
Dependants of MEWP and SBS holders do not qualify for leave to enter the UK in line with permit holders. Instead they must qualify for entry under the Immigration Rules in their own right.

Do I need a visa?

You will need a visa if you:
» Are a national of one of the countries listed at the end of this guidance
» Hold a work permit valid for more than six months (unless you are a British National without the right of abode)
» Are stateless
» Hold a non-national travel document, or
» Hold a passport issued by an authority not recognised by the UK.

Do my dependants need a visa?

Yes. Your dependants must get a visa to join you in the UK, even if you do not need a visa. If they travel without a visa they will be refused entry to the UK.

What is a visa?

A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa we will not normally refuse you entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.

How do I apply for a visa?

You will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF 1 – non-settlement). You can download the form from this website, or get one, free of charge, from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section.
You can apply for a visit visa at any full service visa-issuing office. For all other types of visa, you should apply in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
You can apply in a number of ways, for example by post, by courier, in person and online. The visa section will tell you about the ways in which you can apply.

What will I need to make my application?

You will need:
» Which you have filled in correctly.
» Your passport or travel document.
» A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of yourself.
This should be:
»» taken against a light coloured background
»» clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
»» printed on normal photographic paper, and
»» full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
» The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
» Supporting documents relevant to your application.

What supporting documents should I include with my application?

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK for work permit employment. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
As a guide you should include:
» Your original work permit
» A letter of support from your employer, and
» Evidence of your qualifications and experience that are relevant to the job for which the work permit was issued.
We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forged.

What do my dependants need to make an application?

Your dependants will need the following.
» Which they have filled in correctly.
» A passport or travel document.
» A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of themselves.
This should be:
»» taken against a light coloured background
»» clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
»» printed on normal photographic paper, and
»» full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless they wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
» The visa fee. This cannot be refunded and they must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where they are applying.
» Supporting documents relevant to their application.

What supporting documents should my dependants include with their application?

Your dependants should include all the documents they can to show that they qualify for entry to the UK as your dependant. If they do not, we may refuse their application.
As a guide your dependants should include:
» Evidence of their relationship to you
» Evidence that you can support them and live without needing any help from public funds
» A copy of the pages from your passport showing your permission to stay, if you are already in the UK, and
» Your original work permit and supporting documents if they are applying before you travel to the UK.

What requirements do I have to meet to get a visa?

If you hold an ordinary work permit, TWES or a letter of approval you must:
» Be able to do the work referred to in your work permit
» not intend to take other employment, except as set out in your work permit
» intend to leave the UK when the work permit expires (where it is due to expire within 12 months), and
» be able to support yourself and any dependants, and live without needing any help from public funds.

What will happen when I make my application?

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible they will need to interview you.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:
» Your personal details are correct
» It correctly states the period for which you want to come to the UK, and
• it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately.)
If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact the visa section immediately.

What are public funds?

Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to travel to the UK you must be able to support yourself and live without claiming certain state benefits. Use this link to see a list of them: