Which Visa Do I Need?

The following information should serve as a guide only and more in depth documentation can be obtained through the British High Commission website in your home country.

 

 

Passports

British Passport Holders/ Dual Nationals
EEA Citizens

Visa Options

Ancestry visa
Right of Abode
Settlement visa (Spousal)
Civil Partnership visa
Tier 5- Youth Mobility visa
Tier 1- Highly Skilled Migrant visa
Tier 2-General Skilled Worker (Sponsorship)
Immediate Family Rights
Student visa

British Passport Holders

If you or your parents were born in the United Kingdom and if you can obtain a British Passport then you are in a very privileged position. (This includes dual passport holders). You will have full working rights in the UK and can enter and the leave the UK as often as you like, while enjoying all the benefits of being a British Citizen. Apart from the QTS rule* you are able to take full advantage of your right of abode. It goes without saying that we help hundreds of British teachers as well as overseas trained British passport and dual passport holders every year.

EEA Citizens

European Economic Area and Swiss Nationals are allowed a range of working rights in the UK. If you have access to an EU passport from one of the following countries you qualify for a Right of Residence. Swiss Nationals are also allowed these same rights.

If you come from the following countries or can obtain a Passport from these countries you are have the right to live and work in the UK as long as you do not become a burden on the social assistance system in the UK:

• Austria
• Greece
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

The following countries are part of the EEA but need permission through the UK Border Agency http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ to work before starting any job:

• Romania
• Bulgaria

The following EEA countries currently need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme through the UK Border Agency. Changes are due in 2011. http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/. 

• Czech republic
• Estonia
• Hungary
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Slovenia

Ancestry Visa

You can apply for a UK Ancestry Visa if you are a Commonwealth Citizen*over 17 years of age and have a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man or a grandparent who was born in the Republic of Ireland before 31st March 1922.

You will need to prove that you are able to work and intend to do so in the UK and that you can support yourself and dependants without needing any financial assistant from UK government funds (we can help you with a letter confirming your employability through our agency which will support your application). This visa allows you to live and work in the UK for a 5 year period and after 5 years you will be able to apply for permanent residency if you satisfy the Border Agency requirements.

You can apply online http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk

Some of the documents you need to prove Ancestry rights are;

• Your Birth certificate
• Marriage Certificates of your parents and grandparents (or adoption papers)
• The Birth Certificates of the parent and grandparent you are claiming Ancestry through.
• Your Marriage Certificate or Civil Partnership Registration document if you wish to travel with a partner/ spouse.

You will need additional supporting documents to apply for the Ancestry visa.

*A Commonwealth citizen, formerly known as a British subject, is generally a person who is a national of any country within the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, most of which are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies.

Right of Abode

The right of abode visa gives you the freedom from United Kingdon immigration control and so you can live and work in the UK without restriction. All British Citizens have the right of abode and additionally, right of abode is also conferred on Commonwealth citizens and British subjects who:

• were born before 1983 with a UK-born mother (those born before 1983 and legitimately descended from a UK-born father are British citizens, whether or not they are Commonwealth citizens/British subjects); or
• were adopted before 1983 by a UK-born mother; or
• were married before 1983 to a man who had right of abode (therefore this particular provision applies to women only).

For this purpose, the UK includes the Republic of Ireland prior to 1 April 1922. No person born in 1983 or later can have the right of abode unless he or she is a British citizen. It is essential that the person concerned should have held Commonwealth citizenship or British subject status on 31 December 1982 and has not ceased to be a Commonwealth citizen (even temporarily) after that date.

If you have married a British Citizen you can also apply for the Right of Abode Visa. You will need to provide supporting documents including Birth and Marriage certificates with your application. You can apply online http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

Settlement Visa (Spousal Visa)

What is a Settlement Visa?

Within the British Immigration rules and regulations (Immigration Act 1971 section 8), a person applying for a Settlement visa has to prove that:

• The applicant is married to a person present and settled in the UK or being admitted for settlement to the UK at the same time.
• The primary reason for the marriage was not to obtain admission to the UK
• The parties have met AND
• The parties intend to live with each other as spouses
• There will be adequate accommodation for the parties and any dependants without resources to public funds
• The parties would be able to maintain themselves and any dependants adequately without resource to public funds
• The applicant holds a valid UK entry clearance

90-Day Maximum!

Once you have been issued with your Settlement entry clearance, your visa is activated immediately leaving you a maximum of 90 days to enter the country from the issue date.

How long is a Settlement Visa valid?

The Settlement visa is granted for a one-year period. After one year in the UK, you can apply for your next visa called an Indefinite Leave to Remain visa as long as you haven’t spent a period of 90 days or more away from the UK and the marriage is still subsisting. After holding the Indefinite Leave to Remain visa for a year, you are eligible to apply for a British passport.

Civil Partnership Visa Application

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force on 5 December 2005. The rights and responsibilities civil partners will have include:

• A duty to provide reasonable maintenance for your civil partner and any children of the family;
• Ability to apply for parental responsibility for your civil partner's child;
• Equitable treatment for the purposes of assessment for child support; life assurance; tax, including inheritance tax; employment and pension benefits; inheritance of a tenancy agreement;
• Recognition under intestacy rules;
• Access to fatal accidents compensation;
• Protection from domestic violence; and

Recognition of at the same time as the Act comes into force, the Immigration Rules and other provisions will be amended to introduce a new category of "civil partner". Civil partners will be afforded the same provisions in the Rules that currently exist for spouses of persons present in the United Kingdom here in permanent and temporary categories.

Giving Notice

This will mean that before a person subject to immigration control will be able to give notice of a civil partnership they will need to demonstrate to the registrars that they hold either:

• Entry clearance granted to register a civil partnership; or
• The written permission of the Secretary of State; or
• Settled status in the UK;

The written permission of the Secretary of State will be granted in the form of a Certificate of Approval, such as those that already exist for marriage. In order to qualify for a certificate of approval applicants will need to have been granted over six months leave in the United Kingdom and at least three month of that leave must be remaining.

The UK Visas settlement application form (VAF2) will also be updated closer to the time and applicants should wait and use the correct form when making their applications.  Failure to use the correct form may mean that the Home Office will be unable to process the application in time for the notice to be given.

Applications for leave to enter and remain for immigration and nationality purposes

Once the relationship has been registered, the person subject to immigration control may be able to apply for leave to remain in the UK on the basis of their relationship.

Where their civil partner is a British citizen or has settled status in the UK they will be able to apply for two years in the first instance. At the end of this period - and provided the partnership is still subsisting and other criteria are met - an application for settlement (permission to reside in the UK permanently) can be made.

Civil partners of people with temporary leave in the UK, such as students and work permit holders, will be free to apply for leave in line with their civil partners. For example where the principal work permit holder has two years leave to remain in the UK, their civil partner will also be granted two years leave in line. Apply online at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

Youth Mobility Visa/ Tier 5

This visa supersedes the Working Holiday Visa. It is currently available to Australian, New Zealand, Canadian applicants who are over 18 years of age and under 31 years of age when they apply, and who have not already traveled on a Working Holiday Visa. Married couples will both need to be eligible for a Youth Mobility visa and you are not eligible if you have a dependent child.

On gaining the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa you will be free to live and work in the UK for two years but after that you will need return in order to apply for any other visa. Every participating country is allocated a certain amount of Youth Mobility Visa’s every year and you will be sponsored by your Country to gain the visa. Your passport gives you the right to be sponsored.

You need to score 40 points on the new tier points based immigration system and to gain them you need to show you have had at least 1600 pounds in your bank account for over one month prior to applying for your visa and prove that you can support yourself without needing support from UK public funds, (we can help with a letter to confirm your employability). Apply online at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ or find out more by checking the http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/. 

Tier 1 (General Category)

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

This Visa supersedes the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and is allows people from all countries to apply to live and work in the UK for  period of three year if they can accumulate the points needed to qualify for the Tier 1 General Migrant Visa.

The following information is provided for first time applicants under the General Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).  To be eligible for the HSMP you will need to pass a point’s based test as outlined below.
The information below has been taken directly from the UK Border and Immigration Website.  This information is provided purely as guidance. 

Anyone applying for any type of visa should visit the site directly for the most up to date information before making their application should click here

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme-Tier 1 (General Category)
How are the points calculated? 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator

Points are awarded for what are called "Attributes", for which you need to score a minimum of 75 points. These comprise:

• Age;
• Qualifications;
• Previous earnings and
• UK experience.

Separate points are given for English language ability and the availability of funds for maintenance. You must demonstrate that you have the level of English prescribed in the Immigration Rules and produce evidence of the required funds in addition to reaching the pass mark for the Attributes. Entry Clearance Officers will only award points for the sections for which you have indicated that you wish to claim and for which you have supplied the required supporting evidence.

Points scoring

Attributes: Age

Points are awarded according to your age at the time of receipt of your application in the Visa Section of the British Mission.  Applicants aged 32 and over do not score any points for age, but may still score enough points for qualifications and previous earnings in order to make up the required 75 points.

 

Under 29 years	20 points
30 to 34 years	10 points
35 to 39	5 points
40 years and over	0 points

 

 

Attributes: Qualifications (*can include equivalent level professional qualifications)

Points are awarded only if your qualifications are equivalent to British Bachelor, Masters, PhD or MBA (as validated by the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) database). UK NARIC is a private company that specialises in the comparison of qualifications to UK academic levels. Points can be scored for vocational and professional qualifications if they are at least equivalent to one of the academic levels shown, but only if they can be verified through UK NARIC. You are responsible for demonstrating that your qualification equates to a UK academic qualification.

 

MBA	75 points
PHD*	45 points
Masters*	35 points
Bachelor	30 points

 

 

Attributes: Previous earnings (from 12 out of the 15 months preceding the application)

Points are awarded for your previous earnings from work for a period of up to 12 months out of the 15 months preceding your application. This applies to both salaried staff and self-employed persons. You may claim for a period of less than 12 months, but these earnings will not be considered on a pro rata basis. Earnings from salaried employment will be assessed before deduction of tax. If you are self-employed and the business profits are retained within your business, your share of the business’s net profits generated over the earnings period can be considered.

If you take a salary from your business you will need your managing agent or accountant to confirm this in writing, indicating the precise amounts received.

You may claim points for UK earnings only when you were legally entitled to engage in the activities which generated these earnings, for the period claimed. Please consult the main guidance for further advice.

You may claim points for a 12 month period other than as described above if you can establish that during the last 12 months you have been engaged in full-time study, had maternity or adoption related leave. You should provide the dates for which either of these circumstances applies on your application form.

To reflect differences in income levels across the world, countries are divided into 5 income bands and local incomes adjusted to the levels shown in the salary ranges below. First convert your salary into sterling, then multiply that figure by the multiplier allocated for your country in the bands in the table below. For example, if your money was earned in India, which is in Band D, you need to multiply your sterling equivalent salary by 5.3. Then locate the resulting figure in one of the salary ranges and read the points allocated. If, during the period, you earned a salary in more than one country you will need to repeat the process. The Self-Assessment Points Calculator will automatically make the calculation for you.

You should also consult the main guidance for more information.

Earnings

 

£150,000 or above	75 points
£75,000 - £149,999	45 points
£65,000 - £74,999	40 points
£55,000 - £64,999	35 points
£50,000 - £54,999	30 points
£40,000 - £49,999	25 points
£35,000 - £39,999	20 points
£30.000 - £34,999	15 points
£25,000 - £29,999	5 points
Under £25,000	0 points

 

Country bands

Band A - Country or territory in which money was earned

Andorra; Aruba; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bermuda; Canada; Cayman Islands; Channel Islands; Denmark; Finland; France; French Polynesia; Germany; Gibraltar; Guam; Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China); Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Kuwait; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Monaco; Netherlands; Norway; Qatar; San Marino; Singapore; Sweden; Switzerland; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America; Vatican.

Multiplier = 1

Band B - Country or territory in which money was earned

American Samoa; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Bahamas; Bahrain; Barbados; Botswana, Brunei; Chile; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic, Estonia; Faroe Islands; Greece; Greenland; Grenada; Hungary; Israel; Korea (South); Latvia; Lebanon; Libya; Macao (Special Administrative Region of China); Malaysia, Malta; Mauritius; Mexico, Netherlands Antilles; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Northern Mariana Islands; Oman; Palau; Panama; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; Taiwan; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay; Venezuela; Virgin Islands.

Multiplier = 2.3

Band C - Country or territory in which money was earned

Albania; Algeria; Belarus; Belize; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Bulgaria; Cape Verde; China (Peoples Republic of China); Colombia; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Fiji, Gabon; Guatemala; Honduras; Iran; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Lithuania; Macedonia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Morocco; Namibia; Nauru; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Romania; Russian Federation; Samoa; South Africa; St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname; Swaziland; Syria; Thailand; Tonga; Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan; Vanuatu; West Bank and Gaza.

Multiplier = 3.2

Band D - Country or territory in which money was earned

Angola; Armenia, Azerbaijan; Bangladesh, Benin; Bhutan; Cameroon; Comoros; Congo (Republic of); Cuba; Djibouti; East Timor; Equatorial Guinea; Gambia; Georgia, Guinea, Guyana; Haiti; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Ivory Coast; Kenya; Kiribati; Lesotho; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Senegal; Serbia; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

Multiplier = 5.3

Band E - Country or territory in which money was earned

Afghanistan; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Congo (Democratic Republic of); Chad; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Korea (North); Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mayotte; Mozambique; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sao Tome and Principe; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda.

Multiplier = 11.4

Attributes: UK experience

5 points can be claimed if either:

• the earnings for which you successfully scored points  under Previous Earnings  were for  UK employment or
• you studied at Bachelor degree level or above in full-time higher education in the UK; or at an overseas campus of a UK-based educational institution for at least one full academic year or three consecutive academic terms during the last five years.
  

Points will be awarded only if you were legally entitled to work or study in the UK throughout the period when these earnings or studies took place.
You are advised to confirm the level of your qualification on the UK NARIC database before claiming points under this Attribute.  If you are unable to find details of your qualification, please contact UK NARIC for an assessment of the level of your qualification.  If this is the required level, you should obtain a confirmation certificate from UK NARIC and submit this with your application. There will be a charge for this service.

English language

The ability to meet the required English standard is a mandatory requirement.  If you cannot meet this level, your application will be refused regardless of any points you may have scored in the Attributes section. 10 points are awarded in this section if you meet the required standard and 0 if you do not.

There are three ways in which you can meet this requirement.  You can:

• be a national of a majority English speaking country on the following list - Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America or
  
• hold an English language qualification equivalent to the Council of Europe's Common European Framework for Language Learning level C1 (approximately IELTS level 6.5, GCSE Grade C) or
  
• hold a degree that was taught in English as confirmed by the UK NARIC database as equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree.
  

Maintenance (Funds)

Even if you have attained the pass mark of 75 in the Attributes section and have the required standard of English, your application will be refused if you do not pass the Maintenance (Funds) requirement.

10 points are available for this.  As a general rule you must be able to support yourself for the entire duration of your stay in the UK without needing any help from public funds. Initially, in order to qualify under Tier 1 (General) Migrant you must be able to demonstrate that you have £2,800 for yourself and (where applicable) £1,600 for each dependant accompanying you AND that you have held these amounts for a minimum period of 3 months immediately preceding and dated no more than 7 days prior to the date you submit your application.  The balance should not fall below the required minimum at any time during the 3 month period.

To apply online for your HSMP visit http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ to lodge your application.

For information on cost of the HSMP please visit your local Visa Information Centre http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/visafees/

Tier 2 -General Skilled Worker Visa (Sponsorship)

Certificates of Sponsorship are issued by the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate. A Certificate of Sponsorship relates to a specific individual and a particular job. The Tier 2-General Skilled Worker scheme enables UK employers to recruit or transfer key personnel from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) while safeguarding the interests of the resident labour force in the UK.

You cannot apply directly for a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS). This has to be done on your behalf by an employer in the UK who wishes to employ you. This means that we would have to find you a long term position in a school in the UK that would be willing to put you on a Certificate of Sponsorship. The COS application process can take up to 6 weeks to be completed. You will also need to ensure you allow sufficient time to meet the visa requirements once the COS number has been approved and issued.

Once you receive your Certificate of Sponsorship Number, you will need to apply for an Entry Clearance Visa by completing an online entry clearance visa application form.  If you are traveling with your Spouse - He/She will also need to complete an online entry clearance visa application form and you will need to provide proof of your relationship (i.e. marriage certificate). If you are traveling with children – your children will need to be added to your (the COS holders) online entry clearance visa application form and they also incur the same fee.

You will need to lodge your online entry clearance form at the British High Commission in the country that you are a passport holder of.  If you are working in another country, but hold a different passport, you may be able to apply in that country.  Please contact us for details.

Currently there are restrictions on what types of teachers can easily gain a sponsored position approved through UK Border and Immigration. Math’s and Science teachers are still eligible to be sponsored but these schools will need to prove that they cannot recruit others in the UK or EEA before being able to employ teachers from other subject areas. Apply online at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

The rules regarding who and who is not eligible for sponsorship changed frequently and it is best to ask your Teaching Jobs London career manager about your specific eligibility.

Student Visa’s

To travel to the UK as a student you must be able to show that you have been accepted into a course of study at an accepted educational establishment that is on the UK’s Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Register of Education and Training Providers. You can search for UK Educational Institutions at www.dfes.gov.uk/providersregister

You will need to show that you are enrolled in a full time degree or post graduate course or that you are going to follow a period of study and/or research in excess of 6 months where this forms part of an overseas degree course or a course run during the week involving at least 15 hours of organised daytime study per week. Additionally you can study in a full time course at an independent fee-paying school.

On top of this you will need to show proof that you have the funds to cover the cost of your study and any dependants traveling with you. You can undertake work on a part-time basis or holiday work as long as you do not:

• Work for more than 20 hours per week during term time (unless the placement is part of you study and leads to your qualification)
• Do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer or
• Work full-time time in a permanent job.

If you travel with a partner then you partner is eligible to work while you study, as long as your course runs for longer than 12 months. Some qualifications will allow you to stay in the UK for up to 12 months after you complete your degree if you work within your area of expertise, without requiring a work permit. We would be happy to offer you supply or part-time work in the UK while you study. Apply online at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

Immediate Family Rights

Depending on what Visa you’re applying for you spouse and dependants will have varied rights to travel with you and work in the UK. Please read more about your family’s travel rights online at: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/. In most cases (apart from the Youth Mobility Visa) you are immediate family are able to travel with you, but will require their own Entry Clearance Visa apply online at: www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk.

Fast Track Your Visa from the USA

Depending on where you live there are companies that can help you to fast track your visa applications. This service does mean a small additional outlay of money (no more than $100) but it can save you weeks and weeks of waiting. Your visa can be back to you within 24hours in some cases.
Please ask us whether there is a visa fast track service near you!

If you are based in the USA we recommend:
http://www.passportvisasexpress.com/uk_visas.xml