Email enquiries@hudsonlegal.co.uk | Call 020 8566 5522
The Tier 1 Post-Study Work category was closed to new applicants in April 2012. This was a two-year visa that allowed students who had graduated in the UK to seek work and to work in the UK. Some people still hold Tier 1 Post-Study Work status and they may be able to switch to other visa categories, and we can give you advice on this issue.
This visa category was the scheme that replaced the Highly-Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). The Tier 1 General visa scheme was itself abolished for new applicants in 2011 and no other scheme took its place.
However, some people still hold Tier 1 General leave, and they may be able to extend their leave or to switch to other visa categories, and they may in some cases qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
A General Visitor visa (as opposed to a Business Visitor visa or Student Visitor visa, see above) is the visa someone would apply for if they want to come to the UK to, for example, visit friends or members of their family, or come as tourists so they can see the sights and places of interest in the UK. There are various other reasons why someone might want to come to the UK as a visitor, for example to attend an event of some kind.
A person from a “non-visa national” country does not require a visa to come to the UK on a visit; they can just come to the UK and seek admission as a visitor on the basis of their nationality. However, such a person may apply for a visitor visa if they are worried about being granted entry to the UK if, for example, they have bad immigration history. If the visa is granted this will facilitate their entry into the UK.
A person from a “visa national” country in all cases requires a visa to come to the UK as a visitor.
A visit can be for a maximum period of six months but it can be for any period of less than six months.
A visitor (whether they have a visa or not) must show as far as possible that they intend to return to their country at the end of their visit and they must also show that there are sufficient funds available to maintain them on their visit and that they have, or that they will be able to obtain, appropriate accommodation in the UK.
General visitors are not allowed to work or engage in business or study any course whilst they are in the UK. Dependants cannot, technically speaking, be included in the application; they have to make a separate application at the same time as the main applicant.
A person who is a Commonwealth national aged 17 or over and is living outside the UK may be able to apply for a UK Ancestry visa if they can prove that a grandparent of theirs was born in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (it only needs to be one grandparent, but it must be a grandparent, not a parent).
This visa can be issued for up to five years and it allows the visa holder to come to the UK and work in the UK without restriction. As the rules stand at the moment, after five years as a UK Ancestry visa holder an applicant may qualify to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
There is no English language requirement for a UK Ancestry visa but there is an English language requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Dependants may be included in the application.
If you think that you may qualify for any of the Tier 5 visa schemes we can assess your eligibility. You are welcome to call us on 020 8566 5522 for a preliminary informal discussion of your matter. We may ask you to send us further Under Tier 5 there are various categories of temporary worker:
Creative and Sporting
(sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists)
Charity Workers
(unpaid charity workers)
Religious Workers
(for example monks, preachers, pastoral workers)
Government Authorised Exchange
(workers who come to the UK on a UK Government work exchange programme)
International Agreement
(workers who come to the UK on the basis of an international agreement (for example General Agreement on Trade in Services) or as private servants in diplomatic households)
These categories all require sponsorship from an appropriate official body and allow the visa holder to come to the UK to work on a temporary basis for at least one year, the length of time depending on which category it is.
The Youth Mobility Scheme is a separate scheme. It allows people between the ages of 18 and 31 who are living outside the UK to apply for a visa to come to the UK if they hold one of the following nationalities or citizenships:
The visa will be granted for two years, and it allows the visa holder to work in employment and, to a limited extent, self-employment.
The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is a “once in a lifetime” visa; a person can only be granted this visa once.
A domestic worker is somebody who is, for example, a cook, nanny, chauffeur or cleaner. A domestic worker who has been working continuously for an employer outside the UK for one year may apply for a Domestic Worker visa if their employer is coming to live in the UK, either temporarily or permanently, and they want to bring the domestic worker with them to the UK.
The Domestic Worker visa can be granted for up to six months and cannot be extended beyond that. Domestic workers are not allowed to bring dependants to the UK and there is no English language requirement.
To find out more about the above, you are welcome to call us on 020 8566 5522 for a preliminary informal discussion of your matter. We may ask you to send us further information about your matter either by fax on 020 8566 5511 or by email at enquiries@hudsonlegal.co.uk so that we may get a fuller picture of your circumstances.
After this initial discussion, you may wish to book an appointment for a full consultation via SKYPE or ideally at our offices located at 7 Central Chambers, The Broadway, Ealing, W5 2NR. We are directly opposite Ealing Broadway tube and railway station.
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