Are you looking to contribute to charitable causes in the UK? The Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa offers individuals the opportunity to undertake voluntary work for up to 12 months. This visa does not lead to settlement, but it does allow partners and children under 18 to apply as dependants.
To qualify for this visa, applicants must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Ensure the charity work meets specified requirements
- Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the role
- Have a genuine intention and capability to undertake the sponsored role
- Meet financial requirements
- Not have had permission as a Religious Worker or Charity Worker in the previous 12 months (unless out of the UK throughout)
- Avoid refusal under general grounds
- Provide a TB certificate if necessary
The exact requirements may vary based on individual circumstances.
To qualify as charity work under the Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa, your planned activities must meet three specific criteria:
- Direct Contribution to Charitable Purpose: Your work should involve voluntary fieldwork directly contributing to your sponsor’s charitable objectives. This encompasses activities typically not compensated with a wage or salary. Excluded are supportive roles like routine administrative, retail, or fundraising tasks.
- Unpaid Nature (except for reasonable expenses): The work should not be remunerated unless it involves reasonable expenses necessary to fulfill your duties.
- Non-Permanent Position: Your role, even if temporary, must not be a permanent position essential to the organization’s ongoing operations.
Ensure your proposed activities align with these criteria to meet the eligibility requirements for the Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa.
To be eligible for a Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa, you need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office ‘A-rated’ licensed sponsor, unless you’re applying to extend your work with the same employer. The sponsor must be authorized by the Home Office for the Charity Worker route.
The Certificate must confirm that your intended role meets the requirements for voluntary work and has not been previously used in a successful or unsuccessful application. It should have a start date within three months of your application and remain valid for three months from its assignment to you. Any withdrawal or cancellation of the Certificate after assignment will affect your application’s validity.
To qualify for a Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa, unless you’ve had permission to stay in the UK for over 12 months, you must demonstrate funds of at least £1,270 held continuously for 28 days within the last 31 days prior to your application. Alternatively, your sponsor can confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they’ll cover your maintenance and accommodation costs up to £1,270 until the end of your first month in the UK.
If you’re applying with dependants, they also need to prove their ability to support themselves. The financial requirements are £285 for your partner, £315 for one child, and £200 for each additional child.
“If you’re applying for a Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa, you must seek entry clearance from outside the UK. To be eligible, you should not have been granted permission under this route or the Religious Worker route within the 12 months preceding your application, unless you can prove your absence from the UK during that period. Additionally, a valid tuberculosis certificate may be required.
Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa applications are submitted online, and applicants are required to pay the healthcare surcharge. The current application fee stands at £244. If applying with dependants, each individual must complete a separate application and pay the fee separately. Notably, citizens of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, or Turkey receive an automatic £55 reduction in the fee.
For those seeking an extension of their stay under the Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa, it’s important to apply before the current visa expires. Typically, decisions are reached within three weeks for applications submitted from outside the UK.”
A decision is typically made within three weeks for applications outside the UK. In case of refusal, applicants can seek Administrative Review or submit a fresh application.
Approved visas allow entry and stay for up to 12 months or as per the Certificate of Sponsorship, with a 14-day grace period. Working is restricted to the sponsored role, with volunteering permitted in the same capacity. Study is allowed, though certain courses may require additional approval.
Our team of immigration barristers specializes in assisting with visa applications, including those for temporary workers. We offer expert guidance through the complex Home Office rules and policies
Weather you would be required visitor visa is depends on nationality, not everyone required visit visa, citizenship from certain countries are exempt for applying and obtaining UK visit visa before travelling to the UK, they may travel to UK border and request entry and yet mandatory for other to obtain entry clearance prior to arriving UK. Moving forward 2024 non visa also would be required to have permission to travel regardless under new plan to introduce Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Standard visitor is for someone coming to visit friend or family or other permitted activities.
Marriage/ civil partnership visitor visa; someone coming to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership or give notice of same.
Permitted paid engagement visitor visa, A professional/ expert in their field coming to undertake specific paid engagement visitor for up to one month.
Transit visitor visa: transiting through the UK to another country, allow you to Saty for 48 hours
If you are visa national, seeking to marry or form civil partnership, coming to give notice of marriage or civil partnership, as visitor you must apply and obtain entry clearness before travelling to UK, or obtain ETA as required. Application can be made online from outside UK; you must pay correct fee and provide all the supporting information including passport establishing Identity and nationality. UK visitor visa applications can be refused if you fall for refusal under Part 9 ground for refusal.
You can apply for UK visitor visa if you are traveling for leisure or meeting friend or family, conduct some business activities, participation sport events, or receiving medical treatment. You must have to satisfy home office intention to leave at the end of your visit, you have sufficient funds to cover the reasonable cost in relation with UK visitor visa. To be eligible for UK visitor visa you must provide evidence of accommodation where you will stay and flight ticket for return and onward journey.
The applicant must be a genuine visitor, meaning that he/she is genuinely seeking entry for the purpose permitted by the rules and will leave the UK at the end of their visit. The applicant will not live in the UK for extended period, will not make frequent and successive visits or establish the UK as their main home. Further the applicant will not undertake any prohibited activities.
One of the common reasons for UK visitor visa refusal is entry clearance offer is not satisfied that the person will leave at the end of their visit, may stay without valid leave, therefore they are not genuine visitor. This could be for various reasons including previous immigration history, lack of social, economic, or financial ties to home country. Therefore, applicant must show strong incentive to return to home country after completing their visit back up with hard evidence.
In assessing personal circumstances of applicant should be aware of following circumstances
Any adverse immigration history to UK or other country such as compliance on previous occasion.
Duration of stay in the UK any previous visit if it was longer than originally intended.
Financial and family circumstances, family and social ties to home country for instances applicant have few or no family and economic ties to home country.
Frequent or successive UK visit within las 12 months
You are required to have sufficient funds to cover all the reasonable cost in relation with UK visit including cost of the onward journey, cost relating with dependent or any other planned activities or medical treatment, without accessing public funds or working. All funds must be accessible by applicant held in a financial institution.
UK visitor visa application, travelling, maintenance or accommodation cost can be provided by someone who has genuine and professional relationship and has been not, or will not be, in breach of immigration laws, can provide financial support for the UK visit. You may wish to include supporting letter UK residence friend or family to support your claim. To assess whether the relationship with the third party is genuine and whether the third party will provide support home office consider following
Their party previous history of sponsoring, any failure on previous occasion.
Relationship between applicant and third party.
How applicant and sponsor know each other how often they communicate each other.
UK standard visitor visa allow you to travel for holiday or leisure if you are non-EEA national looking to come for short period. UK visit visa also allow to conduct some business activities mention above and also standard visit visa allow you to travel to the UK to receive medical treatment etc. in order to make successful application you must meet eligibility requirements for UK visitor visa, including maintenance and accommodation, genuine visitor, financial requirements.
The UK visit visa usually allow short stay up six months however might be possible to extent if less than six months, you only can stay longer then six months if you are in the UK for medical, academic reason.
You can come for holiday or vacation.
You can come to see your family or friends.
You can volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
You can pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)
You can do certain business activities, for example attending a meeting or interview even you are now permitted to work on visit visa remotely
You can take part in a school exchange programme.
You are not allowed to do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person or claim public funds (benefits), live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits, marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership –
All visitors to the UK must meet the general entry validity and suitability requirement set out in the (Appendix V) Visitor to immigration rules.
UK Marriage visa. A person may enter the UK to marry or enter a civil partnership provided, of course, that the couple do not intend to stay in the UK after the marriage or civil partnership ceremony. If the couple wish to remain in the UK permanently, the applicant should apply as fiancés or civil partner. Marriage visas allow you to come to the UK to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK temporarily if you are not planning to stay or settle in the UK after marriage or civil partnership.
To be eligible for UK marriage visa you must be.
At least 18 years of age
Have freedom to marry or enter civil partnership.
You coming to UK for no more than six months.
Will not make UK main home though frequent and successive visit.
Have financial funds available to cover the cost of the trip.
You will not undertake any prohibited activities.
You can get married or form civil partnership under the marriage visitor visa and may be eligible to do certain permitted activities however not permitted to study in the UK.
you’ are invited by a UK-based organisation to attend a pre-arranged event or any other permitted engagement.
the event or engagement relates directly to your expertise, qualifications and main job in your home country.
you’re 18 or over.
you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit.
you’re able to support yourself during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey)
you’ll not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home.
You are required to provide documents for identity or establish nationality such as passport.
You must have written formal invitation from a UK based organisation inviting you for specific permitted activities.
You must provide evidence your engagement related with your expertise in UK.
You must apply online while outside UK.
You have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable cost related with UK visit.
You have place to stay while in the UK.
You will not take any prohibited activities.
Your application does not fall for refusal under the genal ground for refusal.
You have intention leave at the end of you r visit.
Participating business-related interviews, meetings, conferences, and seminars
Engaging in negotiate and sign deals and contracts.
Attending trade fairs to promote your business although you cannot directly sell products or service.
You can receive work-related training if you’re employed overseas, and the training is not available in your home country.
Delivering one-off or short series of talks if they’re not for profit or a commercial event (you must not be paid)
Conducting site visits and inspections
oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation.
deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas!
Installing, dismantling, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organisation.
As a standard visitor if you are employed overseas, you engage in certain additional activities- specific activities based on your profession.
an archaeologist, engaging in specific archaeological projects.
an artist, entertainer, or musician, performing or participating in competition.
a bodyguard, providing security services for individuals.
a camera operator- working on specific film project.
a driver, undertaking driving duties such as international routes.
an internal auditor, conducting regulatory audit.
a journalist or correspondent, gathering information or reporting for overseas.
a lawyer or expert witness, advising on specific international legal matter.
a market researcher or analyst, conducting research outside UK.
a personal assistant, assisting overseas business.
a professor from an overseas academic institution
a religious worker, undertaking preaching or pastoral work.
a scientist or researcher, sharing expertise on international project.
a seafarer (someone whose normal place of work is on board a ship)
a sports person or sports official, participating in sport events.
a tour group courier
a translator or interpreter
a member of a film crew, including actors, producers, directors, or technicians
a member of the production team supporting an artist, entertainer, or musician, supporting artists, entertainer
a member of technical staff supporting an artist, entertainer, musician, or sports person.