The Religious Worker visa serves as a temporary visa for overseas nationals aiming to support the activities of UK-based religious institutions. This involves conducting religious work in a religious order or undertaking non-pastoral roles for religious organisations. As this is a sponsored immigration route, applicants must secure a job offer from an approved employer to qualify. If the role involves leading congregational rites and preaching the faith, the applicant should apply for the T2 Minister of Religion route instead.
Once your permanent residence status request is approved, you can live, work and study in the UK permanently, without any immigration restrictions. You will also be able to travel and spend time abroad without the need to worry about losing your status.
Upon a successful application, the Religious Worker visa allows the holder to work in the UK for their sponsoring employer for up to 24 months, or 28 days beyond their certificate of sponsorship, depending on their arrangement. Visa holders can enter the UK 14 days before their job start date. They are also allowed to study part-time, as long as it does not interfere with their work and take on a second job in the same sector, up to 20 hours a week.
Eligibility for the Religious Worker visa extends to overseas nationals with a valid job offer in a non-pastoral role or religious order, as long as they are sponsored by an employer recognized to issue certificates of sponsorship. Employers must hold a valid sponsor license specifically for the Religious Worker route. Note that if an applicant has held either a Religious Worker visa or a Charity Worker visa within the last year, they cannot reapply unless they have remained outside the UK for the entire previous year.
To apply for a Religious Worker visa, the applicant must possess a valid certificate of sponsorship—this is a unique reference number provided by the sponsoring employer, not a physical document. The sponsorship certificate must detail the applicant’s full name, job role, relevant pay, and compliance with the National Minimum Wage. Additionally, applicants must have £1,270 in personal savings to support themselves upon arrival, which needs to be maintained for 28 consecutive days before applying.
If applying with dependants, additional funds are necessary: £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child, and £200 for each additional child. Alternatively, a sponsoring employer can certify maintenance, which would mean they agree to cover certain expenses for the first month.
Yes, dependants can apply under the Religious Worker route. This includes the immediate family of the principal visa-holder, such as a spouse or partner and children under 18. The partner can be an unmarried partner who has lived with the applicant for at least 2 years. Dependent children must live with the applicant unless they are studying away from home. If granted visas, dependants can work, study, and live in the UK for the same duration as the primary visa-holder.
The application fee for each person applying is £298. The fee is the same whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK. In addition to the application fee, you must also pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS is usually £1,035 per year for each application.
These fees are in addition to the required funds for the financial requirement outlined above. Applicants may have the option to expedite their application for an additional fee.
You must submit an application online from outside the UK. Applications cannot be made from inside the UK, as it is not possible to switch into this route.
As part of the application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents either through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or attending a visa application centre.
The supporting documents include the following:
In some cases, the caseworker deciding the application may request additional documentation, depending on the circumstances.
If you have any documents that are not in English or Welsh, you must provide a certified translation of the documents.
The application fee is £298. Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you will usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
Once the application is the accepted, you will be allowed to stay in the UK for up to 6 months for horticulture work and from 2 October to 31 December each year for poultry work.
Whilst on this visa, you can do the following:
You cannot claim public funds.
You can apply to extend your Religious Worker visa.
If you want to extend your visa, you must continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
Extensions can be granted for a maximum of 24 months or the duration indicated on the certificate of sponsorship, plus 14 days. Dependants must also apply to extend their visas separately to maintain their stay in the UK
The Religious Worker route does not provide a pathway to permanent settlement in the UK. If the visa-holder seeks to settle, they must consider switching to a category that supports a route to settlement, like the Skilled Worker route, which has its own eligibility requirements.
Our team of immigration law in Central London and East London has years of experience in advising employers and workers on UK employment sponsorship under various routes. We will ensure that you are comprehensively advised and represented throughout the process.
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