At a glance
The UK has six Temporary Work visas, covering seasonal work, creative work, charity work, religious work, approved exchanges, and international agreements. You need a sponsorship certificate for the correct visa and activity. The usual application fee is £340; health charges, required savings, and costs for family members depend on the route.
- Job offer required?
- A certificate from an approved sponsor is required
- Activity
- Must fit the chosen seasonal, creative, charity, religious, exchange, or agreement category
- Funds
- Usually £1,270 held for 28 days, unless a stated exemption or sponsor support applies
Summary
This is a grouped pathway for the UK's short-term sponsored work routes. The common pattern is a licensed sponsor, a certificate of sponsorship, route-specific role rules, savings or maintenance evidence, and a temporary stay limit.
Eligibility
Most applicants need £1,270 held for 28 days unless exempt after 12 months in the UK or the sponsor certifies maintenance. Route-specific rules then control:
- Seasonal Worker: horticulture up to six months in any ten-month period, or poultry from 2 October to 31 December; no dependents or second job.
- Creative Worker: eligible creative contribution, normally up to 12 months and extendable with the same sponsor to a total of 24 months; dependents allowed.
- Charity Worker: genuinely unpaid voluntary fieldwork for a charity, up to 12 months; dependents allowed.
- Religious Worker: non-pastoral religious work or service in a religious order, up to 24 months; dependents allowed. Ministers should use T2 Minister of Religion.
- GAE: an approved work-experience, research, training or language scheme, normally 12 or 24 months according to the scheme; dependents allowed.
- International Agreement: work under international law for an overseas government or recognized organization, or as a diplomatic-household private servant, usually granted for up to 24 months; dependents allowed. A private servant applying abroad must meet the current B1 English rule and can extend only within the five-year cumulative cap.
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Match one of the six visas Check the duties, sponsor, and intended length of stay.
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Get the right sponsorship certificate Check the sponsor, program, dates, and whether the sponsor confirms financial support.
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Check the visa's limits Review family eligibility, fees, work conditions, and maximum stay.
Each Temporary Work visa has different rights and limits.
What This Route Allows
The main holder works in the sponsored activity and may usually study. Some sensitive subjects require additional security clearance under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). Creative, Religious, GAE and some International Agreement workers can take a qualifying second job for up to 20 hours a week. Charity Workers may do additional unpaid work in the same role for another charity. Dependents on eligible routes generally may work except as professional sportspeople or coaches. Public funds are barred.
What This Route Is Not
These current routes do not lead directly to settlement. A narrow settlement provision survives only for diplomatic-household private servants admitted under the rules before 6 April 2012. Seasonal work cannot be converted into a permanent job or family route merely by extending sponsorship, and temporary-worker descriptions should not be used to fill ordinary vacancies.
Next Steps
- Select the route from the actual duties, sponsor type and maximum period—not the desired length of stay.
- Verify the sponsor and approved scheme, then inspect the certificate dates and maintenance certification.
- Check whether dependents, IHS, cooling-off or supplementary work rules apply to that route.
- Plan departure or an independently eligible switch before the maximum stay.
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