You must have both of the following: a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your UK sponsor £945 in savings - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply You will not need £945 in savings if your fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll certify your maintenance and that you will not claim benefits during your stay. Certificate of sponsorship A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document. Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, for example your working hours. You’ll need to add your certificate of sponsorship reference number to your application form - you can only use it once. Your certificate of sponsorship is valid for 3 months from the date it is assigned to you. Multiple entry Your sponsor can give you a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship so you can leave and return to the UK.

Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide: a current passport or other valid travel identification bank statements showing you’ve had at least £945 in savings continuously for 90 days before you apply - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test You need a blank page in your passport for your visa. You will not need £945 in savings if your fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll certify your maintenance and that you will not claim benefits during your stay. You must also provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh. Read the guide for a full list of documents you can provide. You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

Read the full guidance before you apply. Apply outside the UK You must apply online for this visa. You’ll need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application. You’ll have to collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of when you said you’d arrive in the UK (even if you actually arrive at a later date). You may be able to get your visa faster or other services depending on what country you’re in - check with your visa application centre. North Korea You cannot apply online if you’re living in North Korea. To apply from North Korea you must: download the application form and guidance - read the guidance if you need help filling in the form read the instructions to find out where to take your completed form Apply in the UK You can only extend your existing visa or switch to this visa if you’re already in the UK.

You can apply to extend your Tier 5 (Temporary worker - Government Authorised Exchange) visa. You should apply before your current visa expires. Eligibility You might be able to extend your stay. You must still meet the eligibility requirements . You must apply while you’re still in the UK. How long you can stay You can apply to stay in the UK for up to a maximum of: 12 months, if you’re doing work experience 24 months, if you’re doing research, training or an Overseas Government Language Programme You can also stay for the length of time on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. Fees Check the fees for your visa. How to extend your visa You should read the full Tier 5 guidance before you apply. You must apply online . Dependants You can add dependants to your online application - including children who have turned 18 during your stay. Providing biometric information and supporting documents When you apply, you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services ( UKVCAS ) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can: upload them into the online service have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do. How long it takes A decision will be made within 8 weeks of your application date if you use the standard service. If you use the super priority service a decision will be made: by the end of the next working day after your UKVCAS appointment if your appointment is on a weekday 2 working days after your UKVCAS appointment if your appointment is at the weekend Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example because: if your supporting documents need to be verified if you need to attend an interview because of your personal circumstances, for example if you have a criminal conviction Once you’ve applied you can stay in the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired. Changing your sponsor You must apply again and meet all the eligibility rules if you want to change your sponsor within the same organisation or move to a new organisation.

You can apply to change (‘switch’) to a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange) visa. You should apply before your current visa expires. Eligibility You can apply if you’re a: student, whether studying, resitting an examination or writing a thesis student union sabbatical officer student nurse postgraduate doctor or dentist Tier 4 visa sponsored researcher who came to the UK on a work permit and you want to continue in the same job with your sponsor You must have completed a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree during your last grant of leave. You must also have both of the following, whether you have the relevant qualifications or study time: a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your UK sponsor £945 in savings in your bank account for 90 days before you apply, or confirmation from your sponsor that you will not claim public funds during your stay Fees Check the fees for your visa. How to switch your visa You must apply online . Dependants You can add dependants to your online application - including children who have turned 18 during your stay. Providing biometric information and supporting documents When you apply, you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services ( UKVCAS ) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can: upload them into the online service have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do. How long it takes A decision will be made within 8 weeks of your application date if you use the standard service. If you use the super priority service a decision will be made: by the end of the next working day after your UKVCAS appointment if your appointment is on a weekday 2 working days after your UKVCAS appointment if your appointment is at the weekend Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example: if your supporting documents need to be verified if you need to attend an interview because of your personal circumstances, for example you have a criminal conviction Once you’ve applied you can stay in the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired.

Your family members (‘dependants’) must apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the European Economic Area ( EEA ). A ‘dependant’ is any of the following: your partner your child under 18 your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant They must complete their visa application by 5 July if they’ve already paid the healthcare surcharge or they might have to pay it twice. They’ll get a refund for their first payment. Read the guidance on dependant applications before you apply. Savings You must show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK. Each dependant must have £630 available to them whether they apply with you or separately. This is in addition to the £945 you must have to support yourself. You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply. Example You must have £2,205 if you want to bring your partner and one child with you to the UK - £945 to support yourself + £630 for your partner + £630 for your child. Fees Check the fees for your visa. Dependants applying outside the UK Your family members must apply online . They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of their application. They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK (even if they actually arrive at a later date). They may be able to get their visa faster or other services depending on what country they’re in - check with the visa application centre. North Korea Your family members cannot apply online if they’re from North Korea. Each family member will need to make their own application. They must: download the application form and guidance - they can read the guidance if they need help filling in the form read the instructions to find out where they need to take their completed form Dependants applying in the UK You can include dependants in your online application to extend or switch to this visa if they want to do it at the same time as you. If they want to extend or switch their visa at a different time, they must either: apply online as your partner apply online as your child Family members cannot apply in the UK as your dependant if they hold a visitor visa . Providing biometric information and supporting documents When they apply, they’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services ( UKVCAS ) service point to provide their biometric information (their fingerprints and a photo). They’ll also need to submit their supporting documents. They can: upload them into the online service have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do. Children born while you’re in the UK If you have children while you’re in the UK, you can apply for permission for them to stay. You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them. When you apply, you need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child showing the names of both parents. You must apply online for children born while you’re in the UK .

Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa (Tier 5)

Overview

You can apply for a Tier 5 Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa if you:

want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme
have a sponsor
are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
meet the other eligibility requirements

Sponsorship

You need to have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor before you can apply to come to the UK to work.

Your work, training or research in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

Your sponsor can be any of the following:

an organisation running an approved exchange scheme
a higher education institution (if you are a sponsored researcher, visiting academic or examiner)
a government department or agency

How long it will take

The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before the date you’re due to start work. This date is on your certificate of sponsorship.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.

Fees

How much you pay for your visa depends on where you are.

Who you’re applying for	Apply (outside the UK)	Extend or switch (in the UK)
You	£244	£244
If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia	£189	£189
All dependants	£244 each	£244 each

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

You’ll need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

Get a faster decision on your application

If you want to get a decision more quickly, you can pay an extra £500 for the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

You can pay an extra £800 for the super priority service to get a decision:

by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday
2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for up to 12 or 24 months (depending on the scheme you’re applying for) or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter.

You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

study (for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate)
work in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
do a second job for up to 20 hours per week
do a job on the Tier 2 shortage occupation list for up to 20 hours per week as well as your main job
apply to change (‘switch’) into a Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa if you’re in the government authorised exchange scheme for sponsored researchers
bring family members with you

You cannot:

take a permanent job
get public funds

Print entire guide

Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa (Tier 5)

Overview

Sponsorship

How long it will take

Fees

Healthcare surcharge

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

Get a faster decision on your application

How long you can stay

What you can and cannot do

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Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange visa (Tier 5)

Overview

Sponsorship

How long it will take

Fees

Healthcare surcharge

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

Get a faster decision on your application

How long you can stay

What you can and cannot do

Related content

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK