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You can apply for a Temporary Work – International Agreement visa if you’ll be contracted to do work covered by international law or treaty while in the UK. This includes working:

• for an overseas government or ‘recognised international organisation’
• as a private servant in a diplomatic household

Check the eligibility requirements.

This visa has replaced the Temporary Worker – International Agreement Worker visa (T5).

Sponsorship

You need to be sponsored (have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer) before you can apply to come to the UK.

The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

How long it takes

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

How much it costs

You, your partner or children will each need to:

• pay the application fee
• pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £1,035 per year
• prove you have enough personal savings - check how much in the eligibility requirements

Application fee

The application fee for each person applying is £319.

The fee is the same whether you’re applying from inside or outside the UK.

How long you can stay

How long you can stay in the UK depends on the type of work you do.

If you’re an overseas government worker or international organisation worker, you can stay for up to 2 years or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus up to 14 days, whichever is shorter.

If you’re a private servant in a diplomatic household, you can stay for up to 5 years. You can apply for up to 2 years at a time or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus up to 14 days, whichever is shorter.

When you can enter and leave

You can enter the UK on the date your visa starts.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

• study as long as it does not interfere with the job you’re sponsored for - you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate for some courses
• work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• do a second job on the Skilled Worker immigration salary list or one in the same sector as your main job for up to 20 hours per week (unless you are a private servant)
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible

You cannot:

• get public funds
• start working before you get your visa

You can apply for a Temporary Work – International Agreement visa if you:

• have a certificate of sponsorship reference number
• have enough money to support yourself in the UK - you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt)
• are 18 or over when you apply

If you’re a private servant applying from outside the UK, you also need to prove your knowledge of English.

Your employer must make sure your job pays at least the minimum wage and follows the UK rules for how many hours a week you work. If your employer does not do this, your application will be refused.

Work covered by international law

Your work in the UK must be:

• for an overseas government or ‘recognised international organisation’
• as a private servant in a diplomatic household or the household of someone who works for a ‘recognised international organisation’

Certificate of sponsorship

A certificate of sponsorship is a unique reference number that holds information about you and your job. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document.

Your sponsor will give you the certificate of sponsorship.

Your sponsor will also give you the information they used on your certificate about your job, your working hours for example.

Your sponsor must be recognised by the UK government to issue certificates of sponsorship.

ÒÁÈËÖ±²¥ to support yourself

You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK.

You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.

You’ll usually need to show proof of this when you apply, unless either:

• you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270

Your partner and children will also need to prove they can support themselves while they’re in the UK. Check how much they’ll need.

Read the guidance on financial evidence for more information about the money you need and how to prove it.

If your employer can support you instead

Your certificate of sponsorship must confirm this. Your employer will need to complete the ‘sponsor certifies maintenance’ section on your certificate. This is under ‘Additional data’.

If you’re a private servant applying from outside the UK, you usually need to prove your knowledge of the English language when you apply.

Level of English

You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the .Ìý

You can prove your knowledge of English by:

• passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider
• having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18
• having a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English - if you studied abroad, you’ll need to for confirmation that your qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’re a national of one of the following countries or territories:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• the British overseas territories
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Malta
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• USA

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English when you extend your visa.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this
• a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
• evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer can support you)
• proof of your knowledge of English if you’re a private servant applying from outside the UK
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher

You need a blank page in your passport for your visa.

You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

If you’re extending your visa as a private servant

You must prove that you’ve received your salary in the 3 months before you apply. You must provide both:

• 3 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• proof that you received your salary in your bank account

Read the full guidance before you apply.

Apply for a Temporary Work - International Agreement visa

You must apply online for a Temporary Work - International Agreement visa.

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document - you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

If you do need an appointment:

• the centre may need to keep your passport and documents while they process your application
• you may have to travel to get to your nearest visa application centre (this could be in another country)

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Your partner and children can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

If your partner or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant when you apply.

Your partner

You must be able to prove one of the following:

• you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK

• you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply

• you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other

• support each other financially

• care for any children you have together

• spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events

Your child

They must:

• live with you, unless they’re living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university
• not be married or in a civil partnership

You’ll need to provide evidence of their address, such as:

• a bank statement
• credit card bills
• driving licence
• NHS registration document
• an official letter from their university or college

ÒÁÈËÖ±²¥ they need to support themselves

Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they’re in the UK.

You - or your partner or child - will need:

• £285 for your partner
• £315 for one child
• £200 for each additional child

You - or your partner or child - will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of you or them applying for this visa.

You’ll usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK - this must be confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship

If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they’ll only need to prove they have enough money to support themselves if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.

Apply from outside the UK

Your partner and children must either:

Each family member will need to complete a separate application and pay the visa fee. They must apply before they travel to the UK.

They’ll also need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

Proving their identity

As part of an application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity.

They’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document - they’ll also create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre

They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.

If they do need an appointment:

• the visa application centre may need to keep their passport and documents while they process their application
• they may have to travel to get to their nearest centre (this could be in another country)

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Apply from inside the UK (extend or switch their visa)

If you extend your visa, your partner or child’s current visa will still be valid until its original end date. Your partner or child need to apply to extend their visa, either:

• at the same time as you

• at any time before their current visa expires

This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.

Your partner or children cannot apply to switch to your visa as your dependants if they are currently in the UK:

• on a visit visa

• on a short-term student visa

• on a Parent of a Child Student visa

• on a seasonal worker visa

• on a domestic worker in a private household visa

• on immigration bail

• because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds

If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:

• completed the course they were sponsored to study

• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

How to apply

The application form will tell you if you can include your partner and children in your application or whether they need to apply separately.

If your partner or child apply separately, they’ll need to either:

They’ll need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

Proving their identity

As part of their application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document - they’ll also create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point

They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Children born in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You must apply for your child’s dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

The form you fill in depends on if:

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

What your partner or child can and cannot do

Your partner or child can:

• work, except as a sportsperson or coach
• study
• travel abroad and return to the UK

They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.

If their application is successful, they’ll get a full list of what they can and cannot do.

You can apply to extend your Temporary Work – International Agreement visa.

Eligibility

You must be in the UK to extend your visa.

You must continue to meet the eligibility rules.

If you’re a private servant

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English when you extend your visa.

You must prove that you’ve received your salary in the 3 months before you apply. You must provide both:

• 3 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• proof that you received your salary in your bank account

How long you can stay

How long you can stay in the UK depends on the type of work you do.

If you’re an overseas government worker or international organisation worker, you can stay in the UK for a maximum of 2 years.

If you’re a private servant or work as an employee in the household of someone who works for a ‘recognised international organisation’, you can stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years.

Fees

Check the fees for your visa.

Apply to extend your Temporary Work - International Agreement visa

You must apply online before your current visa expires.

Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.

Your partner and children

Your partner or child’s visa will not automatically extend if you extend yours. If they do not extend their visa, it will be valid until its original end date. They can either apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document - you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

How long it takes

A decision will be made within 8 weeks of your application date if you use the standard service.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

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

If your application is successful

You’ll get an eVisa (an online record of your immigration status).

Your decision email or letter will tell you how to get access to your eVisa. You’ll need to create a UKVI account.