US Citizens: Get your United Kingdom Work Tier 5 visa with the TDS New York Office

The Tier 5 visa allows entry to work in the UK in a number of different cicumstances, such as for Charity Workers, Entertainers, Diplomatic Staff and Sportspeople. Most Tier 5 workers need a job offer from a licensed Tier 5 sponsor in the UK but people from one of the small number of countries whose nationals can come under the Youth Mobility Scheme can gain entry without a job offer.

Tier 5 Catagories:

Temporary Worker - Charity Worker Visa - For workers who have an unpaid/voluntary job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from a UK charity with a valid Tier 5 sponsorship licence. The job taken must be directly related to the sponsor charity's work.

Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting Visa - For very highly skilled workers who have a job offer as a sportsperson or creative worker - such as a musician or actor in the UK and a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from a UK employer with a valid Tier 5 sponsorship licence. Sportspeople on this visa must be internationally established at the highest level of their sport, and/or their job must make significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level.

Temporary Worker - Government Authorized Exchange Visa - For workers coming to the UK through an approved government authorized exchange scheme. This visa allows the worker to do work experience, training, academic research or a fellowship and to take part in an Overseas Government Language Program.

Temporary Worker - International Agreement Visa - For workers who have a job offer that is covered by international law, such as embassy and diplomatic household workers and a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from an organisation with a valid Tier 5 sponsorship licence. This includes workers under the General Argeeement on Trade in Services (GATS) and similar argeements.

Temporary Worker - Religious Worker Visa - For workers offered a job, such as preaching or work in a monastery or convent by a religious order in the UK.

Youth Mobility Scheme Visa - For workers aged 18 - 30 from a limited number of countries who wish to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. This scheme replaced the Working Holiday Visa. It is important to note however that far fewer people gain entry under this new scheme.

Please send TDS your current valid and signed passport. It must not expire within 6 months and must have at least two blank back to back visa pages. Foreign Embassies cannot issue a visa on a page not labeled as a Visa page. Amendment and Endorsement pages in the back of the passport cannot be used for issuance of a visa.
A visa cannot be stamped on a page even if only one Small Stamp is on the visa page. If your passport expires within 6 months, you must renew your passport and then we will secure your visa with the new passport. In addition please include any previous passports held as evidence of travel history.

Please send 2 recent professional passport-type photographs.
Digital and non-passport photographs are not acceptable.
Passport Photo Guide - Click Here

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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

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.

You won’t 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 won’t claim benefits during your stay.

You must provide the original plus a photocopy of every document you provide.

Provide your  tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test.

Applicants may need to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge before you lodge your visa application, to determine if you are required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge please click here.
Even if you are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge you may need still obtain an IHS reference for your visa application.

You don’t have to pay the healthcare surcharge if you’re applying from outside the UK for a visa that lasts 6 months or less.
You don’t need to use the healthcare surcharge service or get an IHS reference number for your visa application. Instead, you’ll have to pay for any healthcare you get through the NHS at the point you use it.

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

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’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application. Check how much they’ll have to pay before they apply.

They must complete their visa application by 5 July if they’ve already paid the immigration health 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.

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 can’t apply online if they’re from North Korea.

To apply from North Korea they must:

• download the form and guidance
• read the instructions on how to apply

Dependants applying in the UK on their own

Your dependants can apply to extend or switch their visas to stay with you if they’re already in the UK. Dependants can:

• apply online - dependant partner application
• apply online - dependant child application
• download the paper form
• download the paper form and apply using the premium service at a premium service centre

Biometric information

Each person applying must also provide their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).

They can give their biometric information at:

• certain Post Office branches if they applied online (this costs £19.20)
• a premium service centre if they applied in person

They’ll get a biometric residence permit if their application is successful.

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, send a full UK birth certificate for each child showing the names of both parents.

You can:

• apply online - dependant child application
• apply by post - download the paper form (the address is on the form)
• download the paper form and apply using the premium service at a premium service centre

Travel Document Systems can submit United Kingdom visa applications for priority service 10+ business day processing only.

This requires an Additional priority service processing fee (determined by nationality) payable to the UK government that must be paid online directly through the VFS Global website. This "Priority Processing Fee" is in addition to the visa fee paid directly on the visa application form.

Click here to enter VFS Global visa application payment website, select the United States as the country of residence and your visa category.

The payment receipt from VFS Global must be included with the visa application materials.

Your visa application form (below) must be completed prior to processing the Priority processing fee.

Applications submitted directly to the UK government for a visa process without priority service take on average 20+ business days to be issued.

This Priority Processing Fee is required for traveldocs to be able to assist you, however it does not guarantee 10+ business processing as the UK consulate reserves the right to take additional time at their discretion.

Upon completion of the online visa application form, the applicant will be prompted to schedule a biometrics appointment: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/gbr/login

 to submit biometric information. Please note that there might not be a time available immediately. 

You will need to take your receipt and passport to the appointment. This biometric information consists of scans of all 10 fingers and a full-face digital photograph. After you receive the completion stamp from this appointment, you can submit application materials to TDS New York Office for processing. 

The visa application must be submitted no earlier than 24-36 hours after and no later than 2 weeks after biometric submission.