Tier 5 / Youth Mobility Scheme / Working Holiday Visas
This is a two year visa that allows you to work freely. Its great if you can get it. There are only two down sides to it:
1) You can stay for 24 months, but can only work for 12 months of that time. As you can imagine its quite difficult to police whether you work 12 or 15 months of your 24 month stay.
2) The time spent in the UK under a working holiday doesnt count towards Indefinite Leave to Remain applications. So if you want to qualify for residency at some point, the working holiday isnt the best choice.
To Qualify you must be able to show that you:
* are a citizen of a country listed in Appendix 3 which details all countries participating in the Working Holiday Maker scheme of the Immigration Rules, a British Overseas Territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen or a British National (Overseas)
* are aged between 17 and 30
* want to come to the UK for an extended holiday, and intend to take employment as part of your holiday for no more than 12 months during your stay
* do not intend to set yourself up in or run a business, or work as a professional sportsperson during your stay
* are single, or that you are married to, or the civil partner of someone who also qualifies as a working holidaymaker and you plan to take the working holiday together
* do not have any dependent children aged five or over, or who will be five before your holiday ends
* can support yourself in the UK without needing any help from public funds. In practice this means you need to show enough money to pay for transport to the UK and two months worth of living expenses.
* have not spent time in the UK on a previous working holidaymaker visa, and
* intend to leave the UK at the end of your holiday. For more information or help with your application please ask us.
Tier 5 Transfer Guide
Switching from Tier 5 to Tier 2 Work Permits
We get asked this quite regularly on our chat service on our website, by recruiters and contractors themselves. If you are a contractor and would like to discuss your options please get in touch with us via our form.
The Tier 5 or as it is more commonly referred to, the Working Holiday Visa, is valid for 2 years. Once the visa expires it is not renewable.
Previously contractors could move onto Tier 1 Visas (Highly Skilled Migrants Visa) but the Tier 1 has been largely scrapped. If you do wish to remain in the UK to work as a contractor your only option now is to look at Tier 2 Work Permit sponsorship.
From April 2011 the UKBA split Tier 2 applications into ‘in country’ and ‘out of country’ applications. Those able to switch ‘in country’ are those currently holding existing Tier 2 (General) visas, Tier 1 (HSMP) or Post Study Work visas.
For anyone applying from outside the UK and also for those changing visa statuses from a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa to a Tier 2 General Visa the application will be considered ‘out of country’. The process if which is as follows;
1) Sponsorship Company completes the RLMT (Residence Labour Market Test) which takes 28 days.
2) Company sponsoring the Tier 2 Work Permit lodges an application with the UKBA for a COS (Certificate of sponsorship). UKBA now only sit once a month to approve ‘out of country applications’ and all applications for a given month need to be lodged by the 5th of that month.
3) The applications are approved between 11th and 13th of that month. The UKBA informs the sponsorships company of the success of the application and issues the COS.
4) Sponsoring company sends a copy of the COS to the candidate.
5) Candidates takes COS along with an Entry Clearance form and other substantiating documents to a British Consulate in their country of residence to obtain ‘Entry Clearance’. It’s also worth noting that some nationalities have to complete an English language test.
So if you’re planning to remain contracting in the UK after your Tier 5 expires these are the issues you’ll need to consider;
1) Have you got a Management Company that can sponsor your Tier 2 Work Permit so you can keep contracting?
2) You will need to return to your country of origin to obtain ‘Entry Clearance’.
For further information and a free assessment please get in touch with us via our form.
List of Countries participating in the Working Holidaymaker Scheme
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
Monaco
The countries listed above are the only countries currently participating in the YMS -
all have Deemed Sponsor status. This may change and you should check with the UK Border Agency website for more information.
