Permitted Paid Engagement Visa

Permitted paid engagement visa (in legal terms known as ‘entry clearance’) is a visa, allowing an expert in their profession to visit the UK for a short period of time and get paid for their work. The rules, which I explain below, apply only to those who are over the age of 18.

The beauty of this visa is in the fact that a UK-based organisation or a client do not need to hold a sponsor’s licence to invite you to do any work for them. Also, you do not need to meet requirements, which you will normally need to meet for a general work visa.

This may be an ideal solution for you and your prospective employer to check if you are the right fit for the position before applying under the points-based system.

 

Who Qualifies?

The Home Office has created a very specific list of the following are permitted paid engagements:

1. An academic who is highly qualified within his or her field of expertise may examine students and/or participate in or chair selection panels, if they have been invited by a UK Higher Education Institution or a UK based research or arts organisation as part of that institution or organisation’s quality assurance processes.

   

2. An expert may give lectures in their subject area if a UK Higher Education Institution invited them to do so. Alternatively it can be a UK based research or arts organisation provided this does not amount to filling a teaching position for the host organisation.

3. An overseas designated pilot examiner may assess UK based pilots to ensure they meet the national aviation regulatory requirements of other countries if they have been invited by an approved training organisation based in the UK that is regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for that purpose.

4. A qualified lawyer may provide advocacy for a court or tribunal hearing, arbitration or other forms of dispute resolution for legal proceedings within the UK. A UK-based client will need to invite them to understand these activities.

5. A professional artist, entertainer, musician or sports person may carry out an activity directly relating to their profession if they have been invited by a creative (arts or entertainment) or sports organisation, agent or broadcaster based in the UK.

 

Permitted Paid Engagement visitors are also allowed to participate in all other activities, which general visitors can do. These are explained in more detail IN THIS ARTICLE.

 

What Are the Requirements?

In order for you to succeed in this type of visa, you need to meet certain requirements. The key one is your ability to prove that you have a genuine intention to visit the UK. In other words, you need to persuade the decision-maker of the fact that you intend to visit the UK as a genuine Permitted Paid Engagement visitor. How can you do this?

The decision-makers look at a number of factors surrounding your application. This may include the following:

 

1. They’ll check if you have an intention to leave the UK at the end of your visit. This can be normally be done by clearly stating your intention: 1. When you intend to travel; 2. What exactly you intend to do here; 3. What arrangements you have made to facilitate your stay here (accommodation, maintenance, your schedule of stay in the UK).

2. 

   They’ll also want to make you that you have no intention of living in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK their main home. Here they are most likely to check your previous immigration history. You’ll also need to disclose your plans for your trip to the UK. It is therefore absolutely crucial to submit a letter in support of your application clearly explaining this.

3. Also, the decision-makers are under the obligation to check that you are genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes. I’ve listed these activities above and in THIS ARTICLE HERE. You also need to elaborate on your intentions in the letter in support of your application.

   Also,

4. You need to provide bank statements clearly showing that you have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit to the UK. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey. Also, they’ll take into consideratin any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities. You’ll need to clarify this further in your supporting letter.

5. You also need to clearly state and, where possible, to provide evidence of what you intend to do in the UK as permitted paid engagements visitor.

6. The decision-makers will expect you to make all the arrangements before you travel to the UK.

7. Also, the party, which invites you (a UK-based organisation or a client) will need to provide you with a formal invitation confirming your intentions and the fact that everything is ready for your travel to the UK.

8. It will also be of tremendous help if, with your application, you provide documents (certificates, CV, diplomas, etc) confirming that you are qualified to do the work a UK-based organisation wants you to do in the UK.

 

The Procedure

It will cost you £95 to make a permitted paid engagements application.

You can apply up to 3 months in advance. For example, if you want to travel on 1 October, the earliest you can apply is on 1 July.

You will not have an appeal or administrative review right if the Home Office refuses your application. For this reason, you need to get it right the first time.

 

How Long Can You Stay?

If the decision-maker grants your application, you can stay for a maximum of 1 month.

 

What You Cannot Do When in the UK

There are certain things, which you cannot do while in the UK:

1. You cannot do specific paid work unrelated to your main job or area of expertise at home or sell merchandise, other than what your visa type allows.
2. You cannot extend this visa or switch to another visa while in the UK.
3. live in the UK for extended periods.

   

4. get public funds.
5. study for more than 30 days – studying cannot be the main reason for your visit.
6. marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.
7. bring family members (‘dependants’) with you on your application – they must apply separately.

Further Help

And finally, if you are thinking of submitting your UKVisitors visa application in near future, first of all, you need to understand the rules of the game. At THIS PAGE you’ll get access to ‘3 Secrets of a Successful UK Visitor Visa Application’ online course. This course will help you dramatically reduce the chances of refusal of your visitors’ visa application. As after attending the course you’ll understand the requirements you need to satisfy in order to succeed.