Tier 2

The Tier 2 (General) category is for foreign nationals who have been offered a skilled job to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker.

Points for your attributes:

You must score 50 points for having a Tier 2 (General) certificate of sponsorship, and for being paid an appropriate salary. These are known as your 'attributes'.

Points are available for your attributes as follows:

Attribute Points available
Assigned a certificate of sponsorship, because:
• the job has an annual salary of £159,600 or more;
• the job is on the shortage occupation list;
• your sponsor has completed a resident labour market test (or an exemption applies); or
• you want to extend your stay and continue working in the same job for the same employer
The Certificate of sponsorship page explains how you can score these points. 30
Appropriate salary and allowances
The Appropriate salary and allowances page explains how you can score these points. 20

You must score 10 points for English language ability.
You must score 10 points for maintenance (funds).

Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)

This category is for employees of multinational companies who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a UK branch of the organisation, either on a long-term basis or for frequent short visits. The sub-categories are:

• Long-term staff - for established, skilled employees to be transferred to the UK branch of their organisation for more than 12 months to fill a post that cannot be filled by a new recruit from the resident workforce
• Graduate trainee - this route allows the transfer of recent graduate employees to a UK branch of the same organisation, as part of a structured graduate training programme which clearly defines progression towards a managerial or specialist role.

Tier 2 (Minister of Religion)

The Tier 2 (Minister of religion) category is for people who have been offered employment or posts or roles within their faith communities in the UK as:

• ministers of religion undertaking preaching and pastoral work;
• missionaries; or
• members of religious orders.
Pastoral duties include:
• leading worship regularly and on special occasions;
• giving religious education to children and adults by preaching or teaching;
• officiating at marriages, funerals and other special services; and
• offering counselling and welfare support to members of the congregation; and
• recruiting, training and co-ordinating the work of any local volunteers and lay preachers.
Work as a missionary is not just preaching and teaching.

Tier 2 (Sportsperson)

This category is for elite sportspeople and coaches who are internationally established at the highest level, and will make a significant contribution to the development of their sport. Your application will need to be endorsed by your sport's governing body.

Tier 5

The creative and sporting worker category is for people coming to the UK to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months. If you are a sportsperson, you must be internationally established at the highest level in your sport, and/or your employment must make a significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level in the UK.
If you are a coach, you must be suitably qualified to do the job. Before you apply under the creative and sporting worker category, you must have:

• a sponsor; and
• a valid certificate of sponsorship.

Tier 5 Religious worker

The religious worker category is for people coming to the UK to work temporarily as a religious worker.
Religious workers can be involved in:

• preaching, pastoral work and non-pastoral work;
• work in the UK in the same way you are working in an overseas organisation (although your duties in the UK may be different). The job should be done during a break from your job overseas; or
• work in a religious order with community which involves a permanent commitment like a monastery or convent. The work in a religious order must be in the order itself or outside work directed by the order. You can apply if you are a novice whose training means taking part in the daily community life of the order.

Who can apply as a religious worker?

Before you apply under the religious category, you must have:

• a sponsor; and
• a valid certificate of sponsorship.

Who can apply as a charity worker?

Before you apply under Tier 5 (Temporary workers - charity workers), you must have:
• a sponsor; and
• a valid certificate of sponsorship.
When you apply, you will be awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).
You can make an application if:
• you are currently outside the UK; or
• you are already here in the Tier 5 (Temporary workers - charity workers) sub-category and you want to extend your stay (up to a maximum total stay of 12 months - see below).

Youth mobility scheme

This Scheme falls withing Tier 5. The youth mobility scheme is for young people from participating countries and territories who want to come and experience life in the UK. Every year, the UK government allocates a number of places on the scheme for each country and territory.
The countries and territories participating in the scheme are:

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Monaco
• Taiwan
• Republic of Korea
If you are a citizen or passport-holder of a country or territory listed above, and that country or territory has not used all its places for this year, you might be able to come to the UK under the youth mobility scheme. Your national government will be your 'sponsor' during your stay.

Tier 5 international agreement

The international agreement category is for people coming to the UK under contract to do work that is covered under international law, including:

• the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS);
• similar agreements between the UK and another country;
• employees of overseas governments and international organisations; and
• private servants in diplomatic households.

Before you apply under the international agreement category, you must have:
• a sponsor; and
• a valid certificate of sponsorship.

Tier 5 government authorised exchange category

The government authorised exchange category is for people coming to the UK through approved schemes that aim to share knowledge, experience and best practice, and to experience the social and cultural life of the UK. This category must not be used to fill job vacancies or to bring unskilled labour to the UK.
Your sponsor will be an overarching body who manages the government authorised exchange scheme. This overarching body must have the support of a UK government department. Individual employers and organisations will not be allowed to sponsor migrants in this category, even if they are licensed as sponsors under other tiers or other categories of Tier 5. The only exceptions to this are if you are coming to the UK:

This page explains how Commonwealth citizens with UK ancestry may be able to apply for permission to live and work here.

The above summary constitutes a very brief overview of the relevant details under UK Immigration Law. Please contact Beder-Harrison & Co to obtain comprehensive, clear and concise professional advice relevant to your circumstances.