Tier 5 Temporary Workers and Youth Mobility Scheme

There are routes available to individuals who want to come to the UK to do temporary work for a licensed sponsor. They must have a job offer from an employer who is a licensed sponsor, a valid certificate of sponsorship and pass the points based assessment to be eligible to apply. 

There are 5 categories:

• Creative and Sporting - for people coming to the UK to work or perform as sports people, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months. If you are a sports person, you must be internationally established at the highest level in your sport and/or your job must make a significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level in the UK.    Read more
• Charity workers - for people coming to the UK to do voluntary work for charity, which is not paid.  The work must be directly related to the work of your sponsor's organisation.  Read more
• Religious workers - for people coming to the UK to work temporarily as a religious worker (e.g. preaching, pastoral work, work in a religious order). Read more
• Government Authorised Exchange - for people coming to the UK through approved schemes that aim to share knowledge, experience and best practice and 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. Iindividual employers and organistations will not be allowed to sponsor migrants in this category - the sponsor will be an overarching body who manages the govenrment authorised exchange scheme. Read more
•  International agreement - 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; similar agreements between the UK and another country; employees of overseas govts and international organisations; and private servants in diplomatic households. Read more
  

Duration of leave

•     Creative and sporting - 12 months with possible extension of 12 months
•     Charity workers - maximum of 12 months
•     Religious workers - maximum of 24 months
•     Governement Authorised Exchange - maximum of 24 months
•     International agreement - maximum of 24 months

Youth Mobilty Scheme (YBS) is for young people (aged 18-30) from participating countries who wouldl ike to experience life in the UK. The countries on the scheme are:

•     Australia
•     Canada
•     Japan
•     New Zealand

Under YBS the person's national government is their sponsor. British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) can also apply under the scheme and do not need a sponosr. The individual must have £1,600 in available maintenance when they apply.

The person can is able to carry out any work for an employer except they cannot:  

•     be employed as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach) or as a doctor in training.   

The person can only be self-employed if:

•     they do not own permanent premises from which they carry out their business
•     the total value of their equipment that they use in their business is not worth more than £5,000; and
•     they have no employees

The individual can also do privately funded study; au pair placements; voluntary work.