Religious Worker

The Religious Worker visa is for applicants coming to work temporarily in the UK as religious workers whose duties may include:

• preaching
• pastoral work
• non-pastoral work

An applicant making the application must have a valid Tier 5 certificate of sponsorship from a licensed Tier 5 sponsor charity in the UK.

Under this visa scheme, a sponsor needs to guarantee that they will support the applicant through funds and/or accommodation that is sufficient for them to maintain themselves for the duration of the CoS and;

• the applicant will only work at the location(s), specified on the CoS, except when working under the supplementary employment provisions
• the applicant will not displace or deny an employment opportunity to a suitably qualified member of the resident labour force
• the applicant will comply with the conditions of their permission to stay and will leave the UK when it expires

Maintenance funds

An applicant must score 10 points for maintenance, they must:

• show they have personal savings of at least £945 – this amount excludes overdraft facilities, and the funds must have been held for a consecutive 90 day period ending no more than 31 days before the date of their application
• have an A-rated sponsor who certifies on the certificate of sponsorship (CoS) that they will maintain and accommodate them up to the end of their first month of employment in the UK if required

Length of stay

A Tier 5 sponsored worker can stay up to a maximum of 24 months under this visa category.