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Charity Worker Visa

NB: This visa is a replacement for the T5 Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa

If you are interested in doing unpaid volunteer work for a UK charity, and you have received a sponsorship certificate from an licensed employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Charity Worker Visa.

In addition to a sponsorship certificate, for this visa you:

  • must be at least 18 years old when you apply
  • usually need to prove you have at least £1270 in your bank account to support yourself when you arrive

Required documents

When you apply for a Charity Worker Visa, you will need to supply the Home Office with the following:

  • Your sponsorship certificate reference number
  • A passport or other valid identity document
  • Proof of your ability to support yourself in the UK (usually either personal bank statements or confirmation of financial support from your employer)
    • You may be exempt from this requirement if you have already been in the UK for over a year, or if your employer has confirmed they will cover up to £1270 of your costs after you arrive
  • Tuberculosis test results if you are applying from a country where the UK requires this
  • Proof of relationship with any dependants (i.e. children or a partner) who are applying with you
    • Each dependent needs to submit their own separate visa application and pay any required fees
Check your eligibility for this visa

Charity Worker Visa process and costs

It usually takes around 3 weeks to get a decision on a Charity Worker Visa application submitted from outside the UK, and up to 8 weeks if the application was submitted from within the UK.

Applications for a UK Charity Worker Visa cost £298. You will also have to pay the UK’s healthcare surcharge as part of your application.

A Charity Worker Visa can be issued for up to 12 months, and you will be permitted to enter the UK up to two weeks before you are due to start your job.

NB: This visa does not permit you to take on paid or permanent work. If you wish to get a paid job after you have entered the UK on this visa, you may have to apply to switch to a different type of working visa.

Demetris Demetriou

Demetris is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK (Solicitor) and Cyprus (Advocate) with 10+ years of experience in UK immigration. He completed his legal studies at University College London and City University London. Over the course of his career, he held key roles as Head of Immigration at Legal 500 firms and within the Big4, overseeing teams of 15+ fee earners handling 2000+ applications annually.

Demetris went on to co-establish his firm in London and continues to offer innovative solutions and strategic immigration planning to multinationals, SMEs, and private clients.

He personally represented 1500+ clients in 30+ visa routes including investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, sole representatives, students, family visas, global talent, UK ancestry, administrative reviews and appeals. Demetris has managed corporate relocations, conducted immigration law training and implemented post-Brexit immigration policies for corporate clients.

Demetris has been featured in various events and publications focusing on UK immigration, notably at the Cambridge Network, the Westminster Policy Forum and most recently at DGEMS, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.

Tatiani Preifelt

Tatiani has a wealth of expertise in global mobility and corporate immigration. Her ample skills were acquired within leading immigration practices including three out of the Big4 firms in both the UK and Sweden. Tatiani went on to co-establish her firm in London where she continues to advise clients predominantly in corporate, business and skilled work migration.

Having personally relocated to 10 different countries, Tatiani understands the importance of an expedient and successful immigration process and takes pride in delivering a seamless experience to her clients as well.

Over the course of her career, she has assisted over 500 individuals and businesses to obtain the appropriate visa permits in the UK.

Her awarded academic work at The University of Oxford, The London School of Economics, and at The Geneva University is in the fields of Political Science, International Human Rights Law, and Global Migration Governance.

She regularly provides immigration training and has recently participated as a speaker and panellist at DGEMS 2023, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.