• Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

An Overseas Domestic Worker Visa gives an individual permission to enter the UK to work for their employer in a domestic setting, for example as a cleaner, nanny, cook or personal assistant.

Important:  Because of the requirement that the applicant has already worked for their employer for at least one year and the restrictions on how long the sponsoring employer will be living in the UK, an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa is generally not suitable as a visa for au pairs.

To be eligible to apply you must:

  • be currently living outside the UK
  • be at least 19 years old
  • have been working for your employer for at least one year
  • work in your employer’s household
  • intend to travel to the UK with your employer (or their partner and/or children), and to work in their home in the UK
  • plan to stay in the UK for no longer than six months
  • prove you can support yourself without access to public funds
  • be able to show that your employer is:
    • a British citizen usually living outside the UK who intends to leave within six months, or
    • a foreign citizen who is visiting the UK and who intends to leave within six months
Check your eligibility for this visa

Overseas Domestic Worker Visa process and cost

To apply for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa, you will need to provide a number of supporting documents and evidence of your existing working relationship with your employer, including:

  • a valid passport or other travel document
  • proof of funds to support yourself for your trip (e.g. payslips or bank statements)
  • an ‘appendix domestic worker statement’ (click here to download)
  • a confirmation letter from your employer specifying your job title, length of service and stating that you are a permanent employee
  • proof of previous employment, such as pay slips or a contract

If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you will need to get them translated and certified in order to submit them to the Home Office as evidence.

Applications must be submitted from outside the UK and will require that you attend a visa application centre to have your photograph and fingerprints taken. You should allow sufficient time to plan potential travel to an application centre if the nearest one to where you live is in another city or country, however the earliest you can apply is three months before you intend to travel to the UK.

Once you have submitted your application, you should receive a decision within three weeks. Depending on the application centre you intend to visit as part of your application, you may be able to pay to receive a decision faster.

The Home Office fee to apply for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa is £637. If granted, you will not be permitted to extend this visa in order to stay in the UK for more than six months.

Neveen Galal

Neveen is a UK Immigration Solicitor with over 20 years experience in UK Immigration Law. She represents corporate and individual clients seeking assistance with any visa category to the UK. Neveen is a graduate of Westminster University, from which she was awarded the 2021 Westminster Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award.

Neveen’s rapid career trajectory saw her progress at pace from paralegal to Head of Department level, and then to earning a place on her firm’s Board of Directors by the age of 28. This achievement was recognised by Who’s Who placing her in their directory of ‘Britain’s Business Elite’ in 2008. Neveen then went on to establish her own boutique Immigration Law Firm in the City of London in 2015. She also co-founded the Hexagon Legal Network in 2017.

Neveen is passionate about all aspects of UK immigration law, and is committed to providing bespoke residence and citizenship solutions to citizens across the globe that wish to relocate to the UK. Neveen’s immigration advisory services are predominately geared towards highly skilled workers and companies wishing to have a UK presence, however she and her team of experienced immigration advisors can also assist with partner-based applications, student visas and all other personal and business immigration matters.

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.