Domestic Worker Visa

The domestic worker category allows overseas employers to bring their domestic workers with them when he/she visits or moves to the United Kingdom. To qualify as a domestic worker you must be an established member of the employer's staff. You will only be given permission to stay in the United Kingdom for a fixed period of time, at the end of this period you will need to either return home or apply to extend your stay.

The domestic workers category can be a short or long-term immigration category. The Home Office will only extend your visa if you are still employed as a domestic worker when your old visa expires. You will be allowed to change employers while you are in the United Kingdom, however, you must still be employed as a domestic worker. If you change employers you must notify us, you will not be allowed to change into a different type of employment. Once you have been in the United Kingdom for five years as a domestic worker you are entitled to apply to stay permanently.

In order to come to the United Kingdom as a domestic worker you must:

• be aged between 18 and 65; and

• have been working as a domestic worker in the same house as your employer for at least one year immediately before your application; or

• have been working for at least one year immediately before your application, in a household that your employer uses on a regular basis and there is evidence of a connection between you and the employer; and

• intend to travel to the United Kingdom with your employer, your employer's spouse, or civil partner or your employers child who is under 18; and

• intend to work full-time as a domestic worker in the house that your employer is living in; or

• intend to work full-time as a domestic worker in a household that the employer users regularly and you can show that there is a clear connection between you and the employer; and

• not intend to work in the United Kingdom except as a domestic worker; and

• you can support yourself and any dependants without the need for public funds; and

• hold a valid entry clearance for entry under the domestic workers category.

As a domestic worker you will initially be given permission to stay in the United Kingdom for a maximum of 12 months. At the end of this 12 month period you can apply to extend your stay in the United Kingdom providing you are still employed as a domestic worker. You should make your application before your permission to stay in the United Kingdom ends.

If your application to extend your stay in the United Kingdom is successful you will be given permission to stay for another 12 months. If you are still working as a domestic worker at the end of the 12 months you will need to make another application to extend your stay in the United Kingdom.

Once you have been continuously employed as a domestic worker in the United Kingdom for five years you can apply to stay in the United Kingdom permanently. This is called settlement. You should read the section on settlement for details.

OUR SERVICES

You can contact us if you are seeking legal help from immigration lawyers in London in relation to your application for leave to enter as Domestic Worker or for extension of stay as Domestic Worker in Private Household and our immigration solicitors will provide you fast, friendly, reliable and professional immigration service.

If instructed to represent you regarding your application, we will do the following for you:

• Our immigration solicitors will take Detailed Instructions from you and advise you about the relevant immigration law and procedure to be adopted by the Immigration Authorities in your immigration case

• Our immigration solicitors will discuss your immigration case in detail with you and advise you about the weaknesses and strengths of your immigration case

• Our immigration solicitors will advise you about the documentary evidence to be submitted in support of your application

• Our immigration solicitors will consider contents of the documentary evidence to be submitted in support of the application and discuss the same with you

• Our immigration solicitors will complete the relevant immigration form and discuss the same with you

• Our immigration solicitors will prepare a covering letter to introduce and support the application

• Our immigration solicitors will liaise with the Immigration Officer for expeditious decision on the application

• Our immigration solicitors will protect your interests while your application is pending with the Home Office and keep you informed of the progress on the matter

• Our immigration solicitors will do all the follow up work until decision is reached on your application

• Our immigration solicitors will advise you about the implications of the Home Office decision.

OUR FEES

• We will charge you a fee from £500.00 + VAT for our professional immigration services. The agreed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.

   

• Please be advised that VAT will not be applicable where our client does not have a valid leave to remain in the UK at the time of his/her instructions to us in relation to his/her immigration matter.

• If you cannot afford to pay our fee in full at the time of instructing us in relation to your matter, you can pay half of the fee at the time of instrucing us and rest of the fee can be paid by monthly installment.

• The agreed fee will cover all our work until decision by the Home Office/Visa Officer on the application. However, it is pertinent to note that the agreed fee will not cover any disbursements to be incurred by the company on your behalf e.g. translation of documents, Home Office fee etc.