Entry Clearance For T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

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Entry Clearance For T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

You can apply entry clearance for T5 Creative and Sporting Worker visa if you have been offered work in the UK as a sportsperson or creative worker for short term contracts/engagements. A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industry, for example an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.

You can come to the United Kingdom for up to 12 months, or the time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter. You may apply to extend your T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa for up to a maximum of 24 months if you stay with the same sponsor.

Eligibility Requirements For T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa Entry Clearance

You can apply for a T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa if you meet the following eligibility requirements:

• You have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job
• You have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK
• You can show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years
• You must not fall for refusal under general grounds for refusal
• You have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country

What Is The Points Based Criteria For T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa Entry Clearance?

T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa is a Points Based visa category and points can be awarded for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and funds for maintenance. A T5 Creative & Sporting Worker should score 40 points in total to qualify for entry clearance for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa. The breakdown of the required points for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance is given in the table below:

Sportspersons

A “Professional Sportsperson”, is someone, whether paid or unpaid, who:

• is currently providing services as a sportsperson, playing or coaching in any capacity, at a professional or semi-professional level of sport;
• is currently receiving payment, including payment in kind, for playing or coaching, and that payment covers all, or the majority of, their costs for travelling to, and living, in the UK, or has received such payment within the previous four years;
• is currently registered to a professional or semi-professional sports team, or has been so registered within the previous four years. This includes all academy and development team age groups;
• has represented their nation or national team within the previous two years, including all youth and development age groups from under 17s upwards;
• has represented their state or regional team within the previous two years, including all youth and development age groups from under 17s upwards;
• has an established international reputation in their chosen field of sport and/or
• engages an agent or representative, with the aim of finding opportunities as a sportsperson, and/or developing a current or future career as a sportsperson, or has engaged such an agent in the last 12 months unless they are playing or coaching as an “Amateur” in a charity event.

Certificate Of Sponsorship (CoS) For Sportspersons

In order for a Certificate of Sponsorship to be assigned for a sportsperson under T5 category, the sponsor will need to have an endorsement for you from the appropriate governing body for your sport. The endorsement will confirm that:

• you are internationally established at the highest level; and/or
• your employment will make a significant contribution to the development of your sport at the highest level in the UK; and
• your post could not be filled by a suitable settled worker.

The endorsement will be obtained from the governing body by your sponsor. You must provide the original letter issued by the governing body containing the endorsement as part of your application for leave or entry clearance.

Creative Workers

For a creative worker, and their entourage operating in dance, theatre, film and television, or as a model in the fashion industry, the sponsor must commit to following the specified code of practice specified in Appendix J of the Immigration Rules, which includes taking into account the needs of the resident labour market in that area. Where your job is not covered by a specific code of practice, your sponsor must show that the post could not have been filled by a settled worker. Examples to demonstrate this might be recruitment activity undertaken, written support from an appropriate industry representative body or sector labour market information.

Group Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)

You will be able to bring your entourage using a group Certificate of Sponsorship. An entourage can include people whose work is directly related to the employment of an entertainer, cultural artist, sportsperson or a dramatic production. The person should have proven technical or other specialist skills.

Multiple Engagements Or Performances

Due to the nature of the creative sector, at times you may need to perform a number of engagements at a number of venues. If you have a single sponsor, for example, an agent, and there is no more than a maximum of 14 calendar days between each engagement, that sponsor can assign a single Certificate of Sponsorship to cover the whole period.

If you are sponsored by individual venues, producers or promoters, then it is still possible for each sponsor to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to cover its own show. The periods of work stated on the Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) must not overlap (you may need to co-ordinate the periods of work with your sponsors).

If there is no more than a maximum of 14 calendar days between each engagement, then entry clearance will be granted to cover the whole period. If there is a gap of more than 14 days between engagements, you will have to leave the United Kingdom and apply for entry clearance again as a new application.

Visa Concession For Non-Visa Nationals

A concession exists for non-visa nationals who wish to come to the United Kingdom as creative workers or sports people for no more than three months.

If You Are Coming Via Ireland

If you are a non-visa national seeking entry to the United Kingdom for three months or less, via Ireland, you must obtain either remote clearance or entry clearance (a visa) prior to travelling to the United Kingdom. This is because individuals travelling from Ireland to the UK will not necessarily encounter an immigration officer to endorse the correct form of leave to permit this concession. The option to request leave to enter remotely is not, however, available if you are entering the UK to commence a contract of employment which, because of the nature of that employment, would require their employer to undertake right to work checks. This is because your remote clearance application would not include receipt of acceptable documentation which your employer could use to undertake right to work checks. In this event, you must obtain a visa before entering through Ireland.

If You Are Not Coming Via Ireland

If you are a non-visa national seeking entry to the UK for 3 months or less and you are not coming via Ireland, you can apply for leave to enter at the border. If you want to do this, you will require a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), but will not be required to obtain entry clearance. Where you are granted leave to enter for up to three months by an Immigration Officer on arrival in the UK, your leave will automatically lapse once you travel outside the Common Travel Area (the Common Travel Area encompasses the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey). This means that you will not automatically be able to re-enter the UK on the basis of your original grant of leave. However, you may need to come back to the UK to fulfil your engagements for your sponsor in the UK. In this instance, you must tell the Immigration Officer your original Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number on arrival. The Immigration Officer will ask you to provide your evidence of meeting the maintenance requirements again. The Immigration Officer will carry out checks to ensure that the sponsor has not withdrawn their sponsorship of you since your original entry, and may wish to speak to the sponsor again to confirm the details on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Provided you meet all the criteria, the Immigration Officer will be able to grant leave to allow you to complete the engagements for your sponsor within the period of your original grant of leave.

How Can We Help You?

Our specialist team of T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application. As your appointed legal representative for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application, our work can include the following:

• assessing your eligibility for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa for UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
• advising on relevant documents to be submitted in support of the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application;
• assessing the documentary evidence including the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to ensure that the documents are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance;
• completing online application form for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance for UK;
• preparing a detailed cover letter in support of the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance have been satisfied by the Tier 2 applicant;
• submitting the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa application and booking applicant’s appointment with the relevant UK visa application centre;
• uploading all the supporting documents online in support of the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application;
• preparing the applicant for an interview by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) in relation to T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application;
• making any post interview representations to the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), if necessary;
• doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) until decision is reached on your T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application.

Our Fee For T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa Entry Clearance Application

Our fees for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application are given in the fee table below:

The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance application and the volume of casework involved in the application. In addition to our fixed fee for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa entry clearance, the applicant will also have to pay the Home office UKVI fees for the entry clearance application.