Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

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Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

You can switch to a T5 Creative and Sporting Worker visa if you’re in the UK as a sports or entertainer visitor, and your sponsor gave you a certificate of sponsorship for this visa before you came to the UK. You cannot switch to this visa if you’ve used the T5 (Temporary Worker – Creative and Sporting) concession to enter the UK.

A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industry, for example an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.

As a result of successful application for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting worker visa, you will  be granted leave to remain 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 Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

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

• You must be in the UK as a sports or entertainer visitor;
• your sponsor gave you a certificate of sponsorship for this visa before you came to the UK;
• You have personal savings so you can support yourself.

What Is The Points Based Criteria For Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa?

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 switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa. The breakdown of the required points for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa 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.

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 leave 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.

Super Priority Service (Decision Within 24 Hours) For Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

As the expert immigration solicitors based in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners UKVCAS Sopra Steria to provide Super Priority Service (SPS) for your application whereby decision on your application will be made by the Home Office UKVI within 24 hours of the enrolment of biometrics at a designated service centre.

Our immigration solicitors can prepare and submit your application to the Home Office, UKVI through Super Priority Service (SPS) and get decision on your immigration application within 24 hours. This way, you will not have to wait for the decision on your application for months (sometimes years).

How Can We Help For Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa?

Our specialist team of T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your application for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa from inside the UK. As your appointed legal representatives for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa application from inside the UK, our work can include the following:

• assessing your eligibility for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa from inside the UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
• advising on relevant documents to be submitted in support of the 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 switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa from inside the UK;
• completing online application form for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa from inside the UK;
• preparing a detailed cover letter in support of your application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa have been satisfied by the Tier 2 applicant;
• submitting the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees for T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa application and booking applicant’s appointment with the UKVCAS application centre;
• uploading all the supporting documents online in support of the T5 Creative & Sporting Worker application;
• doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Home Office UKVI until decision is reached on your T5 Creative & Sporting Worker application.

Our Fee For Switching Into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker Visa

Our fees for providing expert legal help and assistance with an application for switching into T5 Creative & Sporting Worker visa from inside the UK are given in the fee table below:

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