Visas
Working Holiday Visa
Commonwealth citizens, aged between 17 and 30 years, are eligible for a UK Working Holiday Visa.
A Working Holiday Visa allows you stay in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) for up to two years and work for up to one year. There are no restrictions on the type of employment you take or the number of hours you work, other than you are prohibited from starting a business and from working for more than 12 months of your holiday.
To qualify for a Working Holiday visa you must:
- be a Commonwealth citizen aged between 17 and 30 years;
- be single, or married to a person who also qualifies for a Working Holiday Visa;
- not have any children aged over five years of age, or who will reach the age of 5 before your holiday ends;
- intend to stay in the UK primarily for a holiday, and not to work for more than 12 months;
- be able to support yourself without State/Government assistance;
- have enough funds to pay for your journey home and support yourself for your first two months in the UK; and
- intend to leave the UK at the end of your holiday.
A Working Holiday Visa lasts for two years from the date you were first given permission to enter as a working holidaymaker. Any time spent outside the UK during this two-year period is taken to be a part of the two years.
Important: You must apply for a Working Holiday Visa before you travel to the UK.
NOTE: You may be able to switch from a Working Holiday Visa to a Work Permit or the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).
Further information can be obtained from the UK visas website www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Ancestry Visa
Commonwealth citizens who can prove one of their grandparents was born in the UK (or in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922) may apply for an Ancestry Visa.
An Ancestry Visa lasts for five years and allows you to work full-time in the UK. After five years, you can apply for permanent residency.
To apply for an Ancestry Visa, you must:
- be a Commonwealth Citizen;
- be aged 17 or over;
- have a grandparent who was born in the UK (or in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922);
- be able to work, and intend to work whilst you are in the UK;
- be able to support yourself and any dependants without State/Government assistance.
Important: You must apply for an Ancestry Visa before you travel to the UK.
Further information can be obtained from the UK visas website www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Student Visa
A Student Visa (of at least six months duration) allows you to a) undertake full-time study; b) work part-time during term time (up to 20 hours per week) and c) work full-time during holidays.
To qualify for a Student Visa you must show you have been accepted on a course of study at an educational establishment listed on the UK's Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Register (www.dfes.gov.uk/providersregister/). A list of educational establishments can be found on the DfES website.
You must also show that you are going to follow:
- a recognised full-time degree course; or
- a weekday course which involves at least 15 hours of organised daytime study per week; or
- a full time course at an independent fee-paying school.
You must also:
- be able to pay for the course and support yourself and any dependants without working or State/Government assistance;
- plan to leave the UK when you complete your studies.
NOTE: Degree students may be eligible for a work permit once they have completed their studies.
Further information can be obtained from the UK visas website www.ukvisas.gov.uk
