The Permitted Paid Engagement visa is for individuals who seek to visit the United Kingdom for a limited amount of time in order to perform certain paid work without being sponsored through the points-based immigration system.
Requirements
- You must be at least 18 years old to participate.
- You must establish that your visit to the UK will be brief — less than one month.
- You must intend to leave the UK after your visit and demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of your return or subsequent journey.
- You must show that you have enough money to support and house yourself without relying on government assistance.
Activities that are permissible while on a paid engagement visa
- You can volunteer to serve as a student examiner or assessor.
- As a highly qualified scholar, you can serve on selection committees for the educational, arts, or research organizations to which you have been invited.
- You may provide lectures as long as you are not employed in an official teaching capacity.
- You can evaluate pilots stationed in the United Kingdom to ensure they meet the standards of the country from which you originate, upon invitation from an approved United Kingdom training organization controlled by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.
- You can practice law in a specific field of the law.
- You can engage in artistic, entertainment, or sporting endeavors, as well as broadcasting.
- You can participate in assignments as a fashion model.
Activities that are not permitted on a visa for paid engagements.
- You are not permitted to perform paid work at home that is unrelated to your primary job or area of expertise or to sell items, except as permitted by your visa.
- This visa cannot be extended or changed.
- You are not permitted to stay in the UK for a lengthy period of time.
- You are not eligible for public funds.
- You are unable to study.
- You are prohibited from marrying or registering a civil partnership, or from giving notice of marriage or civil partnership.
- You are unable to obtain private medical treatment.
- Family members (‘dependents’) may not accompany you on your application; they must apply individually.
Documentation requirements
If you desire to apply for a visa for allowed paid engagement, you must possess the following documentation:
- Evidence of your ability to sustain yourself throughout your journey, such as bank statements or pay slips for the previous six months.
- Details about your intended lodging and travel arrangements: You should not pay for lodging or travel until you have your visa.
- An official invitation from the organization or authority that will compensate you.
- Evidence showing the compensated engagement is related to your knowledge, credentials, and primary work in your home country, for example, a letter from your employer.
Extension
Your stay in the UK is limited to less than one month. This visa cannot be extended.
Please be aware that upon expiration of your visa, you will be compelled to depart the United Kingdom. If you remain in the UK after your visa expires, you will be labeled an “over stayer.” This may have a negative effect on your immigration record and is likely to influence future applications for UK immigration. This could result in you being barred from re-entering the United Kingdom for an extended length of time.
Appeal Process
Applicants for a visa to enter the UK on an approved paid engagement visa may be denied.
There is no appeal process available against an Entry Clearance Officer’s refusal of a permitted paid visa application. As a result, we urge applicants who have been denied a visa to obtain legal advice on the proper procedure for submitting a new application.
In the event of a visa refusal for a permitted paid engagement, the only court option is Judicial Review. This is where a judge considers the legality of a Home Office decision or action in the High Court. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us to schedule a consultation.
Henleaze Law Service
We can assist you with the procedure for submitting an application for a permitted paid engagement visa and discuss the merits of your application. We can advise you on the evidence that will be required to support your application for entry
