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Fax
on Demand Ancestral
Visas Working
Holiday Visas |
| Working
Holiday Visas |
The
United Kingdom welcomes nationals of Commonwealth
countries who wish to come to the United Kingdom
as working holidaymaker's. The purpose of the
working holidaymaker scheme is to allow young
Commonwealth citizens, who do not have commitments
which require them to earn a regular wage, to
come to the UK for up to a maximum period of two
years. |
| Rules |
| To qualify as a
working holidaymaker under the Immigration Rules
you must: |
 |
be a Commonwealth citizen |
|
be aged
17 to 27 inclusive |
|
be unmarried or be married
to a person who meets the requirements as
a working holidaymaker in their own right
and the parties to the marriage intend to
take a working holiday together |
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have the means to pay for
your return or onward journey |
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be able to and intend to
maintain and accommodate yourself without
recourse to public funds |
|
intend
to take employment incidental to a working
holiday, but not engage in business, provide
services as a professional sportspersons
or entertainer or pursue a career in the
UK |
|
not
have dependant children, any of whom are
5 years of age or over or will reach 5 years
of age before you complete your working
holiday, or commitments which would require
you to earn a regular income |
|
intend
to leave the UK at the end of your working
holiday
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hold
a valid visa for entry in this capacity
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If
you have previously spent time in the UK as a
working holidaymaker, you cannot seek to he re-admitted
to the UK for a period which would exceed 2 years
from the date you were first given leave to enter
the UK as a working holidaymaker. You will still
need to meet the above requirements. |
| Employment |
A working holidaymaker
should be coming to the UK with the intention of
taking work as part of his/her holiday. A person
whose specific purpose in coming to the UK to take
full-time work will not qualify under the Immigration
Rules as a working holidaymaker. The work should
not represent a continuation of his/her career.
A person established or qualified in a profession
or vocation overseas and who intends to take a
post or appointment in the same field in the UK
will normally require a work permit for this purpose.
A working holidaymaker cannot take up managerial
positions or act as a locum hospital doctor, GP,
solicitor, barrister etc., nor as a professional
sportspersons or entertainer. |
| Study |
It is acceptable
for a working holidaymaker to engage in some part-time
study and short periods of full-time study whilst
he/she is in the UK. A working holidaymaker may
not engage in full-time study for the whole period
of his/her stay since he/she cannot be accepted
as intending to take employment incidental to a
holiday.
It is not possible to switch to working holidaymaker
status if you already in the UK in another capacity
(for example as a visitor or student) |
| How to apply |
|
You need to complete
the steps below to apply for entry clearance as
a working holidaymaker: |
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Completed and signed application form IM2A
and form,WHQ (Additional Questionnaire)
|
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Your
valid passport (preferably with at least
6 month's validity, plus your previous passport
if the current one was issued in the past
year.) |
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Two passport-size photographs |
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Evidence
of funds (e.g. your recent and current bank
statements) to show how much money is available
to you and under your control in the United
Kingdom. |
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If you
are in employment please provide written
evidence
|
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If
you are a student please provide written
evidence |
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Your contact address and
telephone number in this country |
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Application
fee: Payment must be made in cash or postal
orders. Cheques are not accepted. Fees are
not refundable and applications will not
be processed until the correct fee has been
received. |
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If married,
full original unabridged marriage certificate
(B1-36)
|
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You should not buy
a ticket if delay or refusal of your visa application
will result in financial loss. The visa officer
may ask you for other documents : production of
those listed above does not guarantee that entry
clearance will be issued.
Note
: Temporary passports are not acceptable
for visa purposes by the British High Commission.
|
| Additional Information
|
You must be unmarried or married to a person who
meets the requirements as a working holidaymaker
in his/her own right and the parties to the marriage
must intend taking a working holiday together.
The entry clearance officer may want to interview
you in connection with your application. The maximum
period permitted for entry in this category is
2 years.
If you are originally granted entry for less than
that period, you may be allowed to extend your
stay, but the extension will not take your stay
beyond 2 years from the date of your first entry.
For the purposes of working holidaymaker's full-time
work is more than 25 hours a week. Please note
that part time employment is permissible for the
holiday period, but that full-time has to be restricted
to no more than part of the holiday. An entry
clearance (which is like a visa and endorsed in
the passport) must be obtained prior to traveling
to the United Kingdom for this purpose.
You may not engage in business, provide services
as a professional sportspersons or entertainer
or pursue a career. Also, you must not have commitments
which require you to earn a regular income. |
| Customs and
Excise |
Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) |
Advice
on importing personal effects and goods
into the UK may be obtained from: |
The IAS is an independent charity that gives
free and confidential advice, assistance
and representation to persons who are applying
for entry clearance for the UK. |
HM
Customs and Excise
Dorset House
Stamford Street
London
SEI 9PY |
Count
House
190
Great Dover Street
London
SEI 4YB |
| |
Phone : 0944
207 357 6917 |
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Duty Office
(24hrs) : 0944 208 814 1559 |
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Fax : 0944 207 378 0665
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