Domestic Worker Visa – UK Visa & Immigration & Study, Visit, Work Permit

The Domestic Worker Visa is for foreign domestic workers entering the UK to work in a private household. Domestic workers include nannies, cleaners, cooks, drivers, cleaners and those who provide personal care to the employer and his family. You do not need a job offer before applying for the domestic worker visa.

Domestic Worker Visa Overview

The Foreign Domestic Worker Visa allows foreign domestic workers to come to the UK on a temporary basis to carry out certain domestic jobs for your employer.

With this visa you will be able to stay in the UK for up to 6 months.
To apply you must meet certain eligibility criteria, such as having worked for your employer for at least one year before the date of your application.

Domestic worker occupations eligible for this visa include the following:

Cleaners
Drivers
Cooks
Those who provide personal care to the employer and his family
Tate

Who is eligible for a domestic worker visa in the UK?

You are eligible for a UK domestic worker visa if:

You live outside the UK.
You are a domestic worker in a private family.
You have worked for that employer for at least 12 months.
You are at least 19 years old.
Work in the same family as your employer.
Plan to leave the UK after six months.
You can support yourself without needing public funds.

You can demonstrate that you meet the English language requirements*. You can do this via:

Passing an English language test with at least B1 level of the CEFR.
Have an academic qualification taught in English and recognized by Ecctis as equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD.
Your employer must be:
•A British citizen who ordinarily lives outside the UK and who does not plan to remain in the UK for more than six months.
A foreign national who comes to the UK on a visit and who does not plan to stay in the UK for more than six months.

*You are exempt from the English language requirement if you are from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, St Lucia, Australia, Canada, Jamaica St Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, Dominica, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago , Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, United States.

Documents required for UK domestic worker visa

You need to prepare the following documents to apply for the UK domestic worker visa:

Your original, valid passport with a blank page or other travel identification document.
A domestic worker declaration in the appendix completed and signed by you and your employer.
A letter from your employer stating your job title, the length of time you have worked for them and that you are a permanent employee.
Bank statements or other proof that you can support yourself during your stay.
One of the following documents relating to the same period of work:
Bank statements or pay stubs showing income payments.
Confirmation of tax paid.
Confirmation of paid health insurance.
Work contract.
Work visa, residence permit or equivalent passport endorsement for the country in which you currently work at your employer.
Visas or equivalent passport endorsement if you have already traveled with your employer.

Note: The list of required documents will be presented to you during the visa application. Additional documents may be required depending on the circumstances.

You must provide a certified translation of documents that are not in Welsh or English.

How can I renew my Overseas Domestic Worker Visa from the UK?

You will only be eligible to apply for a domestic worker visa renewal from within the UK if you applied for your original visa before 5 April 2012. At that time, the overseas domestic worker visa was called a domestic worker visa in a private family.

A successful application will allow you to add extended periods of 12 months to your visa. To be eligible to extend your stay in the UK on a Domestic Worker Visa, the following must apply:
You must be a full-time domestic worker (e.g. a family nanny) in a private household
You must meet the UK’s national minimum wage regulations
You must have applied for your original visa before April 5, 2012
You must have lived continuously in the UK
You must apply from the UK
Your employer must provide evidence of their intention to continue your employment
You and your employer must provide a signed Domestic Worker Declaration Appendix.
To apply for a visa extension, youneed to visit the Gov.uk website and follow the application instructions. You can extend the work visa for your children aged 18 and under, together with your spouse.

The cost of an extended 12-month visa periods is £1,048.

How long is the processing time for the foreign domestic worker visa?

After submitting your Overseas Domestic Worker Visa application, you can wait up to 3 weeks to receive approval of your visa application. If your visa application is refused, you can appeal to the Court of First Instance at the Chamber of Immigration and Asylum. Once you have lodged your appeal, you can expect to receive a response from the court within 28 days of submission.

If you need your visa sooner than 3 weeks, you can choose to pay for expedited services. Your employer should cover this expense. The fast-track visa fee is £500 and means you can receive your visa decision within 5 working days.

How to apply for the High Potential Individual Visa?

Follow the steps below to apply for the High Potential Individual Visa:

Apply online. You must apply via the link on the Home Office webpage. You will need to select where you will live in the UK once you arrive, your passport and select the visa application center in your country where you will send your biometric information.
Upload the required documents in the online application form. You can scan documents or photograph them. When you upload photos of documents, they must be PNG, JPG, JPEG, or PDF. A list of required documents will be displayed on the online application platform.
Book an appointment at the visa application center. You must make an appointment to provide your biometric data (photo and fingerprints). You can find the VAC closest to you by checking the Find a Visa Application Center section on the UK Government website.
Pay the required fees. If you cannot pay your taxes online, you must go to the nearest visa application center.
Provide additional documents. If you have been asked to provide supporting documents, you can bring them to your appointment or upload them online.

What happens after I apply?

After applying for the High Potential Individual Visa, you will receive a response on whether your application has been approved. If you receive a positive response, you will get:

A sticker that is added to your passport (if you have provided your biometric information at a visa application centre).
Access to view your immigration status information online if you use the smartphone app to prove your identity.

Can I bring my family members with me on a foreign domestic worker visa?

You can take your children and spouse with domestic worker visa abroad. However, your family must register as dependents and submit a separate application form.

What is a domestic worker?

A domestic worker works in a private household providing personal care, carrying out domestic work and working in the same household as the employer for at least the national minimum wage. Nannies, health aides, drivers, housekeepers and gardeners are all examples of domestic workers.

Why might my visa application be rejected?

If your visa application is rejected, the immigration authority will provide you with a legal reason for the decision. Commonly, visa applications are rejected due to failure to provide proper documentation, failure to meet eligibility requirements, and criminal records.

Can you enter the UK without a visa?

If you are a British or Irish citizen, you do not need a visa to enter the UK. However, if this does not apply, you must obtain a visa, work permit or study visa to enter and live in the UK.

What is the Appendix Statement on Domestic Workers?

The Domestic Worker Declaration Appendix is a form that you and your employer must complete and sign when applying for a foreign domestic worker visa.

Signatories are asked to confirm details such as the following:

The start date and nature of the employment relationship
Salary
Accommodation
Health provisions