Government Authorised Exchange Visa

When applying for your Government Authorised Exchange visa you will also be expected to submit a number of documents to prove that you meet the visa requirements. The documents that you will need include:

• A valid passport or another national identity document, you will also need a blank page on your passport for your visa
• Your certificate of sponsorship reference number
• Evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself, this could include bank statements
• Your tuberculosis test results if you are from a country where you have to take the test
• A valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher

If you are planning to bring any dependent relatives with you to the UK such as your partner or children then you will also need to provide documents proving your relationship with them.

All documents submitted must be in either English or Welsh, if your documents are in another language then you will need to provide a certified translation of them.

The Government Authorised Exchange Visa is a Temporary Worker Visa that allows you to participate in work experience, training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship whilst in the UK. These activities must be part of an approved scheme.

This visa also allows you to do some activities outside of the job described on your Certificate of Sponsorship, this includes studying and taking on a second job outside of your main job. However, you cannot take on a permanent job whilst in the UK, you can only take on a second job on a part-time basis for up to 20 hours per week.

You also cannot access public funds as a Government Authorised Exchange visa holder.

You could be eligible to apply for the Government Authorised Exchange visa if you plan to come to the UK for a short period of time to do work experience, training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through one of the schemes approved by the UK government.

As well as being accepted onto an approved scheme there are several other eligibility requirements that you will need to meet, you must:

• Be over the age of 18
• Hold a Certificate of Sponsorship from a registered UK sponsor
• Prove that you have enough money to support yourself whilst in the UK, you will need to show that you have at least £1,270 available in your bank account for at least 28 days in a row within 31 days of your visa application

You can be exempt from the financial requirement if you have already been in the UK for at least 12 months on a valid visa or if your employer agrees to cover your costs during your first month in the UK.

The application fee for the Government Authorised Exchange Visa is £259.

As well as the application fee you will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is usually £624 per year. If you are bringing family members with you will also need to pay separate application fees and Health Surcharge fees for them.

Processing times for this visa may depend on a variety of factors, such as if the Home Office need extra time to verify your information or if you need to attend an appointment at a visa application centre. However, once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your required documents, you’ll normally receive a decision on your visa within 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re applying to switch to this visa from inside the UK.

Extending your visa

You can apply to extend your visa if you’re already in the UK on a valid Government Authorised Exchange visa. In order to be eligible, you must:

• Still meet all the eligibility criteria for the visa
• Still have a valid visa that is not expired

After extending your visa, you’ll be able to stay in the UK for either a further:

• 12 months, if you’re doing work experience, or
• 24 months, if you’re doing research, training or an Overseas Government Language Programme

You can also stay for the length of time on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.

Note that if you wish to change your sponsor, you must apply for a new visa again.

Switching to this visa

You may be able to switch to a Government Authorised Exchange visa if you’re eligible.

You can apply if you’re any of the following:

• A student, such as if you’re studying, resitting an examination or writing a thesis
• A student union sabbatical officer
• A student nurse
• A postgraduate doctor or dentist
• A Student visa holder (including Tier 4)

You must have also completed a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree during your last grant of leave.

You must also ensure that the work, training or research you wish to do in the UK is related to your UK degree, such as the following:

• A postgraduate training or work experience that will give you a professional qualification or registration in the same field
• An internship for up to 12 months that’s related to your degree