UK Work-related Training Visit Visa: Requirements

The Purpose Of The UK Work-Related Training Visit Visa

The Work-Related Training Visa is a subcategory of the Standard Visitor Visa that allows workers to enter the UK for a short period of training.

The work-related training visit visa is a specific type of visa available for graduates of medical, nursing, or dental schools. This type of visa allows these graduates to enter the UK and undertake clinical attachments, or posts as dental observers, that are relative to their qualifications.

This visa is also an option available for employers who seek to bring in overseas employees for training purposes. The training is generally classroom-based, or it would need to involve familiarisation or observation. This is a visa in the subcategory of Standard Visitor Visas. This is a visa route for those who wish to visit the UK for a short, temporary period of less than or up to six months.

This is a visa that is available for doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives, and even employees of overseas companies who wish to complete specific training that is not otherwise available in their own countries. It can also include UK visits to complete tests that will allow them to work in the UK.

Those who need to apply for this type of visa include the following:

• PLAB Test Visits: This includes international doctors who qualified overseas and are required to take Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board tests (PLAB testing) to ensure that they have the adequate knowledge needed to practise medicine inside the United Kingdom. The visa application will need to be supported by written confirmation from the General Medical Council.
• Unpaid Clinical Attachment Visits: This would include graduates from dental, nursing, or medical schools who wish to attend a specific unpaid clinical attachment or post as a dental observer in the UK.
• OSCE Visits: Nurses and midwives from overseas will need to take a test known as the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) to ensure that they have the adequate skills and qualities to start work inside the United Kingdom.
• On-site Training Visiting: This would include overseas employees who can come into the UK and learn how to use a specific piece of equipment.

Alternatively, entering the UK on a Standard Visitor Visa allows applicants to enter the UK for six months to conduct specific business activities. As the Work-Related Training Visa falls into the category of Standard Visitor Visas this should be considered as an overview.

UK Work-Related Training Visit Visa: The Permitted Activities

Applicants to the Standard Visitor Visa will be able to enter the UK for no more than six months to conduct the following types of business activities:

• The applicant can attend meetings, interviews, conferences, and seminars.
• The applicant can enter the UK to negotiate and/or sign deals and contracts.
• The applicant can attend trade fairs to promote the business but cannot sell things.
• The applicant can get work-related training if they are employed overseas and the training is not available in the home country of the business.
• The applicant can conduct site visits and/or inspections.
• The applicant can give a one-off or short series of talks as long as these are not conducted for profit or commercial events. This means that there must not be payment involved in this.
• The applicant can deliver training or share knowledge on certain internal products with UK employees of the same company that is overseas-based software,.
• The applicant can oversee the deliveries of services and goods provided by a company in the UK to the overseas organisation or company.
• The applicant can also dismantle, install, service, repair, or give advice on equipment, hardware, computer software and such if the overseas company has a contract with a company or organisation in the UK.

However, before applying, the applicant and company will also need to ensure that the applicant meets the basic eligibility requirements for this type of visa. It should also be checked to see if the applicant will need a visa to visit the UK in the first place.

The basic activities allowed on this visa type include the following:

• Tourism, such as holidaying or vacations.
• Visiting family and friends.
• Volunteering for up to 30 days with a charity registered in the UK
• Transit through the UK on the way to another country.
• Business activity such as attending interviews and meetings (see above).
• Taking part in school exchange systems
• To study, take exams, or do placements.
• To undergo medical treatments.
• As senior doctors, dentists, or academics.
• Undertake a recreational course, such as a dance course.

The activities not permitted on this visa include the following:

• You cannot conduct paid or unpaid work for a company in the UK or as a self-employed individual.
• You cannot claim public funds.
• You cannot live in the UK for extended periods through successive or frequent visits.
• You cannot marry, register for a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership (this needs to be done by applying for a Marriage Visitor Visa).

UK Work-Related Training Visit Visa Requirements

To be considered eligible for this visa type, you will need to have a passport or travel document; this document needs to be valid for the entirety of your stay in the UK.

Additionally, applicants also need to be able to prove the following:

• The applicant must be able to prove that they will leave the UK at the end of their visit.
• The applicant must be able to show proof that they will be able to support themselves and any dependents during their trip, or will at least have someone else fund the trip to support them.
• The applicant must be able to show that they can pay for their return or an onward journey, or that they have funding from someone else to pay for this.
• The applicant must be able to show proof that they will not be living in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits. They must show that they do not intend to make the UK their main home.

The Work-Related Training Visit Visa Application Fees

Applicants can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. However, if they are required to visit the UK regularly, they can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor Visa instead. The fees and periods for each visa will vary.

• Standard Visitor Visas: 6 months, £115.
• Standard Visitor Visas for Academics: 12 months, £200.
• 2-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa: 6 months per visit, £400.
• 5-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa: 6 months per visit, £771.
• 10-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa: 6 months per visit, £963.

How To Apply For Work-Related Training Visit Visa

Before applying for this visa, applicants must prepare the necessary documents needed for this type of visa. These documents include the following:

• The dates that the applicant is planning on travelling to the UK.
• The location(s) where the applicant will be residing during their visit.
• An estimate of how much the trip is likely to cost.
• The applicant’s current home address and amount of time lived there.
• Birth names and dates of birth of the applicant’s parents, if known.
• Proof of the income of the individual per annum.
• Detailing of any civil, criminal, or immigration offences committed.

Additionally, depending on the circumstances of the individual, the applicant may also need to provide the following information:

• detail of the applicant’s travel history over the past decade.
• Information regarding the address and telephone number of the applicant’s employer.
• The name of the applicant’s partner, including date of birth and passport number.
• The address and name of anyone who is paying for the trip.
• The name, passport number, and address of any family members the applicant has in the UK.
• A certificate that proves the applicant has had a TB test if they are visiting for a period of over 6 months.

The applicant can fill out the application form online and then send it off. As part of this, the applicant will also need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to have their biometrics checked and for the documents required to be proved.

• Prove identity with passport or travel documentation.
• Have fingerprints and photographs taken.
• Provide required documentation.

It can take up to three weeks to receive a decision on the visa. Depending on what country the applicant and business are based in, it may be possible to apply for a fast decision on the visa. An email or letter will confirm what the applicant needs to do next to enter the UK.

Validity Period Of The Work-Related Training Visit Visa

The validity period of the Work-Related Training Visit Visa is typically 6 months; however, applying for any of the Standard Visitor Visas does open up opportunities for extended periods. There are options for 11- or 12-month stays and even long-term visas under this visa route.

However, the Standard Visitor Visa, of which the Work Related Training Visit Visa falls as a subcategory, is traditionally only valid for six months.

How IAS Can Help With The Work-Related Training Visit Visa

Applying for a UK business visa is complex; with many different visa fees and the differences between Work-Related Training Visit Visas and business visitor visas, it is easy to get confused. It is not uncommon for businesses to enter the UK to receive training with a UK company; however, knowing how to do this and what visa is required can be very complex.

This is why it is ideal to speak with a lawyer or legal advisor before applying for a visa. It can ensure that the right visa choice is made, all documents are prepared, and the application is successful. An IAS lawyer can help walk you through the process and assist in understanding the visa category and related immigration rules.

Whether you need employees to enter the UK for business-related activities, a commercial event, internal projects, or otherwise, IAS can help. We are a team of immigration experts and can help you make the process of visa applications much smoother and easier to understand. So, give us a call today at +44 (0)333 305 9375 and get started on your visa application today.