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FAQ about working in UK

The following provides answers to the most 'frequently asked questions' relating to Work Permit applications.

What are the different kinds of permit for?
Different kinds of permit for work permit applications are :
  • Business and Commercial Work Permit
  • Training and Work Experience Scheme
  • Sports and Entertainments
  • Student Internship
  • General Agreement on Trade in Services
People from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) are recruited from the employers through the Business and Commercial Work Permit, they are filling the vacancy that may otherwise be filled by a 'resident worker'. Those who are applying for Business and Commercial work permits require Multiple Entry Work Permits and they should use form WP1 and for changes of employment' or use form WP1X for extensions to existing work permits. For Sponsored Researchers use the form SR1 to apply for new, change of employment and extension applications.
People who are from outside EEA need the Training and Work Experience Scheme to undertake work-based training for a professional or specialist qualification, or a period of work experience. When applying for Training and Work Experience work permits use form WP1 and for changes of employment or use WP1X for extensions to existing work permits.
The Sports and Entertainments arrangements allow employers in this country to employ established sportspeople, entertainers, cultural artists and some technical/support people from outside the EEA. Please use form WP3 when applying for Sports and Entertainments work permits, Multiple Entry Work Permits and for changes of employment or use WP3X for extensions to existing work permits.
The Student Internship arrangements allow students from outside the EEA studying first or higher degree courses overseas to undertake an internship with an employer in this country. Please use form WPSI when making an Internship application. Please see the 'Student Internship guidance for employer' (Student Internship (notes)) for further details.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services arrangements allow employees of companies that are based outside the European Union to work in the UK on a service contract awarded to their employer by a UK-based organisation. This is a special and exceptional arrangement within the normal work permit rules made under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The company abroad that is contracted to provide the service needs to apply using the application form GATS-A. Please see the 'Guidance notes for employers on how to apply for a General Agreement on Trade in Services work permit' (GATSA (notes), and associated guidance in GATSB (notes) if necessary) for further details.
People from outside the EEA are recruited under Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) to fill vacancies that they are unable to fill with 'resident workers'. This works currently in the hospitality and food manufacturing sectors. SBS only covers only those posts that are recognized as hard to fill by work permits (UK). These are specified in the Sectors Based Scheme Guidance. The business and commercial arrangements specified in the guidance notes are at a level would not meet the skills criteria, but the same has been identified as hard to fill in the UK. The SBS is quota based.
Please use form SB1 when applying for an SBS work permit or a change of employment under these arrangements or form SB1X for an extension to an existing work permit. Please see the 'Guidance notes for employers on how to apply for a Sectors Based Scheme work permit' (Sectors Based Scheme (notes)) available on this website using the 'All Forms' link on the right hand side of this page.
You can download our Highly Skilled Migrant Guidelines and application form from this website using the 'All Forms' link on the right hand side of this page.
Alternatively, you can request a copy to be posted to you by calling our Distribution Centre on 08705 210 224.
Only UK-based employers are allowed to make application of permits on behalf of the person they wish to employ. Within the current arrangements there is no provision for individuals to apply on their own behalf.
Your employers should apply for TWES permit if you are to be additional to your normal staffing levels. Your employer should apply for B&T work permit if you are to fill actual; vacancy within the organization.
Based on the specific qualifications or skills work permits are normally issued only for full time posts. This could be either: - a UK degree level qualification, an Higher National Diploma (HND) level occupational qualification, or a general HND level qualification plus one year's relevant work experience; or a minimum of three years' experience using specialist skills at National/Scottish Vocational Qualification (N/SVQ) level 3 or above.
For the consideration of a work permit there is a fee of £153. An application for Further Leave to Remain on an FLR (IED) form sent by post costs £335. However, the applicant can apply in-person at the Croydon PEO and pay the premium service fee of £500.
A Business and Commercial Work Permit can be issued for up to 5 years. A Sector-Based Permit can only be issued for a maximum of 12 months.

Is this job classed as a shortage occupation under the Business and Commercial rules?

What is the application procedure to employ an overseas national who is already in the UK?
  1. The employer submits a work permit application on the appropriate form. For the Business and Commercial Work Permit this is a WP1 form and there is a £153 administration fee.
  2. Once approval against the work permit criteria has been given the individual must then apply to vary their (and any dependant's) leave to remain if they are residing in the UK. This must be done using form FLR (IED), enclosing the appropriate fee (£335 for postal service) and documents relevant to the application. The individuals' passport and those of any dependants must be sent with the FLR (IED) to be endorsed. However, the individual can apply in-person at the Croydon PEO and pay the premium service fee of £500.
Please be aware that only overseas nationals in the following categories will be allowed to switch on to a work permit from within the UK:
  • a student and have successfully graduated on a degree course; or
  • a postgraduate doctor or dentist or trainee general practitioner; or
  • a student nurse; or
  • a working holidaymaker who has been in the UK at least twelve months.
  1. The employer submits a work permit application on the appropriate form. For the Business and Commercial Work Permit this is a WP1 form and there is a £153 administration fee.
  2. Once approval against the work permit has been given the individual (and any dependants) will be required to apply for entry clearance at a British Diplomatic Post before travelling to the UK.
Work permit holders who have a permit for 6 months or less are not required to obtain this entry clearance unless they are a visa national. However Work Permits (UK) encourages all work permit holders to obtain entry clearance.
If you have been issued with a new work permit you cannot start working under the conditions of that permit until you have been granted Further Leave to Remain (FLR) to do so. However, you may work while the FLR (IED) form is being processed if you have valid leave to remain in an immigration category that allows you to do so.
For example:
If you are residing in the UK on a Working Holiday Maker Visa or a Permit-Free Training Visa, you can continue to work in the UK until a decision is made on your FLR as long as the FLR(IED) form is received before the expiry date of your visa.
If you are a work permit holder and you are changing employer? you cannot start work for your new employer until both the new work permit and FLR have been granted. This is because work permits only give the holder the right to work for the employer named on the work permit and therefore, you do not have permission to work for your new employer until leave to remain has been granted on you new IED (Work Permit).
Please do not send passports with the work permit application. Passports must only be submitted with the application for Further Leave to Remain on the FLR (IED) form (that is after the work permit decision has been made).
Please send the work permits application form to our payment processing site at:
Work Permits (UK)
P.O. Box 551
Doncaster
DN1 1XU
Applications for Further Leave to Remain should be sent to:
Work Permits (UK) - FLR(IED)
Home Office
Walsall Road
Cannock
WS11 0JA
Since work permits are issued for a named person to do a particular job for a specific employer, the new employer will need to get approval from us by applying for a new work permit before the Overseas National can start work. All our application forms and accompanying guidance notes are available to UK-based employers by downloading them from this website. Alternatively they can be obtained from our distribution centre by phoning 08705 210 224.
For most changes of employment applications we will already have details of the person, so you do not need to send evidence of their qualifications and experience.
Once approval against the work permit criteria has been given the individual must apply to vary their leave to remain. This must be done using form FLR (IED), enclosing the appropriate fee of £335.00 and documents relevant to the application. The individuals' passport and those of any dependants must be sent with the FLR (IED) to be stamped.
Please be aware the individual should not commence employment until both the Work Permit and Further Leave to Remain has been granted.
The procedure, which needs to be followed by people who want to do work which is supplementary to that for which their current permit was issued, is outlined below.
Supplementary employment arrangements apply to overseas nationals who already have a work permit, but who want to take on additional work to that which their permit was issued for. Under these circumstances they may do so without further permission from Work Permits (UK) provided that the work:
  • is outside of their normal working hours;
  • is no more than 20 hours per week;
  • is in the same profession and at the same professional level for which the holder's work permit was issued; and
  • is not employed by a recruitment agency, employment agency or similar business, which provides personnel to a client.
For example, a nurse who has a work permit to work for an NHS Trust and wishes to take up supplementary employment with a nursing recruitment agency would not be allowed to do so as we do not approve work permits for such agencies.
Any supplementary employment undertaken must be in a post that would meet our work permit issuing criteria; i.e. if an overseas national takes up supplementary employment in a post for which we would not normally approve a work permit, then they are in breach of their immigration conditions.
The work permit holder is not allowed to enter self-employment, set up a business or join another business as a director or partner. If a work permit holder wishes to be self-employed or set up a business they will need to apply to the Home Office (Immigration and Nationality Directorate) for the appropriate permission to do so. Please note however that if this permission is granted this will invalidate any current work permit.
We can only extend an Sector Based Scheme (SBS) permit up to the maximum 12 months allowed. At the end of these 12 months the overseas national will be expected to leave the UK and they will not be eligible to re-enter the UK on any further SBS permits until they have completed a period of at least two months outside the UK. (i.e. there must be a two month gap between the day an individual who has been in the UK as an SBS permit holder leaves the UK, and the day they re-enter as the holder of another SBS permit).
The spouse, unmarried partner and children of a work permit holder may be admitted to the United Kingdom as the dependants of a work permit holder. The spouse/unmarried partner will be given conditions of stay, which do not place any restrictions, other than those that would apply to a resident worker, on their taking employment or engaging in business.
Therefore, a dependant of a work permit holder is free to work in the UK as long as the endorsement in their passport places no restriction on their employment here.
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