The Permitted Paid Engagement visa was a short-term UK visa that has been replaced and included under the UK standard visitor visa from February 2024, which is a part of Appendix V of the Immigration Rules. The visa is required for visa nationals. You no longer need to apply for a separate UK-permitted paid engagement visa. You can apply for a UK standard visitor visa and take part in a permitted paid engagement, which is the same as the previous “UK Permitted Paid Engagement” visa, provided you meet the requirements.
This visa, which is now merged with the UK standard visitor visa, allows you to enter and participate in an activity that you have expertise in. You can be paid to actively engage in the UK for any “permitted paid activities.”. Under the UK Permitted Paid Engagement, you can apply for a short-term activity in the UK for 6 months, but your engagement must be done in the first month itself. The visa is not a route to “settlement,” and you must leave the UK at the end of your visit.
Apart from being an expert in the paid activity and having an invitation from a UK-based organization or client, you have to fulfill the requirements of a UK Standard Visitor Visa, which are the following:
You must have a written paid invitation from a UK-based organization or client for a pre- arranged event for which you are coming to the UK. You must be 18 years of age or older and demonstrate that you are in a full-time profession overseas and you have expertise in the activity for which you have been invited to the UK.
You can be invited by related UK-based organizations:
You must have an invitation from a UK-based creative organization, such as a gallery, university arts faculty, school or events venue, agent or agency, or a broadcaster.
You must have an invitation from a UK-based sports organization that organizes or hosts sporting events or matches, a sports agent or agency, or a broadcaster.
You must have an invitation from a UK-based client providing them advocacy service in the UK at a court or tribunal hearing, arbitration, or other form of legal dispute resolution.
You must have an invitation from a higher education institution, research organization, or arts organization, such as a museum, theater, art gallery, arts festival, or other arts venue.
You must have an invitation to speak from a conference organizer or a seminar organizer in the UK.
You must have an invitation from a UK higher education institution or a UK-based research or arts organization to examine or assess students.
You must have an invitation from a UK-based approved training organization to examine UK-based air pilots or chair the air pilots selection panel.
You should note that this is not a work visa that allows applicants to take employment in the UK for more than 6 months. Under UK permitted paid engagements, you can only enter the UK for activities permitted under the visa. You must have your full-time profession overseas in the same area. You should be an expert in your area of work, and you must also prove your expertise.
You cannot do any temporary or permanent type of work in the UK. The pre-arranged event you have been invited to must be over within 30 days of your entry into the UK, although you can enter the UK multiple times for the same purpose during the 6-month visa validity.
You will have to apply online for a UK standard visitor visa. You can apply for a UK standard visitor visa not more than 3 months before your intended plan to travel to the UK. You should not book flight tickets until your visa is approved.
You must mention in your UK standard visitor visa application that your purpose of coming to the UK is to participate in a "permitted paid engagement" and nothing else. You must also
mention which activity you have been paid for and invited to.
You may be called for a visa interview at a local visa application center to prove your identity or submit necessary documents.
Like any other visa application, when you apply for a standard visitor visa (permitted paid engagement), you need to submit certain necessary documents. The list of those documents, which includes but is not limited to, is given here.
You may have to submit additional documents depending on your circumstances.
The UK-permitted paid engagement visa application fee is currently £115. This fee is subject to change. So, you should check before you apply.
Once you have filled out your application, submitted your documents, and provided your biometric information, you should usually receive a decision on your visa application within 3 weeks.
However, if you want a faster decision, you can avail of "priority” service (decision usually within 5 working days) or "super priority" service (decision usually on the next working day). To avail these services, you need to pay an additional amount over and above the visa application fee.
Before you apply for a UK standard visitor visa under UK-permitted paid engagement, you must understand what the requirements are for this visa and how you can apply for it successfully. Our expert lawyer helps you understand whether this visa is right for you, how you can fulfill the requirements of this visa, what documents you should collect, and if any issue arises, then helps in handling it.
For further queries, you can reach out to us on 02034111261.
