Oct 31, 2023 By visaandmigration.com

Things to Know about Permitted Paid Engagement Visa

You need a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor Visa to come to the UK if you have been invited by a UK organization or client – as a professional artist, entertainer, or musician, professional sports person, qualified lawyer to represent a client, give lectures or as an academic or air pilot examiner or assessor expert.

This visa allows you to visit the UK for up to 1 month and does not allow you to extend your visa. This visa does not lead to settlement in the UK. You are not allowed to switch to another visa from this category inside the UK.

Here are some important things to know about a Permitted Paid Engagement Visa.

Only Visa Nationals need a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor Visa

If you are a non-visa national then you do not need a visa to enter the UK only you need a permitted paid engagement visitor visa to enter the UK. The Home Office has published a list of nationalities that require applying for a UK visitor visa such as a permitted paid engagement visitor visa before travelling to the UK. Non-visa nationals can normally seek entry as a visitor on arrival in the UK.

1. Roles that Qualify as a ‘Permitted Paid Engagement’

You can be invited to the UK by a UK-based organization or client on a permitted paid engagement visa only for the roles mentioned below:

Professional artist, entertainer, or musician
Professional sportsperson
Qualified lawyer - to provide advocacy, arbitration, or some other form of dispute resolution
Lecturer - to give a lecture or series of lectures in your subject area
Academic - to be a student examiner or assessor
Pilot examiner – to asses UK-based pilots, to ensure they meet the national aviation regulatory requirements of other countries

2. General Requirements of the Visa

You must meet the following eligibility requirements to be able to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor Visa:

You have been formally invited by a UK-based organization or client
Your paid engagement must be related directly to your expertise, qualification, and main job in your home country
You are from a country that is not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
You must be 18 or above
You must be visiting the UK for not more than 1 month
You must leave the country at the end of your visit
You will be able to support yourself during the visit or someone else will fund you for the same
You have the funds to pay for your return or onward journey or someone else will fund you for the same
You have no intention to live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home

3. What are the Documents Required?

You must have the following documents in place to be able to apply for a permitted paid engagement visitor visa:

Your passport or valid travel document;
A formal written invitation from a UK-based organization or client you will be paid in the UK or not paid in the UK

4. What You Can Do in the UK on Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor Visa

Depending on your expertise and what is allowed as being qualified as permitted paid engagement you can do the following in the UK on a permitted paid engagement visitor visa: