What is a UK Domestic Worker Visa?

Amended rules for domestic workers came into effect from 6 April 2012.

Overseas employers are allowed to bring their domestic workers in a private household with them when they visit the UK for up to 6 months. A domestic worker should have worked for his or her employer for at least a year before applying for a visa.

Domestic Worker Visa Requirements

As a domestic worker one must intend to work full-time in the UK the employer in a household where his/her employer will live in.

One should have a written agreement with the employer that sets out the terms and conditions of the employment.  The agreement must include that the employer will comply with UK law on the national minimum wage.

The applicant must intend to travel to the UK with:

• An employer  (or their husband, wife, civil partner or child who is also a British or EEA citizen who is a British or EEA citizen), usually living outside the UK but does not intend to stay in the UK for more than 6 months; or

• A foreign national employer (or their husband, wife, civil partner or child) who has a visa to come to the UK as a visitor.

As a domestic worker, one must also:

• be between 18 and 65 years of age; and

• intend to leave the UK at the end of prescribed period of 6 months or at the same time as the employer leaves the UK, whichever is earlier; and

• Except as a domestic worker for the employer one should not intend to work in the UK; and

• One shall in no case depend on public funds and should be able to support himself.

Requirement at the time of applying for visa:

• An undertaking/agreement signed by your employer with specific terms and conditions of employment, which must say that that your employer will comply with UK law on the national minimum wage.

The category of domestic workers includes cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, those providing personal care for the employer or a member of the employer's family, and nannies. As a domestic worker one must confine to work in his/her employer's household only while in the UK.

As a domestic worker one will be given permission to stay in the UK for up to 6 months only. At the end of the specified period of 6 months or when employer returns home (whichever is earlier) one must leave the UK. Thereafter no permission will be granted in any circumstances.

As a domestic worker one is not permitted to change his/her employer while in the UK or change to a different type of employment. The domestic worker cannot bring the dependants with them but they may apply to come here in their own right, like as visitors.