A1.42 Charity Worker Visa¶
Charity Worker visa (Temporary Work) (September 2025)
Official application link: https://www.gov.uk/temporary-worker-charity-worker-visa
Purpose of the visa: For applicants who wish to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity in the UK.
Core Requirements:
Must be sponsored by a UK charity officially recognised by the Home Office.
Must meet the other eligibility requirements.
Visa History: This visa has replaced the former T5 (Temporary Worker) Charity Worker visa.
About Sponsorship
Essential Requirement: You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK licensed sponsor (a charity) before you apply.
Relevance of Work: Your voluntary work in the UK must be related to the sponsor organisation's charitable purposes.
Application Timeline & Decision
Earliest Application Date: You can apply up to 3 months before the start date of your UK work stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
Decision Waiting Times:
Applying from outside the UK: Usually within 3 weeks.
Applying from inside the UK: Usually within 8 weeks.
Expedited Service: You may be able to pay for a faster decision.
Fees & Financial Requirements
Application Fee: £319 per person (inside or outside the UK).
Healthcare Surcharge: Usually £1,035 per person per year.
Proof of Personal Funds: The main applicant typically needs to show they have at least £1,270 in personal savings.
The money must have been held for 28 consecutive days. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.
Exemptions:
You have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months at the date of application.
Your sponsor confirms on your Certificate of Sponsorship that they will cover your costs up to £1,270 for your first month.
Visa Validity, Rights & Restrictions
Length of Stay: Up to 12 months, or the time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus up to 14 days, whichever is shorter.
Earliest Entry: You can arrive in the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.
Permitted Activities:
Do unpaid voluntary work for your sponsor charity, as described in your Certificate of Sponsorship.
Study (some courses require an ATAS certificate).
Undertake a second voluntary job in the same charitable sector and at the same level, for up to 20 hours per week.
Bring your eligible partner and children as dependants.
Prohibited Activities:
Receive any payment for your work (this is a core restriction).
Take a permanent full-time job.
Access public funds.
Eligibility to Apply
Core Requirements:
Certificate of Sponsorship: You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship reference number from your sponsor.
Sufficient Funds: You must have at least £1,270 in personal savings (unless exempt).
Age Requirement: You must be 18 or over when you apply.
Important Restriction: You cannot apply for this visa if you have held a Charity Worker visa or a Religious Worker visa in the last 12 months, unless you can prove you were outside the UK for the entire period since your last visa expired.
Sponsor's Responsibility: Your job must meet the UK's relevant employment laws.
Certificate of Sponsorship Validity: It is valid for 3 months from the date it is issued to you.
Required Documents
Core Document Checklist:
Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number.
A valid passport or other travel document.
Proof of your personal funds (e.g., bank statements, unless your sponsor is supporting you).
Proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they are applying with you.
A tuberculosis (TB) test result if applicable.
Translation Requirement: Any documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation.
Application Process
How to Apply: You must apply online.
Identity Verification:
Use the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app to scan your identity document; or
Attend a visa application centre to have your fingerprints and photograph taken.
In-Country Application Restriction: You can only apply from inside the UK if you are extending your current Charity Worker visa.
Your Partner and Children
Dependant Definition: Your spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner (must prove relationship e.g., cohabitation for 2+ years), and children under 18.
Financial Requirement (in addition to the main applicant's £1,270):
Partner: £285
First child: £315
Each additional child: £200
How to Apply: Dependants must submit separate applications and pay the associated fees. They will need your main application number.
Dependant Rights: Can work in the UK (except as a professional sportsperson or coach), study, and travel in and out of the UK. They cannot access public funds.
Children Born in the UK: Do not automatically become British citizens. If you need to travel in and out of the UK with your child, you must apply for a dependant visa for them and provide their UK birth certificate showing both parents' names.
Extending Your Visa
Eligibility: You must still meet all the eligibility requirements and apply from inside the UK before your current visa expires.
Maximum Total Stay: You cannot stay in the UK for more than 12 months in total on this visa, or the time on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days (whichever is shorter).
Decision Waiting Time: Usually within 8 weeks.
Important Considerations
Unpaid Work: The core requirement of this visa is that the work must be unpaid voluntary work. You cannot receive any form of salary or payment for your work. This is the fundamental difference from other temporary work visas.
Sponsoring Organisation: You must be sponsored by a UK charity officially recognised by the Home Office.
Strict Cooling-Off Period: Those who have held this visa or a Religious Worker visa in the last 12 months are generally not eligible to apply again.
Total Time Limit: Regardless of extensions, the maximum total time you can stay in the UK on this visa is 12 months.
Limited Part-Time Work Permitted: You can do a second unpaid voluntary job in the same charitable field, but it is subject to hourly restrictions.
Strict Financial Requirements: As the work is unpaid, you must fully demonstrate that you have sufficient personal savings to support yourself in the UK.