UK Visa & Immigration Notice

Our UK Visa and Immigration support for charity workers was suspended due to ongoing issues and has now ended. We previously provided this service but no longer offer it following changes in UK government regulations.

What Was the Charity Worker Route?

What Was the Charity Worker Route?

The Charity Worker route was for overseas nationals who wished to come to the UK to carry out unpaid work for a charitable organisation for up to 12 months.

To sponsor a worker, an organisation had to hold a valid sponsor licence for the route on which they intended to sponsor them. If the relevant licence was not already held, it had to be applied for and granted before sponsorship could take place.

Person using a stamp on paperwork

Temporary Worker Routes – Charity Worker

This route allowed individuals to come to the UK to do voluntary work with a charitable organisation for no more than 12 months.

When a sponsor was granted a licence, significant trust was placed in them. With this trust came a direct responsibility to act in accordance with UK immigration laws, all parts of the sponsor guidance, and wider UK law. This included:

  • Compliance with UK employment law, including payment of the National Minimum Wage, holiday and sick pay, maximum working hours, health and safety, and trade union and worker rights.
  • Preventing illegal working.
  • Safeguarding children.

Applying for a Licence

A valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) had to be assigned to the worker to enable them to make a successful application for permission to enter or remain in the UK.

Organisations had to pay a fee for each CoS assigned. If they were sponsoring a Skilled Worker or a Senior or Specialist Worker, they also normally had to pay the Immigration Skills Charge for each worker sponsored.