Minister of Religion Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 Minister of Religion |
There are five categories of Skilled Worker applicants who will require a sponsorship certificate from their sponsors in order to make a visa applications in line with the certificate:- Skilled Worker Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 (General) Minister of Religion Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 (Minister of Religion) Sportsperson Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 (Sportsperson) Intra-Company Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Health and Care Worker Visa (formerly known as TIER 2 (Health and Care Visa)
You can apply for leave to enter or remain in this category if you have been offered employment or a role within your faith community in the UK as: a minister of religion; a missionary or a member of a religious order. Minister of Religion VisaThe applicants are required to score at least 70 points in total to successfully apply for the required visa and they can claim the following points under the heads of Attributes, English Language and Maintenance:- The Home Office will now check that applicants are genuine and that they intend to meet the conditions of the leave they apply for. I AttributesInitial Applications The applicant has to score 50 points under this section by having a valid certificate of sponsorship from his or her sponsor. The certificate can only be granted once the Resident Labour Market Test requirements have been met. The applicant must provide an official letter from the sponsor with the application, which must give an outline of the duties, details of remuneration, and an explanation of how the role passes the resident labour market test. Extension Applications The applicant has to score 50 points under this section by having a valid certificate of sponsorship from his or her sponsor, except that there is no Resident Labour Market Test requirement if the applicant merely wishes to continue in the same role with the same sponsor. II English LanguageFor Minister of Religion applicants, it is a requirement to provide evidence that they speak, communicate and understand English language to a certain level. This can be done in three ways:
This will score 10 points for the applicant. The following persons would also automatically score 10 points under this section:
III MaintenanceApplicants will need to score 10 points under this section. This can be possible in the following ways:
Exemptions: The following persons having leave to remain or leave to enter would automatically qualify for 10 points:
Maintenance for Dependants: The applicant will require showing an extra £630 for each of his dependants in addition to the £945 that he requires for himself or herself. The applicant’s sponsor will also be able to certify the dependants of the prospective employee for maintenance purposes. Duration of the Minister of Religion Visa
Work AllowedApplicants having leave to remain or leave to enter under the Minister of Religion Visa category would be allowed to take supplementary employment that must meet the following criteria:
In addition to the supplementary employment, applicants are also allowed to take unpaid voluntary employment. What is not allowed?Minister of Religion Visa workers are not allowed to enter self-employment, establish a business or join another business as a director or partner without obtaining further permission from the Home Office. They are also not allowed to hold more than 10% shares in the company they are working for. Please note that this restriction is not placed on those workers who are working for a Partnership or Sole Proprietor business. Switching RulesThe following persons are able to switch into one of the above categories of the Worker Visa, provided they fulfil all the requirements:
Switch from a Student Visa In order to be able to switch from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker Visa you must have obtained one of the qualifications below:
The other student visa categories are:
Administrative Review (Entry clearance applications only)If the entry clearance application is refused by the ECO in the British Diplomatic post, the applicant will be given a right to make a request for a review of the decision that must be exercised within 28 days of the date of service of the decision. The applicant will only be able to rely on the information/documents already submitted with the application and will not be allowed to provide or submit any fresh evidence with the review request. It is therefore strongly advised to take professional help while making grounds for making review request. Appeals (In country Applications only)Applicants whose Minister of Religion Visa extension applications are refused will be given full rights of appeal, provided they are not left with any leave to remain in the UK at the time of the decision. In these appeals, applicants are no longer allowed to make use of fresh evidence in order to challenge the decision of the Home Office (unless appealing on human rights, asylum or race discrimination grounds) and can rely only on the evidence submitted with the application. The applicant will have 10 working days from the date of service of decision to lodge an appeal against that decision. It is strongly advised to seek professional assistance in lodging an appeal against any decision of Home Office. Settlement ProspectsMinister of Religion Visa workers can apply for permanent settlement in the UK on completion of a total of five years in the following categories, most recently having Tier 2 leave to remain (issued under the old immigration rules):
Dependants would also be allowed to apply for settlement with the main applicant if they had last been granted leave as a dependant of the main applicant (in respect of partners, provided they have lived with the main applicant in the UK for at least two years). What services can we offer?
Whatever the case, we are here to assist, advise and represent our clients in relation to any aspect of their immigration matters.
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