Eligibility:
Applicants must possess a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor. This is an electronic document that confirms your job and personal details and has a unique reference number which you must include in your visa application.
Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange Visa (GAE VISA)
GAE VISA
Introduction
Under the UK’s immigration system, several short-term visas allow foreign nationals to work in the UK with a Home Office-approved sponsor. This includes the Temporary Worker Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa, which replaces the old Tier 5 visa of the same name and is essentially an internship visa.
The GAE visa is designed for individuals wishing to come to the UK temporarily for work experience or job shadowing through an approved internship scheme. It also accommodates those undertaking training, participating in an overseas government language programme, or engaging in research or a fellowship through an approved exchange scheme.
Sharing industry knowledge and best practices globally through internship programmes is essential to good business development. Internships are also an excellent way for foreign nationals, including recent graduates, to gain high quality work experience and build their professional networks.
GAE VISA Key Requirements:
Eligibility:
Applicants must possess a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor. This is an electronic document that confirms your job and personal details and has a unique reference number which you must include in your visa application.
Sponsorship
Sponsors must be organisations running approved exchange schemes, higher education institutions, or government departments/agencies.
Financial Support
Applicants normally need at least £1,270 in their bank account to support themselves unless their sponsor can certify their financial maintenance.
Application Fee
The fee is £298 per person, whether applying from inside or outside the UK.
Healthcare Surcharge
Typically, a surcharge of £1,035 per year is required.
Duration
The visa is valid for up to 12 or 24 months, depending on the specific scheme.
Sponsorship for GAE Visa
Individual employers and organisations cannot sponsor migrants under the GAE route, even if they are licensed under other Worker or Temporary Worker categories. Sponsors are several approved overarching bodies who manage various schemes and sponsor roles across different sectors. A complete list of these schemes/sponsors can be found under Appendix N: Authorised Exchange Schemes of the UK’s Immigration Rules. These schemes facilitate work experience opportunities which can benefit a wide range of organisations. The visa cannot however be used by employers to fill job vacancies or bring unskilled labour to the UK.
When a sponsor issues a CoS, they must confirm the applicant:
- Is seeking entry to work or train temporarily in the UK through an approved exchange scheme listed in Appendix N of the Immigration Rules
- Will work or train at or above the minimum skill level required
- Will work or train in a role that complies with all relevant legislation
- Will not fill a vacancy in the workforce
- Meets the requirements of the individual exchange scheme.
GAE route financial requirement
To meet the financial requirement under the GAE route, the applicant must be able to show that they can support themselves on their arrival in the UK. S/he will usually need to show proof of funds when they apply for entry clearance or leave to remain, unless either they have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or their employer can cover their costs during their first month in the UK, up to £1,270. Additional funds may be required for any dependants applying to join or stay with the intern in the UK. The intern must show that they have held the required level of funds for at least 28 consecutive days before applying for the visa. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.
If the intern’s sponsor is prepared to maintain and accommodate their sponsored worker, and their family, this must be certified on the Certificate of Sponsorship or through the Sponsorship Management System.
Duration and Extension of the GAE visa
An intern can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of their internship.
The GAE visa allows stays of up to 12 or 24 months, depending on the scheme or the time specified in the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. An individual can stay for a maximum of 12 months for work experience or 24 months, if doing research, training or an overseas government language programme.
Visa holders can extend their stay, subject to the maximum period, if they continue to meet the route’s requirements and apply before their current visa expires. Eligible dependants can also apply to extend their stay in line with the main visa holder.
Application Process
Prospective interns must apply online using their unique Certificate of Sponsorship reference number. Applications should be made from overseas unless extending leave under this route or switching as a qualifying graduate (see below).
When applying for entry clearance, any dependants will need to apply separately, although if applying for leave to remain, they can be included in the intern’s application.
The intern must pay the relevant fee and provide their biometric information as part of the application process. They must also provide various documents in support.
Documents you must provide
After submitting the application online and paying the relevant fee, the applicant will need to upload the following documents before the biometric appointment:
- Certificate of sponsorship reference number or sponsorship reference number – your employer will give you this
- A valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality (your passport will need a blank page for your visa)
- Where applicable, evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example, bank statements (unless your employer will support you)
- Your tuberculosis test results if applying from a country where a test is required
- A valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher
- A letter from a government or international scholarship agency giving you consent to remain in or re-enter the UK.
You must also provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.
Additional documents will need to be submitted in support of any application for dependants, including proof of their relationship with the primary applicant and, where applicable, proof of funds.
Processing Times
Applications can be submitted up to three months before the work start date, as indicated in the Certificate of Sponsorship. Decisions are typically made within three weeks, with priority services available for faster processing. If applying from within the UK, decisions usually take up to eight weeks. The processing time only starts once an applicant’s biometric information and supporting documents have been submitted. The applicant will be able to continue with their work experience placement, provided they apply before the expiry of their existing visa.
Further Stay and Switching Visa Routes
The GAE visa route is not a settlement path. However, visa holders can switch to another sponsored work route, such as the Skilled Worker route, if they meet all eligibility requirements, including a job offer from a licensed sponsor meeting the skill and salary thresholds. An overseas Skilled Worker can extend their stay in the UK an unlimited number of times and, after a period of 5 years, they will normally be entitled to apply to settle permanently in the UK.
Individuals in the UK on another immigration route are not normally allowed to switch to the GAE visa route from within the UK. The only exception to this rule is if the individual was last granted permission as a student, has completed a recognised bachelor’s or postgraduate degree during their last period of leave and is now being sponsored to undertake work experience relevant to their degree. That experience can be either:
- Postgraduate training or work experience that will give him/her a professional qualification or registration in the same field
- An internship for up to 12 months which is related to their degree.
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