Not all work for an employer in the UK requires the employer to apply for a work permit for the worker. Where no permit is required, workers themselves make applications for Home Office for permission to work in a particular category. Specific requirements will apply in all categories.

Some of these categories are for a temporary stay that cannot be extended. Others allow you to apply to extend your stay and, if you stay in the UK for long enough, you can ultimately apply for settlement (ILR - Indefinite Leave to Remain).

Nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA – the member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) are in general able to do the same work on the basis of their rights under European Law rather than specific permission, see our (EU) European Union pages.

Sole Representative

This allows one person, who must not be an EEA national, to come to the UK to establish a first commercial presence in the form of a branch or wholly-owned subsidiary for a company based overseas. If the company already has a commercial presence here, no-one can come to be the sole representative. "Sole" means what it says; if a company then wants to send a second person to the UK it will have to obtain a work permit for the second person.

The company must be based overseas and if you are to be the sole representative, you must have been recruited outside the UK. You must have the power to make decisions on behalf of the company and be employed full-time by the company, but you must not be a majority shareholder.

Working Holidaymakers

This allows young people aged 17 to 30 from particular countries or who hold British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territories Citizen or British National Overseas passports, to come to the UK for two years. They can spend up to twelve months of the two years working. The young people should be on their own; spouses and civil partners who want to come with them must qualify as working holidaymakers in their own right.

International Graduate Scheme (IGS - formerly SEGS)

From 1 May 2007 this replaces the Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme (SEGS).  The scheme allows people from outside the European Economic Area studying in the UK at degree level or above to work in the UK for up to 12 months after they have finished their studies.  The new scheme covers recent graduates from recognised institutions whatever their subject and is thus broader than the SEGS scheme, which was for science and engineering graduates only.  IGS participants can take any form of employment or self-employment.

 
Scotland – Fresh Talent working in Scotland

This allows non-EEA nationals who have successfully completed an Higher National Degree (HND), a Batchelor’s or Masters degree or a PhD at a university in Scotland, and have lived in Scotland during their studies, to apply to stay in Scotland for up to two years after completing their studies. During those two years they take any type of employment (paid or unpaid), or self-employment and do business. There are special arrangements for Scotland because the population of Scotland is declining and Scotland needs more people to stay there to work.

Student nurses

People accepted on a training course, as student nurses or midwives, that leads to a formal nursing qualification are essentially coming to the UK as students. Those who are given permission to come on this basis can take employment in connection with the training course, but cannot undertake other business and employment.

Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists

People who have obtained a UK degree in medicine or dentistry can apply for permission to take their place on a Foundation Programme in the UK. They are essentially treated as trainees, a form of student, but can do the paid work that constitutes the Foundation Programme. Other postgraduate doctors and dentists will need to apply for work permits or under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

Ministers of religion

This allows Ministers of religion to come to the UK to work full-time in their ministry. Ministers of religion are required to prove competence in the English language. Not every faith group is treated as a religion for the purposes of these applications. Some of the main religions that are included are the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh faiths. There is also provision for missionaries and other members of religious orders to come to the UK. Again, these are designed for full-time religious workers.

UK Ancestry

This allows a Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over with a grandparent born in the UK to come to the UK. One of the requirements for getting permission to come to the UK in this category is that the person intends to work. When you come to the UK under this category you can work without needing a work permit.

Domestic workers in private households

People aged 18 to 25 who have been working for at least a year in a private household (for example as a nanny, cook, chauffeur or gardener) can apply to come to the UK with their employer to continue to work in the employer’s private household in the UK. They cannot work in any business the employer has in the UK. Employers and domestic workers interested in this should be aware that the domestic worker will normally be expected to travel to the UK with the employer, or with the employer’s spouse, civil partner or minor child. There are separate provisions for those doing similar work in the houses of diplomats, see below.

Private servants of diplomats

Special immigration provisions apply to diplomats and the staff of diplomatic missions. Diplomats can apply to bring with them to the UK private servants, such as chauffeurs, gardeners, cooks and nannies who provide a personal service in the household. The provision does not cover those working in the diplomatic mission itself, for examples as chauffeurs to the mission. It is aimed at the same type of people who are admitted as domestic workers in private households. There are international agreements about private servants of diplomats, which is why there is separate provision and why the UK continues to use this language rather than refer to them as ‘domestic workers’ as it would refer to a person doing a similar job in a private, rather than a diplomatic, household.

Au Pairs

This allows young people aged between 17 and 27, from certain countries, to come to the UK to live in a family and learn English. You can be paid for domestic work that you do for the household, but cannot undertake other work. You must be unmarried and without dependants.