Minister of Religion visa guide

Tuberculosis certificate

Where the application is for entry clearance as a T2 Minister of Religion, the applicant must provide a valid tuberculosis (TB) certificate with their application if they have been residing within a country listed in Appendix T of the Immigration Rules for the six months immediately preceding the application.

Switching

An applicant who is in the UK cannot apply to switch onto the T2 Minister of Religion route if they have, or have last been granted, permission:

• as a Visitor
• as a Short-term Student
• as a Parent of a Child Student
• as a Seasonal Worker
• as a Domestic worker in a private household
• outside the Immigration Rules

Application process and grant

A person seeking to come to the UK as a T2 Minister of Religion must apply for and obtain entry clearance as a T2 Minister of Religion before they arrive in the UK. The visa application should be done online and the applicant will have to get their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre.

Should the application be successful, the applicant will have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they stated they will arrive in the UK.

You must provide your documents after you submit your application, these can be originals or copies; however, any passports provided must be originals. You will be able to upload copies of your documents on the Home Office commercial partner’s website, or you can take your documents to your biometrics appointment to be scanned and uploaded by their commercial partner for a fee. You’ll be told how to book an appointment and upload your documents after you submit your application. You do not need to send any physical documents to the Home Office or UK Visas & Immigration unless you are advised to do so.

The maximum duration of the Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) Visa may be specified in the CoS, otherwise the applicant may stay in the UK with this visa up to 3 years and 30 days, or up to one month after the period stated on their certificate of sponsorship (whichever is shorter), and up to 6 years with extensions.

As the immigration rules stand at the moment, a Tier 2 Minister of Religion may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five continuous years.

The applicant will have the right to work for his sponsor organisation to carry out the role stated in their CoS and application. He may also undertake a second post in the same sector as his main post, though if they want to work in a completely different type of job, they would have to submit another visa application. Under this type of visa, the applicant is also allowed to carry out voluntary work, to study, to travel to and from the UK, and bring family members and dependants with them.

The usual Tier 2 restrictions apply – namely that the applicant cannot access public funds during their stay in the UK, they cannot start work until they have received their visa, and they cannot apply for a second job until the first post has commenced; the only exception to this is if they’ll be working in a role for which there is a skills shortage in the UK. Ministers of religion may take on work in a Shortage Occupation without submitting a second application. The applicant is not allowed to own more than 10% of their sponsor organisation’s shares, unless their annual income exceeds £155,300.

For the purposes of fulfilling the visa requirements, volunteer work is not considered to be employment, so ministers may carry out unpaid volunteer tasks with no fear of repercussions.

Visa processing time and fees

How much you pay for a Minister of Religion visa (T2) depends on where you are; the cost of a tier 2 visa application is £610 if applied for from outside the UK, and £704 for applicants within the UK. If you’re from an eligible country, your application fee will be automatically reduced by £55, however, your partner and children will still need to pay the full application fee.

The applicant will also have to pay a healthcare surcharge.

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you’re due to start working in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK. However, depending on your location, it may be possible to use a priority service to fast track your visa processing.

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK you can pay an extra £500 for the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

You can pay an extra £800 for the super priority service to get a decision:

• by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday
• 2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend

Family members

A dependent partner and dependent children of a Minister of Religion can apply on this route.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Your partner and children will also need to prove they can support themselves while they’re in the UK

Your partner or children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they’re in the UK.

You – or your partner or child – will need:

• £285 for your partner
• £315 for one child
• £200 for each additional child

You – or your partner or child – will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of you or them applying for this visa.

You’ll usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK – this must be confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship

Supplementary and secondary employment

In addition to the job specified on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a T2 Minister of Religion’s conditions allow them to do extra work if:

• it is either on a job on the Shortage Occupation List or a job in the same profession and at the same professional level as the work for which the CoS was assigned,
• it is no more than 20 hours per week,
• it is outside the working hours covered by the CoS
• the person remains working for the sponsor in the job for which the CoS was assigned.

A person with permission on the T2 Minister of Religion route can do a second job that does not qualify as supplementary employment (for example, it requires more than 20 hours work a week). They will need a new CoS for this second job and apply for a variation of permission, in addition to the CoS and permission for their existing job because working in the second job is not covered by their existing conditions.

If the secondary employment is approved, the applicant will have 2 sponsors during the period that both CoS are valid; accordingly, a new BRP will be issued and the card should read ‘2 CoS as Letter indicating that the applicant has secondary employment.

A person must make a change of employment application if they change employer; meaning that the person must re-apply with a new Certificate of Sponsorship for their new job.