overseesguideline

an EEA national
a Swiss national
a family member of an EEA or Swiss national who is in the UK exercising their treaty rights or a family member of an EEA or Swiss national who intends to join them in the UK, or is travelling with them to the UK
a citizen of Gibraltar
a Commonwealth citizen with permission to stay in the UK on the basis of UK Ancestry
a seaman under contract to join a ship due to leave British waters
a person employed as a civilian in NATO Forces
a person given permission to stay as the dependant of a person settled in the UK
a dependant under another category (in some cases), or
a student (in some cases).

Work permits are issued by Work Permits (UK), part of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate. A work permit relates to a specific person and a specific job. The work permit scheme lets UK employers recruit or transfer people from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), while still protecting the interests of resident workers in the UK. Work permits also allow overseas nationals to come to the UK for training or work experience.
There are six types of work permit.

Business and commercial.
These allow UK employers to recruit people from outside the EEA who will fill a vacancy that the employer has not been able to fill with a resident worker.
Sportspeople and entertainers
These allow UK employers to employ established sportspeople, entertainers, cultural artists and some technical and support people from outside the EEA.
GATS (Global Agreement on Trade in Services)
This allows employees of companies that are based outside the European Union to work in the UK on a service contract awarded to their employer by a UK-based organisation.
Sectors Based Scheme (SBS)
This scheme allows workers from outside the EEA to enter the UK for up to 12 months to take low-skilled work in the food manufacturing industry. More details on this scheme are available from Work Permits (UK). (Contact details are under 'More advice and information' at the end of this guidance.)
Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES)
This scheme allows people from outside the EEA to carry out work-based training for a professional or specialist qualification, or a short period of work experience as an extra member of staff. To qualify for TWES, you must:

hold a valid TWES work permit and be able to carry out the training or work experience it applies to
intend to leave the UK after the training or work experience
be aged between 16 and 65
not intend to take employment except as set out on the permit, and
be able to support yourself and your dependants, and live without needing any help from public funds.

If you have been in the UK on a TWES permit for more than 12 months, you will not normally be eligible for another TWES permit until you have spent 24 months outside the UK. If you have been in the UK on a TWES permit for less than 12 months, you will not normally be eligible for another TWES permit until you have spent 12 months outside the UK.
Multiple-entry work permits (MEWPs)

The MEWP is designed for employees travelling regularly for short periods of work permit employment with the same employer in the UK (other than Northern Ireland). It is not valid for the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES).
The MEWP is valid for between six months and two years for individual work permit holders. For sportspeople and groups of entertainers the maximum period is 12 months.
MEWP holders do not qualify for indefinite leave to remain in the UK (in other words they cannot apply for permission to stay in the UK with no time limit).
MEWP holders must support themselves and live without taking other employment or needing any help from public funds.
They cannot bring their husband, wife, civil partner or dependent children with them to the UK.
Letters of approval can be used in place of individual work permits when a large group of people (20 or more) are travelling together.

The Immigration Rules allow people to come to the UK for certain types of employment without a work permit. You can get more information from other guidance notes:

Work Permits (UK) Guidance - Innovators

Work Permits (UK) Guidance - HSMP

You cannot apply directly for a work permit. The employer in the UK who wants to employ you must do this. They should contact Work Permits (UK). (Contact details are under 'More advice and information' at the end of this guidance.)
The employer should send the filled-in application form at least eight weeks before the date they need you to start work.

No. You should not travel to the UK to start work before you get your work permit. If you arrive in the UK without a work permit to take up a job that needs one, you will be refused entry.

Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner and children under 18 can join you as your dependant in the UK if:

they have a visa for this purpose, and
you can support them and live without needing any help from public funds.

As a special condition outside the Immigration Rules, children over the age of 18 and dependent parents can join you if:

you have been posted to the UK branch of your employer's company by your employer, and
the person applying:

is genuinely dependent on you
is, and will continue to be, part of the family unit, and
will not stay in the UK after your stay has ended.

MEWP and SBS applicants cannot bring their dependants with them to the UK.

You will need a visa if you:

are a national of one of the countries listed on the Visa and DATV nationals page on this website.
hold a work permit valid for more than six months (unless you are a British national without the right of abode)
are stateless
hold a non-national travel document, or
hold a passport issued by an authority not recognised by the UK.

Your dependants must get a visa to join you in the UK, even if you do not need a visa. If they travel without a visa they will be refused entry to the UK.

You will need to make your application online or fill in the following visa application form:

You will also need:

Your passport or travel document.
Application form VAF1 - Non-Settlement (PDF, 165K)
A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of yourself.
This should be:

taken against a light coloured background
clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
printed on normal photographic paper, and
full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.

The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
Supporting documents relevant to your application.

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK for work permit employment. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
As a guide, you should include:

your original work permit
a letter of support from your employer, and
evidence of your qualifications and experience that are relevant to the job for which the work permit was issued.

We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forged.

Your dependants will need to make their application online or fill in the following visa application form

Application form VAF1 - Non-Settlement (PDF, 165K)

They will also need:
· Their passport or travel document.
· A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of themselves.
This should be:

taken against a light coloured background
clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
printed on normal photographic paper, and
full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless they wear this for cultural or religious reasons.

· The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and they must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where they are applying.
· Supporting documents relevant to their application.
Your dependants should include all the documents they can to show that they qualify for entry to the UK as your dependant. If they do not, we may refuse their application.
As a guide, your dependants should include:

evidence of their relationship to you
evidence that you can support them and live without needing any help from public funds
a copy of the pages from your passport showing your permission to stay, if you are already in the UK, and
your original work permit and supporting documents if they are applying before you travel to the UK.

If you hold an ordinary work permit, TWES or a letter of approval, you must:

be able to do the work referred to in your work permit
not intend to take other employment, except as set out in your work permit
intend to leave the UK when the work permit expires (if it is due to expire within 12 months), and
be able to support yourself and any dependants, and live without needing any help from public funds.

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:

your personal details are correct
it correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately.)

If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact the visa section immediately.