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Tier 5 (Working Holiday) Visa
Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visas (formerly Working Holidaymaker Visas) provide young people (aged 18 to 31) from Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Japan with the opportunity to experience life in the United Kingdom for up to two years. Tier 5 is the final level of the Governments Five Tier Points Based Immigration System.
Successful Tier 5 applicants are granted a two year stay in the UK and may come and go as many times as they wish during the period. Time spent on Tier 5 does not count towards Permanent Residence (also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain) and it is not possible to extend the visa or switch into any other category of the Points Based System.
Please note that South African Nationals are not able to secure Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visas. If you are a skilled South African National and you would like to work or continue to work in the UK please see Tier 1 (General) Visa Applications or Gaining Tier 2 (Work Permit) Sponsorship.
How can Commonwealth Contractors help?
At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with OISC Registered Private Immigration Firms & Tier 2 Licensed Healthcare & IT Consultancies prepared to sponsor workers on Tier 2 visas where required.We can help those wishing to:
- Work towards a Tier 1 (Highly Skilled) Visa Application: Time spent working through a Contractor Limited Company or Umbrella Company can cause big problems when applying for a Tier 1 Visa. At Commonwealth Contractors our partners can:
- Ensure your contract income qualifies under Tier 1General
- Professionally represent your Application
- Gain Tier 2 (Work Permit) Sponsorship: If you’re a skilled Healthcare or IT professional our Consultancy Partners may be prepared to sponsor you under Tier 2 (where required)
- Maximise Contract Income: If you simply want to maximise contract income while on Tier 5 we can help (without the need for a Contractor Limited Company). Note: Dividend Income is not covered by the UK/Australia Double Tax Agreement; therefore Australian nationals not only have an HM Revenue & Customs Liability but also an ATO Liability.
Working in the UK
Successful applicants can undertake almost any form of work they like while in the UK. However holders:- Must not be employed as Professional Sportspeople or Coaches
- Cannot work as Doctors in Training (if you are a Doctor call now for alternative solutions)
- Are only allowed to work as Self Employed where:
- The holder does not own permanent premises from where the business operates
- The total value of business equipment is not more than £5,000
- The holder does not have employees
If you intend to work as a Self Employed Consultant we can advise on solutions to maximise your retention and qualify for a future visa.
Tier 5 Eligibility & Points Assessment
To qualify for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility) Visa you must score 50 points from three points scoring categories, namely Nationality, Age & Maintenance.| Category | Tier 5 Application Criteria | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian, Canadian, Japanese or New Zealand Passport Required | 30 |
| Age | Must be between 18 and 31 to apply | 10 |
| Maintenance | £1,600 in funds required (see below) | 10 |
Maintenance funds must be in cash; Shares, Bonds, Pension Funds etc are not an acceptable form of maintenance. The minimum required level of funds must be in the applicant’s bank account at the time of application or the application will be refused. Funds are converted to UK Sterling using the OANDA exchange rate on the date of application.
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