Persons living outside the United Kingdom, planning to move here for a maximum of 6 months can take their domestic workers with them. The worker should, however, apply for Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa, to accompany their employer in the UK.
If you are a domestic worker at a private household and you need a visa to accompany your employer, then the following guide on how to apply, what you need for application and whether you qualify or not, will be very helpful to you.
Who Can Apply for a Domestic Worker Visa?
You will be eligible to apply for a Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa if are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and you also meet the following conditions:
- You are 18 or older.
- You are a domestic worker in a private household (cleaner, nanny, chauffeur, cook and others providing personal care for the employer and their family).
- You have worked for your employer for a minimum period of one year, in the same household as your employer, or one they use regularly.
- You intend to travel to the UK alongside with your employer, their partner or children.
- You plan to work as a full-time domestic worker in a UK household your employer will live in, in the UK.
- You will leave the UK at the end of 6 months or at the same time as your employer, whichever is sooner.
- You are capable to support yourself in the UK without the need for public funds.
- If you meet the above criteria, and the common eligibility requirements to get a UK visa, then the UK Home Office will grant you with a visa for Domestic Workers in a Private Household.
Moreover, your employer should also meet the following, for you to be able to get the visa:
- He/she is a national of the European Economic Area (EEA) who lives outside the UK and does not intend to remain in the UK for more than six months.
- He/she is a foreign national who is coming to the UK on a visit and does not intend to remain for more than 6 months.
- He/she will pay you at least the national minimum wage.
How to Apply for a Visa for Domestic Workers in a Private Household?
When to apply?
The earliest you can apply for a visa for Domestic Workers in a Private Household is up to 3 months before your date your intended trip to the UK.
Application Process
To apply for this visa, you must first complete the online application form. Then, you will need to show up at the UK visa application center in your country of residence and submit the required documents. You will also have your fingerprints and photograph taken.
Required Documents for a Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa
You will need to collect several required documents, as a part of your visa application for a Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa. These documents are:
- A valid passport or another travel document.
- Proof you have enough money for the whole period of your stay in the UK. This could be a bank statement or payslips from the recent 6 months.
- Tuberculosis test results (if from a country who must do the test).
- Travel itinerary, details about the accommodation and dates of travel.
- The employer’s letter to confirm your past work experience for him as a domestic worker in a private household (for at least 1 year).
- The signed and stamped work contract with terms and conditions.
- The employer’s letter of statement to confirm you will be paid at least the national minimum wage for the work in the UK.
- Any document related to the work done before for the same employer
- Bank statements or pay slips where the salary transaction is shown.
- Proof of paid tax.
- Paid health insurance.
- Past visas or other equivalent (if traveled before to work in the same job for the same employer).
- Work visa, or another permit (if not a national of the country where you currently work for the employer).
Pay the Visa Fee
You will need to pay a fee for the processing of your application. The fee for Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa is £516.
Visa Processing
The processing of your visa application can take up to three weeks.
How Long Can I Stay?
The maximum period of time you can stay in the United Kingdom with this visa, is either six months, or until your employer leaves the UK, whichever comes first.
Can I extend my visa?
The only way to extend a visa for Domestic Workers in a Private Household is if your previous visa was issued for less than 6 months. You must apply for an extension before your current visa expires and continue to meet the eligibility criteria of your first visa.
The application fee for the extension of a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa is £1,033.
Domestic Workers Who Applied Before 5 April 2012
If you are a domestic worker who applied for entry to the UK on or before 5 April 2012 different rules apply to you. You can apply to extend your stay in the UK every 12 months, and you can apply to settle here permanently, after 5 years.
What Can I Do with a Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa
When traveling to the UK with a Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa the activities you can perform while here are limited. You must be very careful to respect these limitations since if you try to engage in activities outside the ones you are permitted to, there will be consequences.
You are permitted to do the following:
- Remain in the UK while your employer is in a short trip to another country.
- Travel to another country and return to the UK, as long as your visa is valid. A
- Change your employer, under two conditions:
- You will work as a domestic worker in a private household for the other employer.
- The total period of your stay does not exceed 6 months.
Domestic Workers Who Applied Before 5 April 2012
If you are a domestic worker who applied for entry to the UK on or before 5 April 2012, you can bring your partner and children under 18 years old, with you to the UK. You can also move to a similar job in the UK.