Other Applications

The Immigration Rules are some of the most important pieces of legislation that make up the UK’s immigration law. They are updated on a regular basis and all changes can be found in the Immigration Rules: statement of changes.

Common Applications
leave to enter or stay in the UK as a student, partner, as an employee, for work purposes, to gain work experience, to work as an au pair, as a family member, to claim asylum or temporary protection, as a Stateless person, on the basis of employment with HM Armed Forces, International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees.
You may be able to travel to the UK to attend festivals.
You may be eligible for Transit Without Visa Scheme
You may be able to visit the UK on VIP Delegate Visa. This route is for a person accompanying a Head of State or Government Minister on an official visit to the UK for a temporary period (less than 1 month).

You may be eligible to apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation

You may apply for a leave to enter or remain as a Healthcare Visitor
You may apply for a Short-term Student (English language), or as a Child Student

You may be able to apply for a UK visa as a Parent of a Child Student
You may be able to apply for a Graduate visa. This route is for a Student in the UK who wants to work, or look for work, following the successful completion of an eligible course of study at UK bachelor’s degree-level or above. The study must have been with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.

You may also be able to apply for a Skilled Worker. This route is for employers to recruit people to work in the UK, including in UK waters, in a specific job. A Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor.

You may apply for leave to enter or remain for particular Skilled Occupations, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes

Immigration Salary List - Occupations where a reduced skills and salary threshold applies in the Skilled Worker route.

Global Business Mobility routes - The Global Business Mobility routes are for workers based outside the UK who are undertaking a temporary work assignment in the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier or Secondment Worker.

Minister of Religion - This route is for a person who has a key leading role within their faith-based organisation or a religious order in the UK.

Representative of an Overseas Business - Immigration Rules for Representative of an Overseas Business

UK Ancestry Visa – for those with British ancestry can apply to come to the UK to work. There are various eligibility criteria to apply for this visa.

Global Talent - The Global Talent route is for people aged 18 or over in the field of science, engineering, humanities, social science, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture who can show they have exceptional talent or exceptional promise.

Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes visa is for exceptional talent who have received awards or prize for their achievements.

High Potential Individuals can apply for a UK visa.

Scale-up visas

Innovator Founder

International Sportsperson - The International Sportsperson route is for an elite sportsperson or qualified sports coach who is internationally established and can make a significant contribution to the development of their sport at its highest level in the UK.

Sports Governing Bodies - Home Office approved Sports Governing Bodies for International Sportsperson applications.

Overseas Domestic Worker

Domestic Workers in a Private Household

Domestic Worker who is a Victim of Modern Slavery

Temporary Work - Seasonal Worker - The Seasonal Worker route is for a person who wants to come to the UK to do seasonal horticulture work or poultry production work.

Youth Mobility Scheme - The Youth Mobility Scheme provides a cultural exchange programme that allows a person aged between 18 and 30 (or 18-35 for some nationalities), from participating countries and territories, to experience life in the UK for up to 2 years (or 3 years for some nationalities).

Temporary Work – Creative Worker route is for a person who wants to work within the creative sector.

Temporary Work – Religious Worker route is for a person who wants to support the activities of religious institutions in the UK by conducting religious work such as working in a religious order or undertaking non-pastoral work for a religious organisation.

Temporary Work - Charity Worker route is for a person who wants to come to the UK to do voluntary work for no more than 12 months.

Temporary Work - International Agreement route is for a person who wants to come to the UK to provide a service covered under international law, such as private servants in diplomatic households, or employees of overseas governments and international organisations.

Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange route is for a person who wants to come to the UK on an approved scheme for a period of 12 or 24 months (depending on the scheme).

Creative Worker Codes of Practice - Where a person is applying under Appendix Temporary Work – Creative Worker, as a creative worker, operating in dance, theatre, film and television, or as a model in the fashion industry, their sponsor must follow the relevant code of practice specified below and comply with the other requirements.

Service Providers from Switzerland - The Service Providers from Switzerland route allows eligible employers, companies or self- employed individuals to execute contracts with a party based in the UK for a period not exceeding 90 days per calendar year.

Hong Kong British National (Overseas) - There are two Hong Kong British National (Overseas) routes– the BN(O) Status Holder route and the BN(O) Household Member route.

Immigration Rules Appendix UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme

Temporary Permission to Stay for victims of human trafficking or slavery and their children.

Adult Dependent Relative route is for a person aged 18 or over who is sponsored by a relative in the UK (who must be a British Citizen, settled in the UK, have protection status or be a specified EEA national who has permission under Appendix EU) and where the sponsor is able to maintain, accommodate and care for the applicant without reliance on public funds.

Long Residence route is for a person who has lived in the UK lawfully and continuously for 10 years or more. The person can count time with permission on most routes towards the 10 year qualifying period.

Victim of Domestic Abuse

Bereaved Partner

Adoption routes are for a child under the age of 18 to apply to come to the UK either to be adopted or having been adopted overseas.

Private Life route is for a person seeking permission to stay in the UK on the basis they have developed a Private Life in the UK.

Settlement Family Life route is for a person who has permission to stay as a partner or parent (or has had a combination of the two) under Appendix FM, and who is eligible to settle in the UK after a qualifying period of 10 years.

Gurkha and Hong Kong military unit veteran discharged before 1 July 1997. This route is for Gurkhas or Hong Kong military unit veterans who were discharged before 1 July 1997 to settle in the UK.


Returning Resident route is for a ‘Returning Resident’, which means a person who previously had indefinite permission to enter or stay (settlement) in the UK which has now lapsed and who now wants to return to and settle in the UK.

Statelessness route is for a person in the UK who has no nationality and so is stateless, and is unable to become, or obtain a status leading to becoming, a permanent resident of another country.