Creative Worker Visa

The Creative Worker visa is a temporary immigration route for people who want to come to the UK to work or perform within the creative sector.

This visa is engagement-/performance- based. Permission to stay is granted for the period required for the engagement or performance, up to a maximum of 12 months in most cases. The period may cover multiple engagements, provided that the gap between each engagement is less than 14 days.

This visa is most suitable for entertainers, musician, creative artists, or fashion models, as well as their entourage, who intend to undertake short-term performance or engagement in the UK. Holders of this visa may receive payment for their work or performance, which distinguishes it from the visitor visa route.

Key requirements

• The worker must be ‘sponsored’ by a UK organisation
• Their work and engagement in the UK must not fill a permanent position, even on a temporary basis
• Their work will make a unique contribution to the UK’s rich cultural life. “A unique contribution” may be demonstrated if 

• • the individual is internationally renowned
  • their work in the UK is required for continuity (for example, forms one stop within a series of overseas performances or the ongoing shooting of a film production), or
  • they possess skills that cannot be replicated by resident workers in the UK.

Who can sponsor creative workers

Sponsors must have a sponsor licence under creative worker route. If they already have a sponsor licence under other routes, for example skilled workers, they may apply to add the creative worker route to their sponsor licence.

The sponsor must be operating, or intend to operate, in the creative sector. Examples include, but not limited to:

• a national arts body
• an events organiser
• a producer
• a venue
• an agent
• a promoter or promotion company
• a production company
• a media organisation

Employment relationship between the UK sponsor and workers is not mandatory. Nevertheless, sponsors must take responsibility for the sponsored workers’ activities in the UK and fulfil all the sponsor duties.

If the worker is an employee, sponsor must also comply with employment laws and regulations, including National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Regulations.

Who can come as a creative worker

The individuals must work or perform in the creative sector. Common occupations include but not limited to:

• 3411: Artists
• 3412: Authors, writers and translators
• 3413: Actors, entertainers and presenters
• 3414: Dancers and choreographers
• 3415: Musicians
• 3416: Arts officers, producers and directors
• 3417: Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators
• 3421: Interior designers
• 3422: Clothing, fashion and accessories designers
• 3429: Design occupations not elsewhere classified

They are expected to come on an engagement or performance basis, rather than to live in the UK. If they intend to work and live in the UK, other work visas should be considered, such as Skilled Worker visa.

Support staff: personal or technical staff (‘entourage’) who accompany eligible creative workers can also apply under this route, provided their employment is directly related to the work the creative worker will be doing in the UK.

Creative Worker Codes of Practice – resident labour market test

For the following 7 areas, sponsors must place an advertisement for the role to facilitate opportunities for resident workers. The practice is primarily concerned with protecting the resident labour market and aims to ensure that resident workers are not displaced by the migrant workers.

• ballet dancers
• dancers other than ballet
• performers in film and television
• performers in opera
• performers in theatre
• workers in film and television
• fashion models

The requirement for advertising may be exempted if, for example: 

• The performer is required for continuity, such as an actor in a film/opera already performed overseas
• Performers who are tied to the finance of the production or commercially important to the production
• The worker is a Senior Creative Grade
• Top models or established commercial models

Applications

Costs for a sponsor licence and visa under creative worker route include:

• Licence application fee: £574
• Assigning certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to workers: £55 each
• Visa application fee: £319
• Immigration healthcare surcharge (IHS): £1,035 per year

IHS is not required if the visa is shorter than 6 months and the application is made outside the UK

A decision for a sponsor licence application usually takes 6-8 weeks under standard service or 2 weeks under priority service at additional costs of £750.

A decision for a visa application usually takes 3 weeks. Priority service may expedite the processing time to 5 working days, at an additional cost of £500.