Frequently asked questions

The following are the commonest (and not so common) questions we get asked:

What do I need to do to get a work permit? What documents do I need?

An actual proven offer of work in the UK that is eligible for Tier 5 work permits, your passport information, your address in your country of residence, your main work address in the UK, dates of work in the UK, remuneration (if any) and proof you are eligible for Tier 5 permits (typically we can establish the last with an online search)

See opposite for the basic information we need to process your permit application. We will then make sure that the work is valid and that your act is established. Filling in the form opposite is not a guarantee of a work permit and we will not charge for a work permit until we have agreed to process one

We will also need an agreement signed by your employer to agree to pay any tax liability on your behalf, designate a tour manager and, after you arrive, take responsibility for providing us with a copy of your passport entry stamp and signed receipts for all payments received

Remember: No work = no work permit!

Who is eligible for the work permits you process?

We can process Tier 5 Sporting and Creative Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). This covers the following:

Artists, Authors (writers), Actors, Actors (entertainers), Dancers and choreographers, Musicians, Arts (officers), Arts (producers and directors), Designers (graphic), Designers (product clothing and related), Journalists (newspaper and periodical), Journalists (editors), Broadcasting associate professionals, Photographers and audio-visual equipment operators, Religious workers, Sports (players), Sports (coaches), Sports (instructors and officials), Sports (Fitness instructors), Sports and fitness occupations n.e.c

How long can you process a CoS for?

Our standard fees are for up to 1month. CoS can be up to 1 year renewable up to another year. We will take on cases of that length on a case by case basis

How much does a CoS cost?

This depends on group size, number of groupings, length of stay and whether you need to leave and re-enter the UK more than once during your work period.

See fees for full breakdown of our costs. Our basic service rate is £190 up to a group of 4 plus a refundable deposit of £100. Our basic fee is less than that offered by the UK Border Agency

Why do you charge a £100 deposit?

This is to ensure we receive the documentation needed after the Employee/s have arrived into the UK. These requirements are on our standard agreement and we do not release the CoS until this agreement is dated, signed and returned to us and our fees are paid

How long do you take to process a CoS?

Our guaranteed turnaround (once we've agreed to sponsoring the act and have all the information we need to process the Cos) is 5 to 10 business days. We can offer a 24 hour service in some cases but expedited rates are higher than our standard rate

When can I apply for a CoS?

CoS can't be used more than three months before work starts. Therefore if your work starts August 1st we can't issue you a CoS until May 1st of that year

How long does a CoS cover?

A CoS can be up to 12 months but anything over 3 months you will need to apply for a visa even if your country has a visa exemption agreement with the UK. The CoS can be renewed for up to another 12 months for a total of 24 months. Anything longer is not considered temporary and will require a different Tier. However, you cannot have a gap of more than 14 days between consecutive periods of work unless you are on a multiple entry work permit and can demonstrate you are leaving the UK during that time

How big a gap is allowed between work dates?

No more than 14 days

The work permit is a visa right?

No it is not. A visa is a stamp in your passport granting you entry to the country you are visiting.

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is an agreement between you, your sponsor (e.g. CME Artist Services) and the UK Border Agency. It allows you to work for a defined period of time under the terms of the type of CoS you have

Do I need a visa?

Everyone needs a visa to enter the UK if not from the EU. However, many countries have a 3 month visa exemption agreement with the UK (if you're not from such a country you are described as a "visa national") which means you don't need to obtain a visa before you arrive if you plan to stay for less than three months. You get your visa at passport control when you enter the UK. We suggest you test your exemption eligibility using the UKBA “do I need a visa” link

However, if you plan to stay longer than 3 months or if you are a non-visa national you will need additional entry clearance (visa) from your nearest British Embassy or Consulate or High Commission

If you need a visa before travel to the UK you need to obtain your Certificate of Sponsorship first (see below) and then (for most countries) apply online from the UKBA "Visa Application Now" link

Do I need a visa before I get a work permit or do I need the work permit to get the visa?

You get your your CoS number before applying for a visa

How much will a visa cost?

Currently, the fee for a tier 5 visa application is £194. See visa fees for all current visa costs

If I need a visa how long will it take to get one after I get a work permit?

Only the British Consulate / Embassy can approve a visa and only they can confirm how long it will take on a country to country, case to case basis. Typically though it will range from a few days to up to three weeks (in most cases they are turned around within a week).

If you are planning on entering the UK soon we recommend you consult with the UK Embassy nearest you in your country of residence before applying for a work permit. No visa = no entry even if you have a CoS

What's the difference between a visa and entry clearance?

Nothing. They are the same thing

Where can I get a visa?

If you need a visa you need to obtain your Certificate of Sponsorship first then apply online from the UKBA "Visa Application Now" link

Do you process visa applications?

We can but we'd charge £50 per person on top of what the UK Border Agency would charge. As you'd effectively be paying for our time to do something you can do yourself we recommend you save your money and do it yourself (see links above)

What is a "non-visa national" as opposed to a "visa national"?

Non-visa nationals are from those countries that have a visa waiver program with the UK. They do not need to obtain a visa (if their stay is shorter than 3 months) before they arrive but receive the entry stamp (aka visa) on arrival. Visa nationals are from countries that don't have this arrangement and will need a visa before the arrive to the UK for any length of stay and for any reason. Please see "Visa National Countries".

What is a Permittted Paid Engagement visa?

This is a new visa created by the UK Government (April 6th, 2012) that offers an alternative (not a replacement) to a Tier 5 CoS for acts appearing in the UK for less than one month. At time of writing information is sketchy and more questions need answering. See our take on this here with relevant links to the UKBA website. We believe there is a cost involved equivalent to a Tier 5 processing fee and so we aim to undercut that in cost but also in turnaround time. However, as the PPE is a visa it is issued not by UKBA, or licensed sponsors such as us, but by British Embassys (confused yet?!) and it is our understanding that different Embassys will charge different rates. To learn more we suggest contacting your nearest UK Embassy

Our entry stamp has a later end date than the work period we applied for. What does this mean?

Both the British Embassy and UK Passport control usually (not always) add two weeks to whatever the last date of your CoS was on their visa / entry stamp. This is a courtesy not a right

If our country has a three month visitor visa waiver with the UK does our CoS automatically revert back to a visitor visa once it has expired? Can we just stay in the UK for another three months after our CoS has expired?

No. Visas are entry stamps in your passport. A CoS therefore cannot simply revert back to a visitor visa without a new stamp being entered into your passport. If you do not leave the UK before your CoS visa stamp expires (or renew through a passport centre) you are breaking the law and could receive a 5 year ban from reentering the UK

We have overstayed our Tier 5 visa stamp. We heard there is a 28 overstay exemption. Can we apply for a new Tier 5 visa while still in the UK?

First, we wish folk wouldn't do this. The UKBA usually add two weeks on to the visa stamp anyway as a courtesy so this is (usually) taking the mick. We're not particularly delighted to get this request (especially if it is from Employees we have sponsored). But, now you're in the situation, yes there is a 28 day overstay rule brought in October 2012. You will need to obtain a new CoS and either visit a passport centre in the UK or leave the UK and present your CoS when you re-enter. If you are extending your stay for more than 3 months or if you are a non-visa national you will have to visit a UK passport centre

Where can I get a visa stamp in the UK without leaving the country? Is there a passport centre I can visit to get my stamp?

The (overworked) passport centre in Croydon is the place to go for visa renewing in England. There is a paid premium service for appointments otherwise it is first come first served (so get there early). Address: Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR9 2BY. Office is open 8am to 4pm

As my visa stamp has an expiry date later than my CoS was issued for can I take on extra work during that time?

You can if the work is with the same employer or through the same agent but you or they MUST contact us so that we can update your CoS accordingly with a migrant activity note

As my visa stamp has an expiry date later than my CoS was issued and I will be leaving and returing to the UK in the time after my work has finished but during the time covered by the visa what should I do?

If you are from a country that has a visa agreement with the UK (i.e. you are a visa national) then you can enter as a visitor (it is worth pointing this out to the passport official on re entry to the UK to avoid confusion especially if your original work pemit was only single entry). Otherwise you may need to obtain a visitor visa from a UK passport office. If you will be passing through en route to another destination outside of the UK and will only be in the UK for up to 72 hours you should be exempt of any visa requirement under the 72 hour transit rule.

What is a sponsor note. What is a Migrant Activity note?

If we need to add any information (e.g. additional work in the period covered by your entry stamp / CoS) or correct information (for example spelling of names, address etc) we can do so by adding a sponsor note online to the CoS (once the CoS is issued we cannot edit it in any other way). A sponsor note is no good for work taken on after the CoS expires or for drastic corrections to passport information (e.g. if we've been given the wrong passport information we'll have to create another CoS)

For a CoS that's 'used' (i.e. has had a visa issued on it) we have to use the Migrant Activity facility to update your CoS (this includes change of circumstances as well as immigration offences such as overstaying or abscounding from work)

Do I need an entertainment visa?

Almost certianly not.

An entertainment visa is an entry visa for entertainers who live in a country that does not have visa exemption with the UK. It does not allow you to take on paid work. You are best getting a CoS and then applying for a visa from the British Consulate nearest you.

Entertainment visas (in our opinion) are a confusing waste of time and are effectively worthless

I read it takes a long time to get a point based UK work permit. Is this true?

The points needed for a Tier 5 Sporting and Creative Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) are covered once you've been approved by a Grade A level sponsor and therefore can be processed quickly online (provided you're not a "non-visa national" - see below)

What points are needed for Tier 5 Sporting and Creative Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

Tier 5 CoS applicants require 40 points. Locating a sponsor is worth 30 points and providing proof of maintenance while in the UK is worth 10 points. If your sponsor is Grade A level they can accept responsibility for your maintenance, otherwise you must demonstrate with bank statements and/or bank affidavits that you have £800 available per member of the travelling party if you are not a "non-visa national" (see below):

We have our CoS and are coming from a country that doesn't have a visa exemption program with the UK (i.e. we're "non-visa nationals"). On the visa application we're required to show we have £800 available in each of our bank account but we understood that by getting a CoS our sponsor supplies the necessary proof of maintenance

Yes, that would be logical. However, a sponsor's licence maintenance guarantee can't help non-visa national applicants so despite, technically, a sponsor's authority to guarantee that maintenance your application will be refused if you do not have a bank statement/s that can show £800 in your account up to three months before your application

I have read conflicting information about the amount of maintenance I need to apply for a visa as a non-visa national. What is it, £800 or £900?

£800 but owing to the vagaries of immigration law & rules I would suggest you ensure you have £900 to be safe

We're a band of four musicians and we want to bring our light and sound engineer with us too. Do we need a CoS for him?

Yes, even if he or she is not being paid, all members of your travelling party if integral to the work you are doing in the UK must have their own CoS. This includes managers, directors, choreographers, dancers, hair stylists and engineers

Do I have to pay tax on my earnings in the UK, and is there a minimum amount of earnings that are tax exempt?

If you earn more than £9940 in the calendar year you will have to pay 22% on the total and this should be deducted by your UK employer using form FEU50 from HMRC. As a non-UK resident you cannot pay the tax liability yourself

I have a show in the UK but I am not being paid. Do I still need a CoS?

Technically, the UK Border Immigration Agency will require a CoS even for unpaid work however there are some exceptions for unpaid educational (e.g. giving a seminar), some charitable and cultural work (e.g. a free workshop). In these cases the organisers of the event should be resonsible for ensuring your entry requirements are met

If I need a CoS at short notice is there an extra fee?

We charge an extra 25% on our published rates for 72 hour turnaround, 50% for 48 hour turnaround and 100% for same day. See FEES for full breakdown of our rates.

I am already in the UK as a visitor. Can I apply for a CoS while here?

No. You must be outside the UK to apply but you don't need to be in your home country. You could, for example, apply from any EU country other than the UK

I already have a Tier 5 CoS and wish to extend it. Can I apply for a CoS extension while here?

Yes

I already have a Tier 5 CoS and wish to extend it but my visa is about to expire. What do I do?

If you require a visa to enter the UK, technically as soon as your visa has expired you are no longer legally in the country. However, for Tier 5 you can remain while your new visa is being processed if you are provided with a CoS before the visa expiration date

What exactly is a CoS and what does it look like? What is the difference between a CoS and a work permit?

A CoS is synonymous with a work permit. They're the same thing except calling it a Certificate of Sponsorship describes better what it is, i.e. an agreement between you, a UK licensed sponsor and UKBA

The certificate of sponsorship is an online document. All the sponsored individual needs is the CoS number (though we provide a screenshot of the certificate as well). This you show to Immigration on entry to the UK (or first to a British Embassy with your passport if you need a visa)

Do I need a letter of sponsorship?

If you need a visa you should only need the CoS number but some British Consulates might require a letter too in which case you can use the confirmation letter we send along with your CoS number

Do you process work permits for other countries other than the UK?

No. However, we are always interested in teaming up with individuals or organisations in other countries who do what we do but in their countries. We're particularly eager to work something out with a USA agency as obtaining work permits in the USA is much harder than to do so in the UK yet there's opportunities galore for band exchanges between the US and UK if we can resolve that!

Does a sponsor do anything else?

We report to UKBA any transgression on the part of the CoS holder during their stay (or over stay for example) and have the legal right to withdraw a CoS if we suspect a transgression has taken place

Also, as your sponsor, we do have a duty of care and will assist you in your stay with advice, contacts and if need be intervention on your behalf if you have been wronged in any way.

Any major expenses incurred on your behalf we will seek to recover. However, we're not so petty that we'd bill you for our time or for phone calls or letter writing. We do, after all, want your stay in the UK to be an enjoyable and rewarding one

If CME Artist Services charges more than the UK Border Agency for larger groups and longer CoS why should we use your services?

We suggest you should use our services for shorter lengths of stay and smaller groups for 100% guarantee of receiving your CoS in a better turnaround time than the UK Border Agency

We cannot afford or risk to process large groups and / or long stays for any fees other than what we've worked out. If the Border Agency can (and verdict is out on that at the moment) then we're happy for them to take on that exceptional workload at (in our opinion) an unsustainably low price. If the Boston Philharmonic or the Chicago Bulls wanted us to do their work permits we'd be honoured but we couldn't do it for £194

What is the 28 day grace period?

Artists who over stay their visa stamp (note that the end date on the visa stamp is usually later than the date issued on the work permit by up to two weeks - but not always. CHECK) can, under special circumstance, apply for an extension to their visa (this covers other visas issued under the point based system too). For more information please see UKBA announcement (Oct. 2012)

I have questions not answered here. Is there a contact for more information?

Yes, email us at workpermits@cmeas.com or call the workpermit hotline: +44 (0)7908 495549