Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor Visa

If you are an expert in a certain profession and have been invited by a UK-based client or company to provide professional services in the UK for a fee, you may need to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa to deliver your services in the UK. This visa is valid for up to one month and is specifically designed for:

Professional artists, such as poets, make-up artists, stylists, set designers, photographers and fashion models
Entertainers and musicians
Professional sportspeople
Qualified lawyers
Lecturers
Academic examiners and assessors, and
Air pilot examiners

Depending on your nationality, you may be able to either apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa or visit the UK for up to 1 month without a visa.

Our solicitors can assist you with a bespoke personalised visa application service, help with advising on visa requirements, completing the application form, reviewing necessary documents and other supporting evidence, and accompanying the process until your visa is issued.

If your Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa has been refused, you do not normally have a right to appeal the decision. Depending on your particular circumstances, our solicitors can help you with reapplying for a new visa or challenging the decision by making an application for Judicial Review or Administrative Review on your behalf.

Get in touch with our team today

and one of our solicitors will contact you to discuss your visa support requirements

Send a Message

What I can or cannot do during my visit

Below are the “permitted activities” for Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa holders:

Professional artists, entertainers or musicians are permitted to be paid during their visit to the UK if they are engaged in:

Performing
talking about, presenting or launching your work to other professionals or the public
giving lectures
joining judging panels or debate panels
taking part in professional conferences
any other activity directly related to their profession

Professional sportspeople can be paid for any activities directly related to their sporting profession.

Qualified lawyers can receive fees from a client to represent them in the UK at a court or tribunal hearing, arbitration or other form of legal dispute resolution. They can also be paid to visit the UK to prepare for the hearing.

Lectures can be paid to give a lecture or series of lectures about their area of expertise. However, they cannot take a full-time or part-time teaching post for their host organisation. They can also visit for a permitted paid event or engagement, if they are semi-retired and earning an income from giving regular lectures (but not if they are fully retired).

Academic examiners or assessors can receive a payment for examining or assessing students, chairing or taking part in selection panels.

Air pilot examiners can be paid to examine UK-based air pilots, so they meet the national aviation regulatory requirements of their respective country. They can also visit for a permitted paid event or engagement, if they are semi-retired and earning an income from regular examination work (but not if they are fully retired).

As a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa holder, you cannot:

do paid work unrelated to your main overseas job or area of expertise
study
live in the UK for extended periods
claim public funds (benefits)
pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)
marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership – you’ll need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa

What are the requirements for my visa?

You will be required to demonstrate that:

you have a formal invitation from a UK-based company, organisation or a client to attend a pre-arranged event or other permitted engagement
the event or engagement relates directly to your expertise, qualifications and main job in your home country
you are 18 or over
your intended stay in the UK is for no more than one month
you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
you have sufficient financial means to pay for your return trip and to support yourself during your trip or have a sponsor covering all trip related expenses
you’ll not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home

What documents and information are required to make an application?

– You must have a valid passport or travel document that has a blank page on both sides for your visa.

– You will also need a formal written invitation from a UK-based company. This will be for:

Creative arts and entertainment industries – an invitation from a gallery, university arts faculty, school, events venue, agent, agency or broadcaster
Sportspeople – an invitation from a sports organisation, agent or broadcaster
Qualified lawyers– an invitation from a client showing that you have been asked to represent them in the UK
Lecturers – an invitation from a higher education institution, a research organisation, an arts organisation, such as a museum, theatre, art gallery, arts festival or other arts venue
Academic examiners and assessors – an invitation from a UK higher education institution or a UK-based research or arts organisation
Air pilot examiners – an invitation from a UK-based approved training organisation regulated by the UK Aviation Authority

– You must provide evidence of how your proposed engagement relates to your established expertise, qualifications and main job in your home country

For creative artists, entertainers or musicians this must be the following evidence of your full-time engagement, demonstrating that you are an established professional in your field:

your published work
publicity material for recent performances, screenings, concerts, talks, readings or exhibitions
media coverage and reviews
awards received

For professional sportspeople this must be the following evidence, demonstrating that you are an established professional in your field:

proof of recent performances, awards and media coverage
media coverage
awards received

For qualified lawyers this must be the following evidence, demonstrating that you are an established professional in your field:

as a practicing certificate or certificate of good standing
confirmation of your right of audience or ‘temporary call’.

For lecturers this must be relevant to your field of work, i.e., the lectures you are giving. You must also demonstrate that you are highly qualified in your area of expertise by providing for instance:

a letter from your employer confirming where you work and your area of expertise
examples of your published work
evidence of lectures you’ve already given

If a lecture is on a subject not relevant to the lecturer’s current role, the following may be required:

any previous employment or posts held in this area
publications on the subject
other recognised qualifications

For academic examiners this must be the following evidence, demonstrating that you are highly qualified in your area of expertise:

a letter from your employer confirming where you work and your area of expertise
examples of your published work
evidence of lectures you have already given

For air pilot examiners this must be a proof of full-time employment overseas with the national aviation authority of their respective country.

You will be required to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

How can I apply? How long does it take to get a decision?

You can apply up to 3 months before your intended travel. You will be required to submit an online application and to book an appointment at visa application centre to prove your identity and provide documents. At your appointment, you will need to:

prove your identity with your current passport or valid travel document
have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken
provide the required documents that show you are eligible for a visa

You can apply up to 3 months before your intended travel. You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks once you attend your appointment at the visa application centre as per the current visa processing times. The actual time varies depending on the complexity of your case and whether your application is straightforward.

You may be able to get you visa faster using priority service (within 5 working days) or super-priority service (next working day) if these services are available in the country you are applying from.

How long can I stay in the UK?

You can stay in the UK for up to one month only. You visa cannot be extended.

What can I do if my visa is refused?

If your Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa application has been refused you do not normally have a right to appeal the decision. Depending on your particular circumstances, you might be able to challenge the UK Visas and Immigration’s decision or to make a new visa application.