Overseas Domestic Worker visa
Overseas Domestic Worker visa route is for those who seek to come to the UK to work for up to a maximum of 6 months as a domestic worker with their current employer. Dependant family members are not permitted to join the main applicant Domestic Worker on this route.
You may see from the above, that Domestic Worker visa is not suitable for domestic workers who need to work in the UK for over 6 months. It is also not suitable for those who intend to work for UK employer with whom they don’t have 12 months overseas employment. There are other visa options that you may be able to use for such workers. You may want to read our article about employing overseas nanny or au pair in the UK.
Application process
A person seeking to come to the UK as an Overseas Domestic Worker must apply for and obtain entry clearance as an Overseas Domestic Worker before they arrive in the UK. Applicant must apply on the gov.uk website on the Domestic worker in a private household visa form.
Furthermore, someone who arrives in the UK on Domestic Worker visa, as a general rule is not permitted to switch (change) to a different visa category from inside the UK. You need to return to your home country and apply for another visa from there.
Suitability – good character requirement
The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: Grounds for Refusal. This means the applicant must not have criminal offences or other matters listed under the General Grounds for refusal. To find out more about criminality grounds of refusal you may read our other article here.
Requirements for Overseas Domestic worker visa
The main requirements that the applicant must meet are listed below. The details are based on the UK immigration rules.
- Be aged 19 or over on the date of application.
- Must have been employed as a domestic worker and living with the employer for at least 12 months.
- Employer must genuinely intend to pay the applicant at least the National Minimum Wage throughout their employment in the UK.
- Can and will adequately maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds.
- Must leave the UK at the end of six months in the UK or at the same time as their employer, whichever is the earlier.
