Creative Worker visa: who can apply, what it costs and how long you can stay

The Creative Worker visa is for people who have been offered work in the UK in the creative industries, such as actors, dancers, musicians and film crew. GOV.UK says you need a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor. The fee is £340 and you can stay up to 12 months.

Who is this visa for?

It is for people offered work in the UK as a creative worker. A creative worker works in the creative industries, for example as an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.

It replaced the Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting visa (T5). Sportspeople can work in the UK with the International Sportsperson visa.

Can I apply?

You can apply if you have been offered work in the UK as a creative worker and meet the other rules. For the creative category, you need all of these:

• a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example you are internationally renowned or are needed for continuity
• a certificate of sponsorship reference number
• the minimum salary set by Equity, PACT or BECTU (this does not apply to models, musicians or circuses)
• enough money to support yourself in the UK, usually at least £1,270 (unless you are exempt)

You can apply up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK.

What do I need?

A sponsor and a certificate of sponsorship

A sponsor is a UK organisation that is licensed to sponsor workers from abroad. You need a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor before you apply.

A certificate of sponsorship is not a paper document. It is a reference number with details about the job and about you. It is valid for 3 months from the day it is assigned to you.

The work you do in the UK must be related to the work of your sponsor.

A sponsor can give you one certificate that covers your whole stay, even if you have more than one engagement. If you work for more than one sponsor, you can get a certificate from each.

There cannot be a gap of more than 14 days between jobs. Time you spend outside the UK does not count towards those 14 days.

If you want to change your sponsor, you must apply again and meet all the rules. This is the case whether you move within the same organisation or to a new one. Changing sponsor does not change how long you can stay.

The job and pay

Your employer must make sure your job pays at least the minimum wage and follows the UK rules on weekly hours. If it does not, your application will be refused. GOV.UK’s Creative Worker pages do not set an occupation code or a going rate.

English language

GOV.UK’s Creative Worker pages do not set an English language requirement.

How much does it cost?

Cost	Amount
Application fee for each person (the same inside or outside the UK)	£340
Healthcare surcharge	Usually £1,035 per year
Savings to support yourself	At least £1,270 (unless exempt)
Savings for a partner	£285
Savings for one child	£315
Savings for each additional child	£200

You must have had the savings for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of the day you apply.

You do not have to show your own savings if:

• you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer covers your first month, up to £1,270, and confirms this on your certificate of sponsorship

How long can I stay?

You can stay up to 12 months, or the time on your certificate of sponsorship plus up to 28 days. You get whichever is shorter. Your stay must start no more than 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.

Once you have applied online, proved your identity and given your documents, you will usually get a decision in:

Where you are when you apply	Usual decision time
Outside the UK	3 weeks
Inside the UK	8 weeks

You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

With this visa you can:

• work for your sponsor in the job on your certificate of sponsorship
• study
• do a second job in the same sector, at the same level as your main job, for up to 20 hours a week
• do a job on the Skilled Worker immigration salary list for up to 20 hours a week

You cannot get public funds (most benefits) or start your own business.

The 3-month concession

If you plan to work in the UK for 3 months or less, you may be able to use the Creative Worker visa concession instead of applying for the visa. You must:

• have a valid Creative Worker certificate of sponsorship
• be someone who does not normally need a visa to enter the UK as a visitor
• still meet the visa rules

You will usually need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). You cannot extend your stay if you used the concession to enter the UK.

Can I bring my family?

Yes. Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK. GOV.UK calls them dependants. A dependant is:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18, if they currently have permission to be in the UK as your dependant

To count as your partner, you must be able to prove one of these:

• you are in a marriage or civil partnership that the UK recognises
• you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but cannot live together, for example because you work or study in different places, or your culture does not accept it

Your child must live with you, unless they live away from home in full-time education. Your child must not be married or in a civil partnership.

Each family member makes a separate application and pays the visa fee. Their visa will usually end on the same date as yours.

Partners and children can work, except as a sportsperson or coach. They can also study. They cannot apply for most benefits or the State Pension.

Under the concession, partners and children can travel with you if they also do not normally need a visa to visit.

Some family members cannot switch to your visa from inside the UK. This applies to partners and children who are in the UK:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a seasonal worker visa
• on a domestic worker in a private household visa
• on immigration bail
• with permission to stay outside the immigration rules

A partner or child on a Student visa can only switch if they have finished the course they were sponsored to study, or have studied for a PhD for at least 24 months.

Can I extend or switch?

If you are already in the UK, GOV.UK says you can only extend your existing Creative Worker visa.

To extend, you must:

• be in the UK
• still meet the rules for the visa
• apply online before your current visa expires

The usual decision time is 8 weeks.

How long you can extend for depends on your sponsor. You can extend for the shortest of these:

If you	You can extend for the shortest of
Are changing sponsors	The time on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or the time needed to extend your stay to the maximum of 12 months
Are staying with the same sponsor	12 months, the time on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or the time needed to extend your stay to the maximum of 24 months

A partner’s or child’s visa does not extend automatically with yours. They can apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.