Student Internship Visa
Like a UK work permit application, an internship visa for immigration to the UK is an employer led initiative, the permit is applied for by the sponsoring company offering the opportunity and they will take responsibility for examining the candidate's suitability and eligibility for the scheme.
As a specialist UK immigration consultancy, Global Visas can manage your application to relocate to the UK whichever visa service you require. We can help you to select the best route for you from the wide range of UK visas for immigration and working permit options available. Our immigration consultants can offer immigration lawyer expertise throughout your application from your initial enquiry through to a helpful package of services upon your arrival.
Benefits
Internships for visas allow international students to work in the UK for a limited time with a view to possible employment. Although there are alternative immigration services for Great Britain, an international student may benefit from a visa internship in ways which are not offered by alternative methods.
Unlike the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP for which a student may qualify after graduation, no points based assessment is required. In addition, whereas the Training and Work Experience Scheme or TWES requires candidates to spend a set amount of time outside the United Kingdom at the conclusion of their work experience, for this type of internee visa international students are not required to do so. Finally, although the internship is limited to three months, candidates may be able to apply for a UK work Permit if a specific job offer is in place, and whereas a student visa for those wishing to apply to study in the UK would effectively prohibit full time work, internships for students have no such restrictions.
Duration
This type of UK visa application is issued for a maximum of three months. Leave is granted on the basis of the specific offer from a British company and cannot be transferred. Holders are not permitted to use these UK work permits to undertake another position or to work for another employer. This type of permit to work in Britain is not designed to offer a route to settlement and will not lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) often known as permanent residence, or British naturalization as a UK citizen.
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for this British immigration route are largely aimed at the company making the offer of employment.
- Applications must come from a United Kingdom based employer based upon an offer to employ a named person to undertake a specific internship.
- The candidate must be a student at a college or university overseas. Documentary evidence of this will be required.
- Like a working holiday visa, this is a one off provision. Students may only undertake one internship.
- A student must be paid at a rate which reflects the usual trainee rate paid to employees in the sector.
- The internship programme on offer must be at least NVQ level 3 or above.
- The candidate must be outside the country when the application is submitted and decided.
- Companies making applications should be considering the candidates involved as potential employees following completion of their studies.
Employers will also be obliged to notify the Border and Immigration Agency in circumstances where candidates do not take up the post of if the position terminates prematurely.
Supplementary work
Holders of this type of permit for working in the UK may undertake supplementary work so long as it is outside their normal working hours, does not exceed 20 hours per week, and is conducted in the same profession and at the same level for which the permit was issued.
Dependants
Spouse immigration and dependent immigration are permitted under this route and your spouse, civil partner, unmarried or same sex partner and children may be admitted to the country as dependants. As with all working permits, conditions of stay will apply, however since the primary holder's leave to enter the UK will be granted for less than six months, dependants will not be permitted to undertake employment. Unlike a marriage visa, fiance visa or De Facto Visa, often known as an Unmarried partner visa, this route is not intended as a permanent solution, and leave to remain is granted in line with the temporary nature of the internship.
