A Helpful Guide to the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

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The Overseas Domestic Worker Visa allows individuals to come to the UK and work in specific roles. Learn more about it in our guide.

  • While not the most popular worker visa route, the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa enables people to work for their employers in the UK.
  • Also known as the 'Domestic Helper Visa', it's generally a route utilized by those working in domestic roles in private households.

In this guide, we'll explain which roles qualify as domestic workers and how to apply for a visa.

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Who Can Apply for the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa?

As previously stated, working in a private household is the only requirement for eligibility for this visa.

Some of the jobs individuals applying for this visa are likely to have include:

  • Cleaner
  • Cook
  • Nanny
  • Gardener
  • Housekeeper
  • Chauffeur
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Documents You Need to Submit with Your Application

To support your application, you'll need to provide a range of documents.

These include:

  • Your current passport
  • Proof that you can support yourself, such as bank statements or a payslip
  • A letter from your employer confirming your job title, length of employment, and permanent employee status
  • A complete 'Appendix Domestic Worker Statement' signed by you and your employer

Additionally, you must provide one of the following documents regarding your employment:

  • Proof of salary payment, such as payslips or bank statements
  • Employment contract
  • Confirmation of tax paid
  • Confirmation of health insurance paid
  • Work visa, residence permit, or equivalent passport endorsement for the country where you're currently employed
  • Visas or passport endorsements if you've traveled with your employer in the past
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Requirements to Apply for the Domestic Worker Visa

In addition to working in a domestic role in a private household, you must also meet other requirements. These include:

  • Being 19 years or older
  • Living outside the UK
  • Having worked for your employer for a year or more
  • Planning to work full-time in the UK household where your employer will stay
  • Planning to come to the UK with your employer, their spouse, or their children
  • Planning to leave the UK after six months
  • Being able to support yourself without needing public funds
  • Earning at least the minimum wage from your employer

Your employer must also meet specific criteria:

  • They must be a British citizen who usually lives outside the UK and doesn't intend to stay in the UK for more than six months, or they must be a foreign citizen visiting the UK for less than six months.
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Fees and Processing Time

  • To obtain an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa, you'll have to pay a fee of £637. You can apply up to three months before your intended travel date, but it takes three weeks to process the application.
  • You can pay an additional fee for your application to be processed within just five working days.
  • Please note that processing times may vary if the Home Office experiences a high volume of visa applications.
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Can I Bring Dependents?

No, you cannot bring dependents on the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa, as the visa duration is not long enough to make bringing dependents feasible.

Halil İbrahim Koca

Immigration Adviser


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