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Every year, the UK is visited by millions of people on Visitor Visas who want to either take in the sights as a tourist, or even live here for a short period of time and experience a slice of British life.
If you want to carry out remote work in the UK so that you can support yourself whilst you visit, then you can do this. A Statement of Changes from December last year updated the Visitor Visa rules, which included a change that allows people to work remotely in the UK whilst visiting.
There is no specific visa for remote working, you will just need to apply for a normal Visitor Visa.
Remote work in the UK Visitor Visa application
To apply, you will simply need to use the Government’s website and go through the process there.
You must ensure that you show the caseworker looking at your application that you are not coming to the UK just to work remotely, and that it is incidental. It cannot be your primary reason for coming to the UK.
For example, you can work remotely in the UK if you are here to visit friends or family.
There are other permitted activities as well, such as attending a business meeting or speaking at an event.
As part of the considerations for your application, the Home Office will also check whether the duration of your stay will require you to work so as to remain financially stable. A short visit to the UK that lasts a few days is unlikely to impact your ability to support yourself too much. However, if you plan on staying for close to the maximum duration of six months that a Visitor Visa allows, then you will likely need to still work to be able to support yourself.
Additionally, you will need to prove that you are genuinely employed overseas with a real company, so that the Home Office accepts that you are likely to return home once your visit is done.
Please note that you may also need anyone you are visiting to provide a Letter of Invitation to support your application.
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Proof of ties to your home country
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, you will need to show that you are genuinely employed as part of your proof of home ties.
The Visitor Visa is the most popular visa, but it is also the visa that receives the most rejections. This is partly because the Home Office doubts whether some applicants will leave the UK once their visa has expired.
Proving ties to your home country is crucial to having a successful Visitor Visa application.
We have a guide you can read about proving ties to your home country. However, we shall provide a short overview here. Visit the linked webpage if you would like more in depth detail.
Examples of proof of ties:
- Family ties; for example, birth and marriage certificates
- Property and financial ties; for example, proof of home ownership, mortgage payments and other property documents
- Employment and business ties; for example, a letter from your employer confirming your employment, pay slips, or proof you own your business
- Educational ties; for example, your student ID or proof you are enrolled at a school or university (this is unlikely to be relevant for people working remotely, but there may be those with a part-time role)
- Community ties; for example, proof of being part of a social club, or documents that show you are politically active in your community
How we can help
If you need help in getting a self sponsored Skilled Worker Visa, our expert immigration team can help you. They can assist you with applying for both a Sponsor Licence, and a Skilled Worker Visa.
Contact us to arrange a free 10-minute consultation where you can discuss your issues with a team member. After the consultation, if it is determined that we can help you, then you can book a longer paid consultation. This will last either 30 minutes, or an hour.
The team member who initially talks to you will act as your point of contact in our company, and will deal with your case. You can ask them any questions that you may have.
Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.
Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
