Tier 5 Religious Worker visa category is for those coming to work temporarily in the United Kingdom as a religious worker. Duties may include preaching, pastoral work and non pastoral work.

Entry clearance as Tier 5 Charity Worker will be granted for a maximum of 24 months period, or the time given on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days after the end date given on the Certificate of Sponsorship and up to 14 days before the start date, whichever is the shorter.

No, you cannot switch into Tier 5 Religious Worker visa category from inside the UK. To apply for Tier 5 Religious Worker visa, you will have to leave the UK and apply for entry clearance from outside the UK.

You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the job start date as given by your sponsor in your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

Under Tier 5 (Temporary Worker), you must score:

• 30 points for possessing a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (Appendix A of the  Immigration Rules); and
• 10 points for Maintenance (Funds) (Appendix C of the Immigration Rules).

In assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship, the sponsor will have guaranteed that:

• you are qualified to do the job in question;
• you will only work at the specified location(s), except where working under the supplementary employment provisions;
• they will accept the responsibilities of sponsorship for you;
• where applicable, they will support you through funds and/or accommodation that are sufficient for you to maintain yourself throughout the duration of the Certificate of Sponsorship. If you are unable to support yourself, you could face financial hardship because you will not have access to most state benefits;
• you will not be displacing or denying an employment opportunity to a suitably qualified member of the resident labour force; and
• you will comply with the conditions of your permission to stay and will leave the United Kingdom when it expires.

You can challenge the refusal of your Tier 5 Religious worker visa application by seeking Administrative Review (AR) of the Home Office UKVI decision.