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Tier 5 (Temporary worker - religious workers)

Image of hands clasped together in prayer.

Applying to extend your stay

This section explains how and when you should apply under Tier 5 (Temporary worker - Religious worker) of our points-based system to work in the UK.

You should read the section Can you apply? first, to make sure you meet the requirements to apply.

As part of your application, you will need to enrol your fingerprints and facial image (known as 'biometric information') in order to obtain a biometric residence permit. The Biometric information page explains how to do this.

When should you apply?

You should apply as soon as possible, and before your current permission to stay expires.

The date of your application depends on how you submit your application. See 'More information' below.

How to apply

If you think you are eligible to apply, you can make your application and download the Tier 5 (Temporary worker) policy guidance by following the link on the right side of this page. You must read the policy guidance before you make your application.

When you have submitted your application form online, you must print out a cover sheet containing the details of your application. You will then need to:

  • use our standard service to submit your supporting documents and cover sheet by post or courier, and then enrol your biometric information; or 
  • use our premium service to enrol your biometric information and submit your supporting documents in person at one of our public enquiry offices, and (in most cases) get a decision about your application on the same day. For more information, see the Applying in person section.

If you submit your supporting documents and cover sheet by post or courier, you must send them to the address on the cover sheet. Documents sent by courier must arrive during normal business hours (08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.

If you are making any applications for your family members ('dependants') to stay in the UK at the same time as your own application, you can also make their applications on your online application form. We will then consider their applications at the lower application fee.

If you apply using a paper form and you want to make applications for your family members ('dependants') to stay in the UK at the same time, you should send all the applications together in the same envelope. We will then consider your dependants' applications at the lower application fee. If a dependant's application is sent later than or separately from your application, it will be considered in its own right and will be subject to the full application fee.

There are special application requirements if you are currently in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man - see 'More information' below.

More information

  • What is the date of your application? (Applying online inside the UK) The application date is the date when you submit your application form and pay your application fee online. Your application wont become valid until your supporting documents are received and your biometric information is enrolled.
  • What is the date of your application? (Applying by post or courier from inside the UK)

    If you send your application form and application fee by post, the date of application is the date of posting. This is decided by the postmark. If the postmark is illegible or missing, the date of postage is taken as being at least 1 day before it is received by us.

    If you send your application form and application fee by courier, the date of application is the date when it is delivered to our payment handling service.
  • What is the date of your application? (Applying in person inside the UK)

    If you are applying in person at one of our public enquiry offices, your application date will be the date when you attend the public enquiry office to make your application and pay your application fee.
  • Withdrawing your application If you want to withdraw your application, you must use the online return of documents form. Your application will not be considered, and we will return your documents to you with no decision. We will not refund the cost of your application if you use this form.
  • Duplicate applications If you send more than one application, you will be charged the application fee for each application.
  • How to pay your application fee if you are inside the UK

    If you are applying online, you must pay your fee online as part of your application.

    If you are applying by post or courier, you can choose how to pay your application fee:

    • By cheque in sterling on a UK bank account. The application form will tell you who to make the cheque payable to, you should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the cheque to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a UK postal order. You should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the postal order to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). For postal and courier payments, we accept only Maestro cards issued in the UK. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards.

    If you are applying and paying in person at a public enquiry office, you can choose how to pay your application fee. For applications made in person at a public enquiry office, the total fee includes an additional fee of £375 for each person. This includes a £100 appointment fee, which may be retained should the applicant fail to attend their appointment without good reason.  Please check the relevant application form to find out if you can make an application in person.

    • With a UK postal order (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). You should write your full name and date of birth on the back.
    • By banker's draft (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). We can accept any Maestro card for payments at a public enquiry office. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards. The cardholder must be present for the payment to be taken.

    Payment by any other method is not accepted.

    You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of your application. If you do not do this, your application will be invalid and will not be considered. We will return your application and part payment to you.

    We start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Payments are cleared:

    • after 5 working days for cheques
    • after 1 working day for credit or debit cards
    • immediately for postal orders

    Please note that, if you are making numerous payments using your credit card, the anti-fraud measures that banks operate sometimes stop payment being taken. This may be because you have exceeded the maximum limit on a single transaction or the number of transactions allowed in a given period of time. You must ensure that you contact your bank in advance, so that the bank will allow the full payment to be taken without any problems when you submit your applications.

    Payment information on the application form

    It is very important that you complete the payment section of the application form correctly. If this section contains errors, we will not be able to process your payment. This will mean that your application is invalid.