Apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa
Have plans to come to the UK for an engagement as a professional performer, a professional sportsperson, a practitioner, an expert or an examiner? The Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa may be the ideal choice for you. Provided your occupation and expertise align with the Home Office requirements, the PPE visa offers the possibility of being granted entry to work in the UK for up to six months, but you must carry out the engagement in the first 30 days of the visit, so the engagement must not last longer than 30 days. You must be 18 or over and you must have been given a formal invitation by the UK organisation organising the event.
Not sure where to start on your Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa application? Read on to learn more about this visa, how it works, and the eligibility requirements you need to meet. Alternatively, contact our skilled immigration specialists directly to learn more.
What is a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa?
A Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa is a short-term visa for a whole range of different types of people, who can come to the UK:
- as a professional artist, entertainer or musician
- as a professional sportsperson
- as a qualified lawyer – to represent a client
- to give a lecture or series of lectures
- to speak at a conference
- as an academic – to be a student examiner or assessor
- as an air pilot examiner
You cannot extend your stay on a PPE visa, and you will need to re-apply each time you are invited to an engagement.
PPE visas are single-person visas, where each individual needs to apply separately. For example, if you are a musician in a band, each band member would need to apply for their own UK visa to enter the UK and work at a planned event.
Who can travel on a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa?
If you are invited to the UK for a specific paid engagement, it is important to check whether your occupation and expertise are covered as part of the PPE visa scheme.
It is important to note that PPE visas are for short-term engagements and are not a viable option for covering longer-term employment. In the cases of academic examiners or lecturers you must not be fully retired but you can be semi-retired.
What can you not do on a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa?
If you enter the UK on a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa, you are limited on what you can do during your time in the UK. Some of the activities not permitted under this visa are:
- Taking paid work outside the pre-planned engagement
- Studying
- Living in the UK beyond your six-month visa
- Claiming benefits
- Passing through the UK ‘in transit’ to another country
- Marrying or registering a civil partnership, or giving notice for either – this requires a Marriage Visitor visa
- Bringing your partner or dependants to the UK – they will need to apply for their own Visitor visas
Coming to the UK as a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor
If your country of nationality is included in the visa national list you will need to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement visa to enter the UK. If you are a non-visa national you may be able to apply for leave to enter the UK at the border, although this is not generally recommended.
In either case you will need to show that you can support yourself, pay for your return journey and that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.
Costs
A Permitted Paid Engagement visa costs £135. You will need to apply for a new visa for each engagement or consider other visa options for longer-term employment.
How to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa
If you plan to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa, you can do so online up to 3 months before your planned event or engagement. You must:
1. Receive a formal written invitation
A formal written invitation from the event organiser or engagement host is required for this application. The organiser must be a UK-based organisation.
2. Provide evidence of your expertise
The engagement you are travelling for must be related to your area of expertise, main job or qualifications. To prove this, you could provide evidence of your education, a letter from your employer or information from past engagements.
3. Provide documentation and identity information
You’ll also need to supply information about your identity for your application, typically a passport. In addition, you will need to attend an appointment at a local visa application centre with documentation to provide biometrics.
4. Pay fees and wait for a final decision
On completion, you pay the fee for your PPE visa application and await the decision. In most cases this process takes around three weeks. As you can apply for your Permitted Paid Engagement visa up to three months in advance, we would always advise you to apply as early as possible to prevent problems from delays.
Need help with your Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa application?
Have an upcoming engagement in the UK? Don’t leave your visa to the last minute. With our expert help as immigration specialists, we ensure your applications are completed in plenty of time for your next event. Whether you’re a lawyer, guest lecturer or musician, we work with you to make the visa process easy. Get in touch now to find out more.
