Switching Into T2 Minister Of Religion Visa (Apply Tier 2 Minister Of Religion Visa From Inside The UK)

You can apply for switching into T2 Minister of religion visa if you are in the UK and have been offered job as minister of religion, missioner or member of religious order within your faith community. If you meet the requirements for switching into T2 (Minister of Religion) category, you will be granted leave to remain up to 3 years depending on the job start and end dates on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

Our expert team of T2 visa solicitors are specialists in T2 Minister of Religion visa applications. As one of the best T2 visa solicitors in London, our T2 visa solicitors have wealth of knowledge and experience to provide high quality fixed fee legal services for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa. Ask a question to our expert T2 visa lawyers for free immigration advice or book an appointment for detailed immigration advice for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK.

Pastoral Duties As A Minister Of Religion

Pastoral duties include:

• leading worship regularly and on special occasions;
• giving religious education to children and adults by preaching or teaching;
• officiating at marriages, funerals and other special services; and
• offering counselling and welfare support to members of the congregation; and
• recruiting, training and co-ordinating the work of any local volunteers and lay preachers.

Working As A Missionary

Work as a missionary is not just preaching and teaching. It can also include:

• the organisation of missionary activity (but should not be administrative or clerical, unless filling a senior post);
• supervising staff;
• co-ordinating the organisation of missionary work;
• being in charge of a particular activity such as accounts/finance, personnel management or IT; and
• translating religious texts – this is missionary work, not clerical work.

Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) For T2 Minister Of Religion Visa Sponsorship

Before you apply for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa, you should confirm with your sponsor that they have indicated that a resident labour market test (RLMT) has been completed on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

The exemption from the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) can apply in the following circumstances:

• Your employer has justified that the role you will be undertaking is supernumerary and you will not be filling a vacant position that could otherwise be filled by a settled worker and you intend to be based in the UK for the duration of your permission to stay;
• The role you will be doing involves living mainly within and being a member of a religious order, which is a lineage of communities or of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, for example, an order of nuns or monks.

T2 Minister Of Religion Salary

Your certificate of sponsorship (CoS) must confirm that you will receive pay and conditions at least equal to, or in excess of, those normally given to a settled worker in the same role. This may be a traditional salary, stipend, customary offering, board and lodgings or a combination of these but must comply with, or be exempt from, the National Minimum Wage regulations.

Your salary may be paid in the UK or abroad. If you will be paid abroad in a currency other than pounds sterling, the salary amount entered on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) will be based on the exchange rate published on www.oanda.com on the day the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is assigned.

Eligibility Requirements For Switching Into T2 Minister of Religion Visa

To be eligible for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa for UK, you need to:

• be in the UK under a visa category from which switching into T2 Minister of religion visa is permitted by the Immigration Rules;
• be employed by a licensed T2 Minister of Religion sponsor;
• have a valid certificate of sponsorship (CoS) for your job;
• show your job is at appropriate job level as stated in Appendix J of the Immigration Rules;
• show you are being paid an appropriate salary for your job;
• prove your knowledge of English as required in Appendix B of the Immigration Rules;
• have have funds for maintenance in the UK or your T2 sponsor has certified your maintenance as per requirements of Appendix C of the Immigration Rules;

What Is The Points Based Criteria For Switching Into T2 Minister of Religion Visa?

T2  Minister of Religion visa is a Points Based visa category and points can be awarded for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), English language and funds for maintenance. A T2 Minister of Religion migrant should score 70 points in total to qualify for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa. The breakdown of the required points for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa is given in the table below:

Genuineness Test For Switching Into T2 Minister Of Religion Visa

When applying for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa UK, Home Office UKVI must be satisfied that you genuinely intend to undertake, and are capable of undertaking, the role for which the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was assigned and you will not undertake employment in the UK other than permitted by the entry clearance or leave to remain, should it be granted.

In order to assess the genuineness, the Home Office UKVI may:

• request additional information and evidence, and refuse your application if the information or evidence is not provided. Any requested documents must be received by the Home Office at the address specified in the request within 10 business days of the date the request is sent; and
• request you attend an interview, and refuse your application if you fail to comply with any such request without providing a reasonable explanation. Any information obtained during the course of an interview may be relied on for the further purpose of assessing a sponsor’s compliance with their sponsor duties.

In making the genuineness assessment, the Home Office UKVI will base their decision on the balance of probabilities and may take into account your:

• knowledge of the role;
• relevant experience relative to skills required to do the role;
• knowledge of the sponsor in the UK;
• explanation of how you were recruited; and
• any other relevant information.

Who Can Switch Into T2 Minister Of Religion Visa From Inside The UK?

You can apply for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK if you have, or were last granted, leave in one of the categories listed below:

• Tier 1 visa
• T2 (Sportsperson) visa
• T2 General visa
• T2 (Intra company Transfer) visa under the Immigration Rules in place before 6 April 2010 and you’re applying to change sponsor
• Tier 4 visa – if you have an eligible qualification, will complete your course in 3 months, or you’ve done at least 12 months of a PhD
• Start-up visa
• Innovator visa
• Global Talent visa
• Tier 4 Dependent Partner
• Representative of an overseas business

Switching From Tier 4 General Student Visa To T2 Minister of Religion Visa

If you are switching from Tier 4 General student visa to T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK, you can only switch into T2 Minister of Religion if you meet the following criteria:

• You are currently, or have last been, sponsored by a Tier 4 sponsor which is either:
  • a higher education provider with a track record of compliance; or
  • an overseas higher education institution, and were sponsored to undertake a short-term study abroad programme in the United Kingdom, and
• you have
  • completed, or are applying no more than 3 months before the expected completion date for, a course leading to a UK recognised bachelor’s or master’s degree;
  • completed, or are applying no more than 3 months before the expected completion date for a course leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education; or
  • completed a minimum of 12 months’ study in the UK towards a UK PhD during your current period of leave or a period of continuous leave which includes your last grant of leave; and

• you studied for, or are studying, the eligible award at a UK institution that is a UK recognised or listed body, or an education provider which holds a licence for sponsoring students under Tier 4 of the Points-Based System; and
• your periods of UK study and/or research towards your course ‘have been undertaken whilst you had entry clearance, leave to enter or leave to remain in the UK that was not subject to a restriction preventing you from undertaking it; and
• if you undertook or are still undertaking, the study for the qualification whilst holding leave as a Tier 4 student, you have undertaken the study at the institution which is the Tier 4 sponsor, and not through supplementary study; and
• you are applying from inside the UK.

You must provide a degree certificate, academic transcript or an academic reference on official headed paper of the institution. You may have been sponsored in your studies by Her Majesty’s Government, your home government or any international scholarship agency. If you have had such sponsorship within the past 12 months, you must provide Home Office UKVI with the Government or international scholarship agency’s unconditional consent in writing, giving you their permission to remain in, or re-enter, the UK.

The T2 sponsor is exempt from meeting the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) if the applicant meets the above referred switching criteria. The employer needs to issue an unrestricted Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) which the applicant will use to make an application for switching into T2 Minister of Religion leave. The applicant’s job and salary level should comply with the requirements of the Code of Practice in Appendix J to the Immigration Rules.

Super Priority Service (Decision Within 24 Hours) For Switching Into T2 Minister of Religion Visa

As the expert immigration solicitors based in London, Manchester and Birmingham, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners UKVCAS Sopra Steria to provide Super Priority Service (SPS) for your application whereby decision on your application will be made by the Home Office UKVI within 24 hours of the enrolment of biometrics at a designated service centre.

Our immigration solicitors can prepare and submit your application to the Home Office, UKVI through Super Priority Service (SPS) and get decision on your immigration application within 24 hours. This way, you will not have to wait for the decision on your application for months (sometimes years).

How Can We Help For Switching Into T2 Minister of Religion Visa?

Our specialist team of T2 Minister of Religion visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your application for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK. As your appointed legal representatives for T2 Minister of Religion visa application from inside the UK, our work can include the following:

• assessing your eligibility for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
• assisting your prospective T2 Minister of Religion sponsor with Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT), if applicable, and correctly assigning the restricted Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to you;
• advising on relevant documents to be submitted in support of the application;
• assessing the documentary evidence including the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to ensure that the documents are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK;
• completing online application form for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK;
• preparing a detailed cover letter in support of your application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa have been satisfied by the T2 applicant;
• submitting the T2 Minister of Religion application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees for T2 Minister of Religion visa application and booking applicant’s appointment with the UKVCAS application centre;
• uploading all the supporting documents online in support of the T2 Minister of Religion application;
• doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Home Office UKVI until decision is reached on your T2 Minister of Religion application.

Our Fixed Fees For Switching Into T2 Minister Of Religion Visa

Our fixed fees for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK are as given in the fee table below: