UK Specialist Work Visas: Visa Types & How To Apply

The United Kingdom offers several immigration routes for foreign workers and temporary workers who wish to work in the UK, or overseas businesses looking to assign staff to the UK to set up or expand their presence in the country. Out of all the UK worker visas, the most popular work visa is the Skilled Worker Visa, which allows foreign workers to come to or stay in the UK to work for a UK employer who is an approved sponsor.

However, there are some specialist work visas which cater to individuals with specific skills, professions, or historic agreements, such as global talent (formerly Exceptional Talent), elite sports, the arts, cross-border roles, or legacy EU and Swiss arrangements. These work routes often operate outside the standard job sponsorship system and may have unique eligibility criteria, time limits, or settlement options. 

Some of these specialist work visas include the Service Provider from Switzerland Visa, International Sportsperson Visa, and Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa.  

Apply for service providers from Switzerland Visa

Since Brexit, all foreign nationals, including those from Switzerland, need to obtain a relevant visa to work in the UK. In this context, a person needs to apply for a Service Provider from Switzerland visa if they work for a Switzerland-based company (this applies to all nationalities) and their employer requires them to work on a contract in the UK. The contract that is to carry out work in the UK must have been signed and begun before 11 pm on 31 December 2020.

Swiss nationals can also apply to this route as a self-employed service provider if they are based in Switzerland.

Where the applicant is not an EEA or Swiss national, they must provide evidence that they have been working in Switzerland for at least 12 months before applying.

If a person applying for a service provider from Switzerland visa is employed, their employer can only send its staff to the UK for 90 days every calendar year across all employees and contracts. This 90-day limit includes weekends and bank holidays. It is the responsibility of the applicant's employer to ensure they and any other staff who are required to work in the UK do not collectively exceed the 90-day limit. On the other hand, if an applicant is self-employed, it is the applicant's responsibility.

International Sports Person

The International Sportsperson immigration route is designed for a foreign elite sportsperson or qualified sports coach who is established internationally and can significantly contribute to the development of their sport at its highest level in the UK.

The International Sportsperson Visa replaced the former UK T2 Sportsperson visa and the sporting part of the UK T5 Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting visa.

An individual applying to come to or stay in the UK for this route must have their application endorsed by a relevant Home Office-approved Sports Governing Body that is listed in Immigration Rules Appendix Sports - Governing Bodies. Applicants seeking leave for a period of more than 12 months will also need to meet the English language knowledge requirement.

The applicant must be sponsored by their UK employer. The UK employer, on the other hand, must be authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the worker in question under the UK International Sportsperson route.

An International Sportsperson's partner and children can apply as 'dependants' to come to or stay in the UK on this route.The International Sportsperson route is a route to settlement.

Tier 1 Exceptional Talent

The T1 Exceptional Talent Visa is no longer available to new applicants, as this route was closed and replaced by the Global Talent Visa in February 2020. However, the existing visa holders can apply to extend their stay on the Global Talent route or directly apply for settlement, if eligible. Also, applicants who wish to apply as the dependant (partner and children) of a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) migrant worker may continue to do so.

This was a point-based UK immigration route designed for world leaders (called Exceptional Talent) or those with potential to become a world leader (called Exceptional Promise) in the fields of science, arts, humanities, and engineering. The applicants were required to have an endorsement from an approved endorsing body.

This route allowed talented professionals to come to or stay in the UK to work without requiring employer sponsorship.

Exceptional Talents can 

• Work as employed, contracted, or self-employed  

• Work in almost any sector 

• Work for any employer and move between employers without requiring any additional approval from the Home Office 

• Take up employment in the UK at any level 

However, they cannot work as a professional sportsperson or a sports coach, or as a Doctor or a Dentist in Training.