T2 Minister of Religion Visa UK

The T2 Minister of Religion visa is a UK work visa designed for individuals who have been offered a job within a faith community in the UK, such as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order.

To qualify for a T2 Minister of Religion visa from outside the UK, you must:

• Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK sponsor.
• Demonstrate knowledge of English by passing an approved English language test at CEFR level B2 or higher, or by having an academic qualification taught in English and recognised by Ecctis as equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher.
• Have at least £1,270 in your bank account to support yourself, unless your sponsor can cover your costs and has certified maintenance in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). 
• Be 18 years or older.
• Meet the suitability requirements whereby the application does not fall for refusal under the General Grounds for refusal.
• Provide tuberculosis test results if you're from a listed country.

Your partner and children can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

If your partner's or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.

A dependent partner or child is any of the following:

    your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
    your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
    your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Yes, you may be able to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa. You must apply before the expiry of your current leave to remain. 

If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also meet one of the following requirements:

• you have completed the course you were sponsored to study
• your job start date is after your course has finished
• you have studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

You cannot apply to switch to this visa if you’re currently in the UK:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a Seasonal Worker visa
• on a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa or an Overseas Domestic Worker visa
• on immigration bail
• because you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

If you are in the UK on any of the above-listed visa categories, you must leave the UK and apply for a T2 Minister of Religion visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

You may be able to apply to extend your stay in the UK under a T2 Minister of Religion visa. You should apply before your current visa expires. You’ll still need to meet the eligibility requirements and provide the right documents. You’ll also need a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your sponsor.

You can extend a T2 Minister of Religion visa for up to 3 years, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or the time required to take your total stay in the UK to a maximum of 6 years, whichever time is shorter.

Under the T2 Minister of Religion visa category, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) 28 days before completing 5 years' residence in the UK. 

You can take a second job while on a T2 Minister of Religion visa if you're working up to 20 hours a week in either:

• The same profession as your main job.
• A profession on the Skilled Worker immigration salary list.

You can also do unpaid voluntary work while you are on a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

The most common reasons for refusal of a T2 Minister of Religion visa is that the UKVI does not believe that the applicant's job as a T2 Minister of Religion is genuine or that the applicant is capable of performing the job role. 

You can challenge the refusal of your T2 Minister of Religion visa application by requesting an Administrative Review (AR) of the refusal decision. If you applied from outside the UK, you should submit the Administrative Review within 28 days, and if you applied from inside the UK, you should submit the Administrative Review (AR) within 14 days. 

Yes, you will need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned by your employer/sponsor to apply for your T2 Minister of Religion visa. 

The processing time for the T2 Minister of Religion visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your T2 Minister of Religion visa. 

The processing times for T2 Minister of Religion visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a T2 Minister of Religion visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a T2 Minister of Religion visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

Yes, you can change employers while holding a T2 Minister of Religion Visa. However, your new employer/sponsor must be willing to sponsor your T2 Minister of Religion visa, and you may need to submit a new visa application to update it.

If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.

If the applicant has been in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, either:

• the applicant must have funds of at least £1,270; or
• the sponsor must certify that they will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the applicant up to the end of the first month of their employment, to an amount of at least £1,270.

According to changes to the Immigration Rules introduced on 17 July 2023, a student switching into a T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK must fulfil one of the Conditions A, B or C below on the date of application:

Condition A:

• the applicant must have completed the course of study for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned (or a course to which ST 27.3 of Appendix Student applies); or

Condition B:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study at a degree level or above with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than the course completion date; or

Condition C:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study leading to the award of a PhD with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than 24 months after the start date of that course.

You should normally apply for an extension of your T2 Minister of Religion visa within 28 days before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a T2 Minister of Religion. However, an early extension of your T2 Minister of Religion visa is also possible, and you can apply for a T2 Minister of Religion visa up to 3 months before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a T2 Minister of Religion.