The Tier 2 (Minister of religion) category is for people who have been offered employment or posts or roles within their faith communities in the UK as:

• ministers of religion undertaking preaching and pastoral work;
• missionaries; or
• members of religious orders.

Points are awarded as follows:

All employers who want to act as a sponsor need a licence. Once they get a licence, they are added to the register of sponsors. The register of sponsors has the name, location and rating of the organisation. All sponsors are given an A rating or B rating when they join the register. A "B" rating is a transitional rating and means that the sponsor is working with the UKBA to improve their systems.

A certificate of sponsorship is not an actual certificate or paper document, but is a unique reference number, which holds information about the job and your personal details.

Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. They will also need to give you some of the information they used to assign the certificate for you to use the point-based calculator and apply, for example, the wage of the job.

Yes, you can apply for your Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa or ILR as a Minister of Religion through same day visa service and your application will be decided by the Home Office, PEO in one day.

You can download the application form Tier 2 Minister of Religion from the UKBA Website to apply for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK.

You can download the application form VAF 9 and the PBS Appendix 5 Skilled Worker Self Assessment Form the UKBA Visa Services Website to apply for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa from outside the UK.

• An in-country application for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa submitted through our same day visa service is usually decided by the Home Office, Public Enquiry Office (PEO) within 24 hours.
• An in-country application application for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa submitted by post is decided according to the Home Office guidelines for processing of Tier 2 Minister of Religion applications.
• An out of country Tier 2 Minister of Religion application submitted to the British Embassy / High Commission is decided by the Home Office UKBA according to the Home Office Guide to the Visa Processing Times

A person who has spent continuous five years in the UK under Tier 2 Minister of Religion category can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a Tier 2 Minister of Religion. We provide same day visa service for ILR as a Tier 2 Minister of Religion.

If you applied for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa from outside the UK, the refusal of your application can be challenged by way of Administrative Review request within 28 days of the date of receipt of the refusal letter.

If you applied for Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK, you can challenge the refusal by way of an appeal to the first-tier Tribunal within 10 working days of the date of receipt of the refusal letter (5 working days if you are in detention at the time of the service of the refusal letter). If you have not been granted appeal right, you can challenge the refusal of your application by way of Judicial Review in High Court within 90 days of the date of the refusal letter.