The UK Overseas Domestic Worker visa is an immigration route for domestic workers who wish to work in the UK with their current employer for a period of up to 6 months. The Overseas Domestic Worker visa is available to nannies, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs and those providing personal care for an employer and their family.

The Overseas Domestic Worker visa route does not lead to settlement in the UK and dependents are not eligible to join or accompany a main applicant.

1. UK Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa, an applicant will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:

• The applicant is aged 19 or over;
• The applicant has been employed as a domestic worker for 12 months or more immediately before the date of application;
• The applicant has been living with their employer or in a property that their employer uses as a home for themselves on a regular basis, for 12 months or more immediately before the date of application;
• The applicant has agreed in writing the terms and conditions of their employment in the UK and can provide evidence in the form set out in Appendix Domestic Worker Statement;
• The applicant intends to work for their employer whilst their employer is in the UK as a full-time domestic worker in a UK household in which their employer will live;
• The employer will pay the applicant at least the UK National Minimum Wage;
• The applicant intends to travel to the UK with either:
  • their British employer, or their British spouse, civil partner or child under the age of 18 (the employer’s usual place of residence must be outside the UK and the person accompanying the applicant must not intend to remain in the UK for more than 6 months);
  • a British employer’s foreign national spouse, civil partner or child under the age of 18 (the person accompanying the applicant must not intend to remain in the UK for more than 6 months);
  • a foreign national employer or their spouse, civil partner or child under the age of 18 (the person accompanying the applicant must be seeking, or have been granted, permission under Appendix V: Visitor, except where that permission is to undertake study activities listed at V 9);
• The applicant will leave the UK at the end of 6 months in the UK, or at the same time as their employer, whichever is sooner;
• The applicant will not live for extended periods in the UK through frequent or successive visits;
• The applicant will not make the UK their main home;
• The applicant can and will be adequately maintained and accommodated without recourse to public funds;
• The applicant does not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.

The exact requirements an applicant will need to satisfy may vary depending on their circumstances. You may wish to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

2. Employer Requirements and the Employer’s Visit to the UK

The Overseas Domestic Worker route is linked to the employer’s own visit to the UK. The applicant must intend to work for their employer while the employer is in the UK and must be travelling with an employer, or a relevant family member of the employer, in circumstances permitted by Appendix Overseas Domestic Worker.

Where the applicant is travelling with a British employer, or with that employer’s British spouse, civil partner or child under 18, the employer’s usual place of residence must be outside the UK. In all relevant cases, the employer or accompanying family member must not intend to remain in the UK for more than 6 months.

If the employer is a foreign national, or the applicant is travelling with the employer’s spouse, civil partner or child under 18, their UK immigration position should also be addressed. In particular, the overseas domestic worker’s application should be consistent with the employer’s or family member’s application or grant under the Visitor route, unless a different permitted circumstance applies. Inconsistencies between the employer’s stated purpose and length of stay and the worker’s proposed employment in the UK may lead to scrutiny or refusal.

3. Who Is an Overseas Domestic Worker?

The Immigration Rules define an “Overseas Domestic Worker” as a person who has, or had, permission under Appendix Overseas Domestic Worker, or as a domestic worker in a private household under paragraph 159A of the Rules in force before 6 May 2021.

The Rules do not set out a full occupational list of domestic workers. However, Home Office guidance states that domestic workers include cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, those providing personal care for the employer and their family, and nannies. The role must involve domestic work in a private household, rather than general employment for the employer or their business.

The focus of the UK Overseas Domestic Worker route is therefore on workers who are already employed in the employer’s private household overseas and who are accompanying that employer, or an eligible family member of the employer, to the UK for a temporary stay. Applicants should be prepared to show not only their job title, but also the nature of their duties, the household in which they work and the existing employment relationship with the employer.

4. Documents Required for a UK Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Application

UK Visas & Immigration will expect the requirements of the Overseas Domestic Worker route to be demonstrated through comprehensive supporting documentary evidence. The documents required will vary depending on the applicant’s personal circumstances, the employer’s travel plans and the country in which the domestic worker is currently employed.

As a guide, an Overseas Domestic Worker visa application may need to include:

• A current passport or other valid travel document;
• Evidence that the domestic worker can support themselves during their stay in the UK;
• A completed Appendix Domestic Worker Statement, signed by both the applicant and their employer;
• A letter from the employer confirming the applicant’s job title, duties, length of employment and permanent employment status;
• Evidence of the applicant’s employment overseas, such as an employment contract, payslips or bank statements showing payment of salary;
• Evidence of tax, social security or health insurance contributions, where available;
• A work visa, residence permit or equivalent passport endorsement for the country in which the applicant is currently employed by their employer;
• Evidence of previous travel with the employer, such as visas, passport endorsements or travel records;
• Written confirmation that the applicant has agreed to the terms and conditions of their employment in the UK.

Any documents that are not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation.

The evidence should be consistent across the application. In particular, the applicant’s employment documents, salary evidence, residence documents and travel history should support the claimed 12-month employment and residence period immediately before the date of application. Where there are gaps, irregular payments, changes of address or unusual travel patterns, these should be clearly explained and supported by evidence where possible.

The exact documents required may vary depending on the applicant’s circumstances. We recommend consulting an immigration lawyer for professional legal advice before submitting an application.

5. Evidence of 12 Months’ Employment and Residence With the Employer

Particular care should be taken to evidence the 12-month period immediately before the date of application. UKVI will need to be satisfied not only that the applicant has been employed as a domestic worker for the employer throughout that period, but also that they have lived with the employer or in a property which the employer uses as a home on a regular basis.

The evidence should present a consistent picture. Employment documents, residence documents, passport stamps or travel records, salary payments and any tax, social security or insurance records should align with each other as far as possible. Where there are gaps, changes of address, periods of travel or irregular payment arrangements, these should be explained clearly and supported by documents where available.

An Overseas Domestic Worker visa application may be refused if the evidence does not show continuous qualifying employment and residence for the required period, or if the documents raise unresolved inconsistencies about where the worker lived, who employed them, when the employment began or whether they were paid as claimed.

6. When to Apply and Travel to the UK

A UK Overseas Domestic Worker visa application should be timed around the employer’s proposed UK trip. The applicant’s intended travel dates, length of stay and proposed work in the UK should be consistent with the employer’s own travel plans and UK immigration position.

If the application is successful, the worker will be expected to leave the UK when the employer leaves the UK or before the visa expires, whichever is sooner. The route is not intended to enable a domestic worker to live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits.

Before making fixed travel arrangements, applicants and employers should check current UKVI processing times and allow sufficient time for the application, biometric appointment and decision. Changes to the employer’s travel dates may need to be reflected in the worker’s application so that the evidence remains clear and consistent.

7. Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Fees and Processing Times

Applicants should check the current Home Office application fee before submitting an Overseas Domestic Worker visa application, as visa fees can change and may vary depending on the country of application.

According to current Home Office guidance, applicants applying from outside the UK can usually expect a decision on an Overseas Domestic Worker visa within around 3 weeks after proving their identity and providing their documents. However, processing times can vary depending on the country of application, appointment availability, local visa application centre arrangements, availability of Priority and Super Priority services and whether UKVI requires further information.

Applicants and employers should avoid making irreversible travel arrangements before a decision has been received. Priority or faster decision services may be available in some locations, but availability, eligibility and cost should be checked at the time of application.

8. Duration of an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

If an application for a UK Overseas Domestic Worker visa is successful, the applicant will be granted permission to enter the United Kingdom for a period of up to 6 months.

The worker will be expected to return home before the expiry date of their visa or when their employer returns home, whichever is sooner.

9. Conditions of Stay on an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

If an application for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa is approved, the applicant will be permitted to enter and stay in the UK for the period granted, up to a maximum of 6 months.

During their stay in the UK, the worker will be permitted to work only as an Overseas Domestic Worker or as a domestic worker in a private household. The work must be domestic work for the employer in the private household in which the employer will live during their UK stay. The route does not permit general business, commercial, casual or other employment outside the scope of domestic work in a private household.

The worker will not be permitted to access public funds and must continue to comply with the conditions of their permission throughout their stay.

10. National Minimum Wage and Written Employment Terms

An Overseas Domestic Worker visa applicant must have agreed in writing the terms and conditions of their employment in the UK and provide the required Appendix Domestic Worker Statement. The employer must also genuinely intend to pay the applicant at least the applicable UK National Minimum Wage throughout their employment in the UK.

The written terms should be clear, complete and consistent with the rest of the application. They should address the worker’s duties, working hours, rate and method of pay, accommodation arrangements and rest arrangements during the UK stay. The terms should also be consistent with the employer’s letter, payment evidence and the proposed length and purpose of the visit.

National Minimum Wage rates change from time to time. Employers should therefore check the current applicable rate before preparing the Appendix Domestic Worker Statement and submitting the visa application. A statement which is incomplete, inconsistent or based on an incorrect rate may lead UKVI to question whether the proposed employment arrangements in the UK are genuine and compliant.

11. Employer Responsibilities in the UK

Employers who bring an Overseas Domestic Worker to the UK must ensure that the worker’s employment remains consistent with the terms of their visa and the arrangements disclosed in the application. The worker’s duties must remain domestic work in a private household and must not extend to general business, commercial, casual or other employment.

During the worker’s stay, employers should comply with the agreed employment terms and keep clear records of pay and working arrangements, including salary payments, hours worked and any changes to the agreed arrangements. Any changes should remain consistent with the worker’s immigration conditions and the requirements of the Overseas Domestic Worker route.

Employers should not withhold the worker’s passport, identity documents or other personal documents. Where there are concerns about non-payment, coercion, restriction of movement or retention of documents, the worker may need urgent advice and support.

12. Changing Employer in the UK: Practical Limits

Overseas Domestic Worker visa holders may change employer while they are in the UK, but any change of employment must take place during the validity of their existing visa. A change of employer does not extend the period of permission and does not create a route to settlement in the UK.

Any new employment must still be as a domestic worker in a private household. The worker should retain evidence of the new employment terms, including duties, hours, pay, accommodation and working arrangements, together with evidence of salary payments where available.

The ability to change employer should not be treated as permission to remain in the UK beyond the visa expiry date or to undertake work outside the permitted scope of the route. The worker must continue to comply with the conditions of their permission and should leave the UK before their visa expires.

13. Switching into the UK Overseas Domestic Worker Route

It is not possible to switch into the Overseas Domestic Worker route from within the UK. An application for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa must be made from outside the UK.

14. Extensions of Stay and Settlement as an Overseas Domestic Worker

It is not possible to extend a UK Overseas Domestic Worker visa or qualify for settlement in the UK via the Overseas Domestic Worker route. A separate route may be available to a domestic worker who is a victim of modern slavery and meets the requirements of Appendix Domestic Worker who is a Victim of Modern Slavery; that separate route allows permission to stay for up to 2 years and is not a route to settlement.

15. Domestic Workers Who May Be Victims of Modern Slavery

Domestic workers who have experienced exploitation may need to consider a separate immigration route under Appendix Domestic Worker who is a Victim of Modern Slavery. This is distinct from extending a standard Overseas Domestic Worker visa, which cannot normally be extended.

Urgent advice and support may be required where there is evidence of exploitation, coercion, threats, withholding of documents, restriction of movement or non-payment of wages. Where there is an immediate risk to the worker’s safety, they should seek urgent assistance from the police or appropriate safeguarding services, in addition to taking legal advice on their immigration position.

Eligibility for permission under this separate route will depend on the facts, the applicant’s immigration history, the evidence available and the current Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance. It should not be assumed that every difficult or unlawful employment situation will meet the requirements of the modern slavery route.

16. Common Reasons for Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Refusals

An Overseas Domestic Worker visa application may be refused if UKVI is not satisfied that the requirements of Appendix Overseas Domestic Worker are met. Common issues include insufficient evidence that the applicant has been employed by the employer, and has lived with the employer or in a property regularly used by the employer as a home, for at least 12 months immediately before the date of application.

UKVI may also refuse an application where there are doubts about the genuineness of the employer’s visit to the UK, the worker’s proposed employment in the UK, or the worker’s intention to leave the UK when required. Non-compliant or unclear employment terms, including unclear duties, hours, pay or accommodation arrangements, may also cause difficulty.

Inconsistencies between employment documents, payment records, travel history, residence evidence and immigration history should be addressed before the application is submitted. Applicants may also be refused if suitability concerns arise, including matters falling under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

17. Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Refusals and Administrative Review

If an application for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa is refused, the applicant may be able to seek an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review of an error in the decision. If your UK Overseas Domestic Worker visa application has been refused, we recommend speaking to an immigration lawyer for expert legal advice.

18. Frequently Asked Questions: UK Overseas Domestic Worker Visa