Tier 5 Arriving in the UK

The Home Office strongly recommends against booking travel to the UK before a visa is issued.

Tier 5 visa holders must travel to the UK as soon as possible after the start date of their Tier 5 vignette. Those issued a vignette valid for 90 days must travel to the UK within this period, as if they do not, they will have to apply, and pay, for a replacement vignette before entering the UK.

Tier 5 vignettes are normally issued with a 'valid from' date around 14 days before the start date of the research visit, as listed in the Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship. This initial 14 day period allows the visa holder to settle in and take care of practical issues before they start their research.

Travelling to the UK as a Visitor

Applicants should also note that, once they have submitted their Tier 5 visa application, or after their Tier 5 visa has been granted, they must not enter the UK as a Visitor (e.g. as a tourist). If they do, their Tier 5 visa will no longer be valid, and they will not be able to start their research. Any travel plans should be discussed with the host department/ faculty/ college and the Staff Immigration Team (SIT).

Tier 5 visa holders and their family members will normally have their vignettes checked and date stamped by a Home Office Immigration Officer on arriving in the UK.

Nationals of An EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA who have a biometric passport will instead be able to enter through 'eGates' without having to speak to an Immigration Officer. If travelling with children under 10 years old, however, they cannot use the 'eGates' and will need to see an Immigration Officer.

Those who enter through an 'eGate' will not receive a date stamp in their passport and will need to retain their boarding pass, travel itinerary, or other evidence of when they entered the UK.

Even those who have travelled to the UK before may find the government's Guide to faster travel through the UK border useful.

Digital Immigration Status

Visa holders granted a visa for up to six months may only be issued with a vignette for the full period, all other visa holders will have a digital immigration status called an eVisa. 

A UKVI account will need to be created and the details on the eVisa should be carefully checked. If there is any error the visa holder must report the error  and inform their employing department/ faculty/ college and SIT.

The UKVI account allows the visa holder to;

• View and prove their rights in the UK for an employer, landlord, education and other organisations such as government services and the National Health Service
• Check what rights they have in the UK
• Update  personal details including your contact details, travel documents and personal information
• Link  travel document(s) to the eVisa status for return travel to the UK

Before travelling the current travel document(s) must be linked to the eVisa. This ensures the smoothest journey when boarding to return to the UK. This can be done by using the Update your UKVI account details.

Evidence Right to Work before visit starts

Tier 5 visa holders will need to provide a share code to their employing department/ faculty/ college to evidence their right to work in the UK before they can commence work, and an online check will need to be carried out.

If a share code is unable to be obtained, the visa holder may be able to start work with a right to work check on their vignette but must provide a share code before their vignette expires to complete the check and fully establish their right to work in the UK.

Detailed guidance is provided in our Online Right to Work check process.

The Home Office requires evidence of the date a Tier 5 visa holder enters the UK to be kept as part of their record-keeping requirements. Usually, the vignette will be date stamped upon arrival. In the absence of an entry stamp – for example, if the Tier 5 visa holder entered through Ireland or another part of the Common Travel Area, or through an 'eGate' – other evidence, such as the boarding card or travel itinerary will need to be presented to the host department/ faculty/ college when the right to work check is being completed.