Minister and Religious work visas

To celebrate World Religion Day on Sunday, a brief summary of the new changes of the T2 (Minister of Religion) and T5 (Temporary Worker) Religious Worker under the new PBS rules.

T2 Minister of Religion - renamed and simplified under the new PBS rules

As with the significant changes to the Tier 2 (General) Migrant requirements (now Skilled Worker), Tier 2 Minister of Religion also had a revamp. The obvious change is that it is now called T2 Minister of Religion (shortened by 3 letters). The other and more important changes are:

1. The route category has its own guidance separate from the Skilled Worker guidance (T2 Minister of Religion caseworker guidance version 1.0)
2. Like Skilled Workers, switching into this category (T2 Minister of Religion) is easier and simpler.
3. In replacement of the need to undertake a Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT), the employer will need to show that the role is a genuine one and that the person filling it has the qualifications and experience to take it on

If applying for an extension to stay under T2 Minister of Religion, the financial requirement is met if the person has lived in the UK with permission for more than 12 months. 

Tier 5 Religious worker - now called T5 (Temporary Worker) Religious Worker 

Unlike T2 Minister of Religion and the Skilled Worker route, there aren't many changes as you would expect:

1. The RLMT requirement remains and the employer will also need to show that there is a genuine need for the role to be filled
2. There is still a cooling off period of 12 months: they must not have held entry clearance and been present in the UK as a Religious Worker or Charity Worker for the past 12 months from the date of application
3. Despite the above, T5 (Temporary Worker) Religious Worker can now switch into T2 (Minister of Religion) without the need to leave the country to apply.

The new PBS rules in relation to the above routes also provides clarity in terms of the roles a T2 (Minister of Religion) and a T5 (Temporary Worker) Religious Worker are expected to do.