Permitted Paid Engagement Visa

What is the Permitted Paid Engagement visa?

Need to visit the UK for a paid job? The Paid Engagement Visitor Visa might be right for you. This visa is designed for professionals and experts who want to come to the UK for a specific paid job related to their skills.

This visa doesn’t let you settle in the UK permanently. The PPE visa cannot be extended. Moreover, a person will not be able to apply for another visa as long as this document is valid.

Everyone who wants to visit under this visa needs to apply separately, even if they’re travelling with a group.

Recent changes

On 31st of January 2024, the government made changes to the rules for visitor visas. The short-term (one-month) Paid Engagement Visitor Visa for experts is no longer available. All activities allowed under this visa are now included in the six-month Standard Visitor Visa. However, if you’re coming for a paid engagement, you must do it within the first 30 days of your visit, even if you plan to stay longer.

Who Needs a UK Visitor Visa?

If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you don’t need a visa to visit the UK.

If you have a valid EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) or another relevant UK visa, you don’t need a visitor visa either.

For everyone else, it depends on your nationality.

Visa nationals: If your country is on the UK government’s list of ‘Visa nationals’, you must apply for a visitor visa before coming to the UK. You can find the list here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-visa-national-list
Non-Visa nationals: If your country isn’t on the list, you generally don’t need a visitor visa.

Remember: Even if you don’t need a visa, it’s always a good idea to check the latest UK government guidelines before you travel.

Requirements for a Permitted Paid Engagement visa

The first step when approaching the requirements relates to determining whether you need to obtain a visa at all. Some nationalities are allowed to stay in the UK for a specific period of time without a visa, which changes the approach to business trips. In such a case, you will only need to get a stamp at the Border Office. To do so, you will have to provide the invitation from your employee as well as the proof you’re going to operate within your area of expertise.

For nationalities that need a visa to enter the United Kingdom, it is necessary to apply for the 1 month Permitted Paid Engagement visa online before travelling to the country. The application should be made within three months before the trip or shorter. The application is made on the official website of the UK government, where you can also find all the requirements, terms, and other details.

You need to meet the following rules:

Be at least 18 years old;
You need a formal invitation from a UK-based company or client that’s related to your skills and experience;
Your visit must be for a specific job that you finish within 30 days after your entry;
You can’t do prohibited activities that’s not allowed under this type of visa;
You must have enough funds to cover your travel, living, and other costs without working or relying on public funds;
You must plan to leave the UK when your visit is over;
You can’t live in the UK for long periods through frequent visits or make it your main home.

What you can do with a Permitted Paid Engagement visa?

As it is a visa for a relatively short period of time, the assortment of activities available to the holder is rather limited. An example of such limitation would be that the holder won’t be able to perform paid services outside of their area of expertise. They are also not capable of staying in the United Kingdom for extended periods of time as well as passing to a different country. The holders are not able to claim governmental or other benefits and register marriages during the period of their stay as well.

The exhaustive list of Permitted Paid Engagements is now as follows:

Participating in selection panels or examining students as a highly qualified academic.
Giving lectures in your area of expertise.
Serving as a pilot examiner to assess UK-based pilots.
Providing legal representation for legal proceedings when invited by a client.
Participating as a professional artist, entertainer, or musician invited by a UK-based organisation, agent, or broadcaster.
Participating as a professional athlete invited by a UK-based sports organisation, agent, or broadcaster.
Giving a one-off or short series of talks or speeches.

How to apply and fees

The application is made online in the Permitted Paid Engagement visa UK section of the official website of the government. To apply, you will need to provide all the required documents, including the invitation letter from a permitted organisation. The fee for a PPE visa is £115.

How can we help?

Recently the client, who is events-manager, contacted our immigration team asking for assistance with obtaining visas for the international music artist and their team.

Our team, in particular Tatiana Deren, conducted a detailed assessment of the client’s requirements, the artist’s career, and the specific activities involved in the concerts.

We prepared a comprehensive analysis of essential supporting documents, with particular emphasis on the artist’s activities, which includes:

Artist’s Activities: Extracts from the Register in the artist’s home country to confirm the professional status.
Employment Confirmation: Confirmation of employment for all team members involved in the concerts.
Engagement Details: A detailed description of the concerts, including dates, locations, and supporting materials like invitations, contracts, and confirmation of participation.
Artist’s Career: A comprehensive overview of the artist’s career, accomplishments, and past / future performances.
Invitation Letter: A formal invitation from the UK-based event organiser outlining the details of the concerts and confirming the artist’s participation and the roles of team members.

Based on the strong documentation and evidence provided, all visa applications were approved, allowing the artist and their team to perform at the planned concerts.

The client was extremely satisfied with the outcome, expressing gratitude for our expertise and efficient handling of the visa process.

While this case highlights a successful application for a Paid Engagement Visitor Visa for an artist, each individual case requires careful evaluation and preparation. If you have a specific situation you’d like to discuss, please feel free to contact our immigration experts.