Coming from Overseas to Teach in the UK

Prospero Teaching’s overseas experts explain Visas, Tiers, UK Ancestry & documents you need to come to Teach in the UK.

Visas – How hard is it to come over? The facts.

When coming over to the UK one of the first thoughts are visas. Which one do you choose? Which one is the best one to go for? Is there an age limit?

The main visas which are suitable for travelling from Australia are as follows:

• Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme)
• UK Ancestry

Can you apply for Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme)?

This visa is on a points scheme, you need 50 points and meet all the other requirements of the Immigration rules. The attributes including are Nationality, Age and Maintenance (funds).

• Nationality – 30 points – Australia, Canada and New Zealand all fits into this criteria
• Age – 10 points – You need to be under 31 years old when you apply for this visa and at least 18 years old when your visa becomes valid.
• Maintenance (funds) – 10 points – Make sure you are £1,800 cash funds availabl

You must confirm that you have no children under 18 years old who are living with you or who you are financially stable. Also you have never been in the UK at any time in the ‘working holiday maker’ category. However if you have been on a UK visa on a different category – you can apply for a youth mobility scheme visa.

Can you apply for UK Ancestry?

This visa is for Commonwealth citizens who have at least one grandparent who is/was a UK citizen. You must be able to say ‘yes’ and prove with documentation all of the following details to apply for this visa. This visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years and after this time you can apply to settle permanently known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’.

• You are a commonwealth citizen
• You are aged 17 or over
• At least 1 of your grandparents was born in the UK or born before 31 March 1922 in what is now the Republic of Ireland or on a British-registered ship or aircraft

Documents required:

• Your full birth certificate
• Your parents and Grandparents marriage certificates
• Legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted
• Full birth certificates of the parent or grandparent you are applying Ancestry through
• Your marriage certificate/civil partnership registration document if your partner if joining you on your move

If you are looking for more information on this, have a look at the UK Border website.

See The Home Office for more >

Resources for Overseas Teachers

Teachers: From Australia 

Teachers: From Canada

Teachers: From Ireland