Minister of Religion Visa (T2) vs Religious Worker Visa: Key Differences

Members of faith-based organisations have a dedicated route to come to the UK under the Minister of Religion visa or the Religious worker visa. This post will explain the differences between these routes, eligibility considerations, and whether they lead to settlement.

In short, the Minister of Religion visa is for applicants who have been offered a job within a faith community in the UK, whereas the Religious Worker visa is for applicants who want to do religious work in a non-pastoral role or religious order.

Minister of Religion Visa

The Minister of Religion visa is suitable for individuals who have a key leading role within their religious establishment or organisation in the UK. This includes a minister of religion, missionary, or other religious workers in pastoral roles.

Unless you hold indefinite leave to remain, settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or are an Irish citizen, you must be sponsored by an eligible organisation. Your employer must be a licensed sponsor and must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship to confirm the nature and details of the position, including the salary, duration and place of work.

Your dependant partner and children may be eligible to join you on this visa.

You must prove your knowledge of English (reading, writing, and speaking) to at least B2 level on the CEFR scale. This can be done by taking an approved English language test. You can also meet this requirement if you hold a degree from a UK institution, have an overseas degree which was taught in English, or if you are a national of a country exempt from this requirement.

The maximum time you may spend in the UK on this visa is normally 3 years and 1 month, with the possibility to extend your visa afterwards. If you complete 5 years in the UK on this visa, you may be eligible to settle in the UK.

The current fee for the Minister of Religion visa is £769 for individuals applying from outside the UK (3 weeks processing time) and £885 for those applying from inside the UK (8 weeks processing time). You will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year.

Religious Worker Visa

The Religious Worker visa is suitable for individuals who want to work in a non-pastoral role or religious order on a temporary basis.

As with the Minister of Religion visa, your employer must be a licensed sponsor and must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship to confirm the nature and details of the position.

Your dependant partner and children may be eligible to join you.

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English for the Religious Worker visa.

The maximum time you may spend in the UK on this visa is 2 years with no possibility of extension.

The Religious Worker visa is not a route to settlement.

The current fee for the Religious Worker visa is £319 for individuals applying from inside and outside the UK. You will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year. The current processing time is 8 weeks.

Key Differences

Component	Minister of Religion Visa	Religious Worker Visa
Employment	Must be mainly pastoral (e.g. priests, imams, rabbis) or for missionaries and religious order members	Must be non-pastoral but can include religious duties to support the activities of religious institutions or religious orders.
English language	Must meet the English language requirements (B2 CEFR)	Not required
Financial requirement	Must have at least £1,270 to support yourself in the UK	Must have at least £1,270 to support yourself in the UK
Maximum duration	Initially 3 years and 1 month with extension possible.	Up to 2 years maximum.
Family members	Can apply to join.	Can apply to join.
Route to settlement?	Yes	No
Processing time	3 weeks or 8 weeks	8 weeks
Immigration Health Surcharge	£1,035 per year	£1,035 per year

Definitions

Minister of Religion

A religious perfunctory whose main duties include leading a congregation in performing the rites and rituals of the faith and in preaching the essentials of the creed.

Pastoral Duties

Include: leading regular worship, providing religious education for children and adults through preaching, leading marriages and funerals, offering counselling and welfare support, or recruiting and training local volunteer work.

Missionaries

A missionary is a person who organises missionary activity (not mainly administrative or clerical, unless for a senior post). They may also be responsible for accounts, finance, and personnel management, and translating religious texts. Full-time work as a teacher in a church school or missionary organisation does not count as missionary work.

---

If you're unsure whether the Minister of Religion T2 visa or the Religious Worker visa is the right option for you, contact us below to discuss your situation in more detail.