UK visa for paid events: the permitted paid engagement rules

You must be 18 or over, hold a written invitation from a UK-based organisation or client for a pre-arranged engagement, and show you are an established expert whose engagement matches your qualifications and main job at home. Eligible engagements are: professional artists, entertainers and musicians performing or presenting their work; professional sportspeople at events; qualified lawyers representing a client at a hearing or arbitration; lecturers; conference speakers; academic examiners or assessors; and air pilot examiners.

Who may invite you depends on the profession: creative organisations, agents or broadcasters for artists; sports bodies, agents or broadcasters for athletes; the client for lawyers; universities, research or arts organisations for lecturers and examiners; the organiser for conference speakers. Proof of standing includes published work, recent performance publicity, reviews and awards, or an employer letter and publications for academics. Lawyers must show a right of audience or temporary call.

The visa is the ordinary Standard Visitor visa at £135 for up to 6 months. You may stay up to 6 months, but the paid engagement itself must be done in the first month. Longer tours or contracts need the Creative Worker or another work route.

Choose the paid engagement purpose in the online Standard Visitor form, upload or bring the invitation and evidence of expertise to the visa application centre, and carry the invitation when you travel because Border Force may ask to see it.

There is no appeal and no administrative review against a Standard Visitor refusal. The refusal notice lists the requirements UKVI found unmet, most often doubts about your intention to leave, the source of funds or the purpose of the trip. You can apply again at any time with a new fee and evidence that answers those points.