The Creative Worker Visa application process is refreshingly simple, yet one forgotten document or mistyped CoS number can stall the whole show. Below is a six-step timeline that walks you from first offer to stamped passport without last-minute panic.
Tick every box, upload every file and the UK Creative Worker Visa will land in your inbox right on cue, leaving you free to focus on rehearsals, shoots and opening night.
Your family can travel with you and they can work or study once they are here. The questions below about UK Creative Worker Visa dependent will cover the money you must show and the rights they receive.
Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner plus any children under 18 on the date you apply. Children born in the UK during your stay can also be added later.
The visa of a UK Creative Worker Visa dependent ends on the same date as yours. If you extend, they must each apply to extend as well and meet the same financial test again.
Yes, your partner can take any job, full or part time, without first finding a sponsor. They can also study or be self-employed.
Yes, school-age children can enter state or private schools, sit GCSEs and A-levels, or attend university without switching visa category. Children aged 16 or over can also work up to ten hours a week during term time and full time in holidays.
You need £285 for your partner, £315 for the first child, and £200 for every other child. The cash must be in your account for 28 straight days ending within 31 days of application unless your sponsor certifies maintenance for all of you.
Meet the savings target once and the whole family can live, learn and earn alongside you while you light up the UK stage.
Below is the exact cash you will hand over before your Creative Worker Visa application can start. All figures are fixed for the whole of 2025 and are the same whether you apply from outside or inside the UK.
| Cost | Who pays | Amount | Notes |
| Visa application fee | You | £298 | Paid online when you submit the form |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | You | £1,035 for each year of stay | Gives full NHS access; pay for the full length shown on your CoS |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | Employer | £239 | Charged by the Home Office when the sponsor assigns the CoS |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Employer | £0 | This route is exempt, so no extra £1,000 charge |
Pay the visa fee, cover the IHS for every year you plan to stay and your sponsor picks up the CoS tab—after that the only tickets left to buy are your flights and your first month’s rent.
We have given you the full picture on the Creative Worker Visa, but we do not handle this short-stay route ourselves. If your UK project is growing and you need senior staff or a whole team for longer than two years, other Global Business Mobility routes may fit better. At A Y & J Solicitors, we secure Expansion Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker visas that last up to five years and count toward settlement. Both last up to five years, lead to settlement and are the routes we secure for clients every day. Tell us your timeline and we will map the smartest route from first sponsor licence to passport.
It is the UK short stay route for paid creative jobs like acting, dancing, filming or modelling for up to twelve months, extendable to twenty four with the same sponsor.
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