Most efficient visa option for Thai national looking to work in the UK for 8 months?

[Rusty9565]

Hi all
First post in here.
I am a UK/British citizen .
My girlfriend is from Thailand, she holds a Thai passport.
She is 21, and studies at a university in Thailand.
She is going to start an 8 month internship (job placement).
She has been offered a job at a hotel in England, which will last the duration of her 8 month internship starting later this year.
She is allowed to work full time, and the hotel is willing to hire her. However they have no idea ahout the visa requirements/process.
What would be the most efficient visa choice for my girlfriend to choose, that will allow her to work in the UK full time for 8 months?

P.s., she will not be "studying" whilst on this 8 month work period, but she will still technically be classed as a Thai university student.

Any agency recommendations would be much appreciated also. Thank you!

[vinny]

Bing’s answer:

I'm sorry to tell you this, but it seems that getting a UK internship visa in the hospitality sector is very difficult. According to the web search results, the main sponsor for the Temporary Worker GAE visa, formerly known as the Tier 5 visa, is BUNAC¹. However, BUNAC does not sponsor internships in hospitality or healthcare for the UK¹. They do offer hospitality training programs in the USA⁴, but that may not be what you are looking for.

The other option is to apply for a Skilled Worker visa, which requires you to have a hospitality job in the list of eligible roles², meet the salary requirements for your role², and have a valid sponsorship from your employer³. However, this visa is more suitable for long-term workers than interns, and the eligibility criteria are quite strict.

Therefore, you may want to consider other countries or sectors for your internship, or look for alternative visa options. I hope you find a suitable opportunity for your career goals.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 27/01/2024
(1) Intern in Britain | Tier 5 GAE Visa Eligibility | BUNAC. https://bunac.org/internships-abroad/in ... tain/visas.
(2) New immigration system – implications for the hospitality sector. https://www.capitallaw.co.uk/news/2020/ ... ty-sector/.
(3) UK Hospitality Work Visa Options for Employers in Hospitality Sector. https://immigrationlawyers-london.com/b ... sector.php.
(4) Recruiting people from outside the UK - GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruiting- ... ide-the-uk.