Tier 5 Visa and Traveling Before

Hello!

I'm planning on using the company BUNAC to gain Tier 5 work visa sponsorship for an unpaid internship that I've secured for this upcoming September in London. I also have plans to travel with my family in the U.K. in August, and I'm worried about the legality of the work visa start date and how that would interact with my travel plans. Am I legally allowed to travel in the U.K. before my visa entry date (once my visa has been approved) if this travel is for tourist purposes only? Furthermore do I need to leave the country and then re-enter on the date my visa specifies? If so can I travel to a close by European country and then just re-enter the U.K. for this purpose?

Thanks!

The scheme operated by BUNAC is suspect to say the least. I would be more worried about them still being licensed come September....
As for continuous leave from visitor visa into tier 5, officially the visa has to be activated at port on entry. So you should really leave and renter. You can do the day trip to France routine and ensure that your passport gets and entry stamp.

BUNAC may not be the best company, but they certainly have supported me throughout the visa process and I now have my visa through their sponsorship! I know several individuals who have used BUNAC over many years, and so far they've had no issues. Thanks for your reply though

Frontier Mole wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:59 am

The scheme operated by BUNAC is suspect to say the least. I would be more worried about them still being licensed come September....
As for continuous leave from visitor visa into tier 5, officially the visa has to be activated at port on entry. So you should really leave and renter. You can do the day trip to France routine and ensure that your passport gets and entry stamp.

Hi there, I'm about to apply for a visa through this scheme so would just like to know your opinion on why you think BUNAC is suspect? Thank you