Question about visa needed for creative internship + work

[birdgrl]

Hi,

I am looking for help on what kind of visa I would need and how I need to go about getting it for my specific situation:

I am planning to come to London next year, possibly for less than 3 months possibly for more, and I am hoping to find an internship in a creative field and also hopefully work part-time. This seems to fall under the creative and sporting category so would not require a visa for less than 3 months, but does that just mean that I would have to get the visa when I arrive rather than before? Or I would not need any kind of visa at all? Would I need to have a sponsor even to stay for less than 3 months? Would I still have the chance to seek employment on the side either way or not? How do I know if I need to apply for a visa in advance, what factors would determine this, and if not in what situation would I need a visa upon arriving that would allow me to do these things?

I am quite confused about these issues if anyone could offer some help. Thank you very much.

[The Station Agent]

You're talking about Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship, which is about the only route through the Points Based System where entry visas aren't always mandatory. In that route you would show the CoS (an electronic approval) on entry. I'm not sure that route would be open to you though - what work would you be doing, and are you well known /internationally established in that field?

If not then you probably won't qualify for a Tier 5 creative and sporting CoS, even if you had a sponsor willing to issue one. I don't know if you could fit into any other category like government authorised exchange or something?

Generally you have to be highly skilled / experienced to work here.