--- title: "Overseas Domestic Worker Visa" url: https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/overseas-domestic-worker-visa/ type: page date: 2024-02-12 modified: 2026-10-27 markdown_url: https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/overseas-domestic-worker-visa.md author: "T Shah" --- # Overseas Domestic Worker Visa [Home](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com) # Overseas Domestic Worker Visa UK The Overseas Domestic Worker Visa allows eligible domestic workers to accompany their overseas employer to the UK for a short stay of up to 6 months. Get professional help checking employment history, written work terms, employer evidence, financial position and worker protection issues before you apply. [Book an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Consultation](#Eligibility) ## Quick case check Review whether your employment history, employer evidence and UK travel plan are strong enough before you apply. ### Worked for employer for 12 months? ### Employer visiting the UK temporarily? ### Written work terms prepared? ### Worker protection concerns? [Ask an Adviser](#Eligibility) Book Consultation Overview Eligibility Fees Documents Extension ILR Protection How We Help FAQs ### Overview ## What is the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa and who is it for? The Overseas Domestic Worker Visa allows an eligible domestic worker in a private household to accompany their existing overseas employer to the UK for a temporary visit. For at least 12 months immediately before applying, the worker must have been employed as a domestic worker and lived with the employer or in a property the employer regularly uses as a home. The worker must also have been employed by that employer for at least 12 months and intend to work full time as a domestic worker in the UK household where the employer will stay temporarily. This is a tightly controlled short-term route. It is not a general work visa, not a route for long-term residence and not a route for bringing dependants. The application normally turns on whether the worker, the employer, the previous employment history, the written employment terms, the worker protection requirements and the short UK stay all fit the rules. At Immigration Visa Expert, we help domestic workers and employers check the route before travel, review the evidence, identify refusal risks and prepare a clear application strategy without turning the process into guesswork. Current 2025/2026 position for Overseas Domestic Worker Visa applicants This route remains a short-term visa for domestic workers accompanying an overseas employer to the UK for up to 6 months. The current application fee is £726. Dependants are not permitted on the current Overseas Domestic Worker route. The current route cannot be extended and does not lead directly to settlement, except for a small legacy category where the worker applied under the older Domestic Worker in a Private Household route on or before 5 April 2012. There is no fixed maintenance fund figure, but the applicant must be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without public funds. ### Key facts ## Overseas Domestic Worker Visa UK: key points before you apply Route type Short-term route for domestic workers accompanying an overseas employer to the UK. Maximum stay Up to 6 months. The worker must leave at the end of the permitted stay. Minimum age The applicant must be aged 19 or over on the date of application. Employment and household history For at least 12 months immediately before applying, the worker must have been employed as a domestic worker and lived with the employer or in a property the employer regularly uses as a home. They must also have worked for that employer for at least 12 months. Current fee £726 for the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa application. Dependants Partners and children are not permitted on the current route. Extension The current route cannot be extended, except under limited legacy rules for pre-5 April 2012 cases. Settlement The current route does not lead directly to ILR. ### Eligibility ## Who can qualify for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa? The Overseas Domestic Worker Visa is suitable only where the domestic worker is already employed by the overseas employer and is accompanying that employer or their close family to the UK for a temporary stay. The worker must normally be outside the UK when applying and must obtain permission before travelling. Eligibility is fact-sensitive. The decision is likely to depend on the worker’s age, employment history, household arrangement, evidence of salary or employment records, written employment terms, employer travel plans and whether the proposed UK work is genuinely domestic work in a private household. Domestic worker role The applicant should be a genuine domestic worker in a private household, such as a nanny, cleaner, cook, chauffeur or carer for the employer or their family. Household requirement During the 12 months immediately before applying, the applicant must have lived with the employer or in a property the employer regularly uses as a home while employed as a domestic worker. Employer travelling temporarily The employer must be coming to the UK temporarily and must not intend to remain in the UK for more than 6 months. Written work terms The worker and employer must have clear written terms covering the UK employment arrangement and pay position. National Minimum Wage The employer must genuinely intend to pay at least the National Minimum Wage throughout the UK employment. Short-stay intention The worker must intend to leave the UK at the end of the permitted stay and must not use repeated visits to live in the UK. ### Employer requirements ## What must the employer show for an Overseas Domestic Worker application? The employer must be either a British citizen who usually lives outside the UK and is not planning to remain in the UK for more than 6 months, or a foreign citizen visiting the UK temporarily. The domestic worker should be travelling with the employer, the employer’s partner or the employer’s child where the route rules allow it. The employer’s evidence should show an existing employment relationship, the role and duties, how long the worker has been employed, that the employment is ongoing, and that the UK arrangement will respect pay, working conditions and welfare requirements. ### Work rights ## What can an Overseas Domestic Worker do in the UK? An Overseas Domestic Worker can work as a domestic worker in a private household during the permitted stay. The worker can travel abroad and return to the UK to complete the stay, and can change employer to another domestic-worker job in a private household, provided they do not stay beyond the 6-month permission. The worker cannot take other work outside domestic work in a private household, cannot access public funds and cannot use this route to live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits. Employment rights remain important: the worker should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, should not be forced to work excessive hours, and should have the agreed holiday pay and notice rights. ### Fees ## How much does an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa cost? The main application cost is the visa application fee. Other possible costs may include professional advice, translations, travel, appointment-related services, courier services, and evidence preparation depending on the country of application and personal circumstances. Application fee **£726** Current fee for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa application. Decision timing **Usually around 3 weeks** Standard overseas decision timing where the application is straightforward. Maintenance funds **No fixed amount** The applicant must be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without public funds. Dependants **Not permitted** Partners and children cannot apply as dependants under the current route. ### Documents ## What evidence is usually important for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa? The evidence should give a clear picture of the worker, the employer, the existing employment relationship and the short UK stay. The strongest applications do not simply provide many documents; they present a consistent story that links the worker’s role, previous employment, pay evidence, employer travel plans and written work terms. Typical evidence areas include identity, employment history, salary or employment records, the employer’s support letter, the signed domestic worker statement, financial support, travel plans, translations where needed and any information relevant to worker protection or welfare. Immigration Visa Expert can review the document bundle before submission so weak, missing or inconsistent evidence can be identified early. Employment relationship Evidence should support the length, continuity and nature of the domestic work with the same employer. Employer and travel position The employer’s visit plans, household arrangements and intended UK stay should be clear and consistent. Worker protection and terms Written work terms should show pay, role, duties and conditions for the UK stay. ### Document review ## Want your Overseas Domestic Worker documents checked before submission? Request a document review so the evidence can be checked for clarity, consistency and refusal risk. [Book Consultation](#Eligibility) ### Extension ## Can an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa be extended? For the current Overseas Domestic Worker route, the visa cannot normally be extended. The worker is expected to leave the UK by the end of the 6-month stay, or earlier if the employer leaves first and the permission conditions require it. A separate legacy position may apply only where a person applied under the older Domestic Worker in a Private Household route on or before 5 April 2012. Those legacy cases have different extension rules and should be reviewed carefully because the evidence, timing and family position are different from the current route. ### ILR / Settlement ## Does the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa lead to ILR? The current Overseas Domestic Worker route does not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain. It is a short-term permission route and should not be relied on as a settlement pathway. Legacy Domestic Worker in a Private Household cases from on or before 5 April 2012 can have separate settlement rules after 5 years where all requirements are met, including lawful residence, full-time domestic work, absences, English language and Life in the UK requirements. These cases are now highly fact-specific and should be reviewed before any extension or settlement planning. ### Protection ## What if an Overseas Domestic Worker is at risk of exploitation or modern slavery? Domestic workers can be vulnerable to exploitation, coercion or abuse. If a worker believes they have been forced, threatened, underpaid, prevented from leaving, or otherwise exploited, the immigration position may need urgent and sensitive advice. There is a separate protection route for eligible domestic workers who have been recognised as victims of modern slavery or human trafficking. That route can allow permission to stay for up to 2 years in qualifying cases, but it is not a settlement route and does not allow dependants. These cases should be handled carefully because immigration, employment and safeguarding issues can overlap. ### Process ## How Immigration Visa Expert supports Overseas Domestic Worker Visa applicants Process ### Overseas Domestic Worker Visa support pathway 1 #### Initial consultation We review the worker’s role, employer position, travel plans, immigration history and timing. 2 #### Eligibility check We check whether the employment history, employer status and short-stay intention fit the route. 3 #### Evidence strategy We identify the right evidence for employment, pay, work terms, travel plans and financial position. 4 #### Application support We help prepare a clear application position and reduce avoidable refusal risks before submission. 5 #### Outcome and next steps We support post-decision queries, extension timing, dependant planning and alternative route advice where relevant. ### Application support ## Need help checking this short-term domestic worker route? We can review eligibility, employment evidence, written work terms, worker protection issues and refusal risks before the application is submitted. [Request Visa Support](#Eligibility) ### FAQs ## Overseas Domestic Worker Visa FAQs [What is an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa?](#collapse-d64d1886ae0b203292e8) It is a short-term visa for a domestic worker in a private household who is accompanying their existing overseas employer to the UK for a temporary visit. [Who can apply for an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa?](#collapse-1a593046ae0b203292e8) You must be aged 19 or over and, for at least 12 months immediately before your application, you must have been employed as a domestic worker and living with your employer, or in a property that your employer regularly uses as a home. The employment must be ongoing, and you must intend to work full time as a domestic worker in the UK household where your employer will stay temporarily. [How long can I stay in the UK on this visa?](#collapse-c8785b16ae0b203292e8) The current route allows a stay of up to 6 months. The worker must leave at the end of the permitted stay and should not use repeated visits to live in the UK. [Can I extend an Overseas Domestic Worker Visa?](#collapse-1d2e7c66ae0b203292e8) The current Overseas Domestic Worker route cannot normally be extended. Separate legacy rules may apply only to older Domestic Worker in a Private Household cases from on or before 5 April 2012. [Can this visa lead to ILR?](#collapse-96193e06ae0b203292e8) The current route does not lead directly to ILR. Settlement is only relevant in limited legacy cases under the older domestic-worker category. [Can my partner or children come with me?](#collapse-a0ded056ae0b203292e8) No. Dependants are not permitted on the current Overseas Domestic Worker route. [How much is the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa fee?](#collapse-5f423fc6ae0b203292e8) The current application fee is £726. Other costs may apply depending on evidence, translations, travel and appointment arrangements. [Do I need to show a fixed maintenance amount?](#collapse-7a785786ae0b203292e8) There is no fixed published maintenance figure for this route, but the applicant must be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without public funds. [Can I change employer in the UK?](#collapse-35c8c1a6ae0b203292e8) A worker can change employer to another domestic-worker job in a private household, but only within the existing 6-month permission and without staying longer than allowed. [What documents are usually important?](#collapse-6ed96146ae0b203292e8) The evidence usually needs to cover identity, existing employment, pay or employment records, written UK work terms, employer support, financial position and any translations where needed. [What if I am being exploited or abused?](#collapse-a84e9726ae0b203292e8) If there are concerns about exploitation, coercion, underpayment or modern slavery, the worker should seek urgent specialist advice. A separate protection route may be available in qualifying cases. [How can Immigration Visa Expert help?](#collapse-f2095966ae0b203292e8) We can review eligibility, assess the employer and employment evidence, check the document bundle, prepare the application strategy and advise on refusal risks or protection concerns where relevant. [What can I do if my Overseas Domestic Worker visa application is refused?](#collapse-ive-ar-20266ae0b203292e8) Review the decision notice promptly. The Immigration Rules provide for Administrative Review under Appendix AR where you believe the decision contains a caseworking error. Depending on the refusal reason and the evidence available, a fresh application may sometimes be more appropriate. ### Related guides ## Related UK immigration guides Related guide ## Temporary Work routes Compare short-term UK work options where the Creative Worker route is not suitable. [Read guide](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/uk-personal-or-individual-immigration-visa-copy/) Related guide ## Sponsor licence Useful for creative organisations planning to sponsor overseas performers or production talent. [Read guide](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/sponsor-licence-for-uk-employers/) Related guide ## Skilled Worker Consider a longer-term sponsored work route where the role is not purely temporary. [Read guide](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/skilled-worker-visa/) Related guide ## Global Talent Explore a non-sponsored route for established leaders or promising talent in eligible fields. [Read guide](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/uk-global-talent-work-visa/) Related guide ## IHS Understand how the immigration health surcharge affects total visa costs. [Read guide](https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application) Related guide ## Dependants Review partner and child dependant planning for temporary work routes. [Read guide](https://immigrationvisaexpert.com/family-visas-uk/) ## Discuss your Overseas Domestic Worker Visa application with Immigration Visa Expert Whether you are a domestic worker or an employer planning a short UK visit, we can help you check the route, review the evidence and prepare the application position clearly.   ### Book a consultation before submission ### Request an employment and document review ### Discuss refusal, protection or legacy-route concerns ### Ask an Immigration Adviser Share your visa query and our team will guide you on the next step.