Tier 5 internship scheme
An external commercial organisation (GTI Recruitment Solutions) has created a Government approved internship scheme under the Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) category of the points-based system. The scheme is designed to allow graduates and undergraduates from countries outside the EEA to gain experience working in the UK.
Eligible interns will require a Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) Certificate of Sponsorship issued by GTI Recruitment Solutions before applying for a work visa. Significant costs are involved, payable by the department/college, and a number of conditions are attached, but departments and colleges might find this option useful in some circumstances.
Further information on this route, and other schemes run by external organisations under the Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) route, as well as contact details for the administrators of these schemes can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
If departments/ colleges wish to use the internship scheme, or any other Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) scheme (other than the scheme for which the University holds a license), they should contact the scheme's administrators directly for advice on eligibility and the application process. As an HEI, the University is able to issue Tier 5 Certificates of Sponsorship to migrants as temporary workers under certain conditins, under the Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) scheme. However, the University is not able to issue Tier 5 Certificates of Sponsorship to migrants under any other Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) scheme.