The College is an approved licensed sponsor under the Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme. This means the College can issue Certificates of Sponsorship to Non EEA students in order for them to complete the Scheme for Registration in the UK.
Students who need to apply for the Certificate of Sponsorship from the College must have:
If you plan to switch from a Tier 4 visa to a Tier 5 GAE visa, please notify the College at least twelve weeks before your current visa expires. It is possible to enrol and take full part in the College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration under a Tier 4 visa, whilst a current application for a Tier 5 visa is under way. However, if you are enrolled on the Scheme for Registration when your Tier 4 visa expires, and you do not yet have a Tier 5 GAE visa, you will not be able to continue until you have your Tier 5 GAE visa.
This is because:
Before you can apply for a CoS you must have secured a pre-registration placement. We will require evidence of this.
When you apply for the CoS you will need to send us the following information:
The CoS is only valid for three months so it is essential that you apply to UKVI for your tier 5 GAE visa within 3 months of your CoS being issued. You will not be able to start your placement with the CoS, you can only start work when UKVI issue your visa.
At the beginning of 2012 the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) outlined a number of changes to immigration rules which came in to effect from 5 April 2012. This included the closure of tier 1 (post-study visa). These changes also meant that in order to complete the Scheme for Registration, students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) would not be able to switch from a tier 4 (general) visa to a tier 2 (general) visa unless their employer was prepared to act as a sponsor and pay them a salary of at least £20,000.
The College is a licensed sponsor under tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme. The College issues Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to migrant trainees wishing to complete their pre-registration placement in the UK. Once a certificate has been issued the trainee will be able to apply to the UKVI for a visa under tier 5 (GAE).
The College issues Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to migrant trainees who meet the criteria as set out below:
You will need to apply to the College for a CoS by submitting the:
There are two separate fees for applications under tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa. The first is in relation to the issuing of the Certificates of Sponsorship from the College of Optometrists. The cost of the application for a Certificate of Sponsorship is £550 and this will need to be paid before the application can be progressed. This can be paid by cheque to the College of Optometrists or over the phone with a credit or debit card by calling 0207 766 4357.
The second cost relates to the visa fee to UKVI for tier 5 (GAE) visa. The current costs are available on the UKVI's website.
The College aims to issue Certificates of Sponsorship within 10 working days of receipt of the application and fee. The UKVI will then issue the visa. The time required to process the visa will depend on the country where you are making your application. Visit the UKVI website to see how long processing times are in your country.
You must first meet the following criteria to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the College of Optometrists:
Before you can start the UKVI will issue you a visa. If you are applying from outside of the UK you can enter the UK up to 14 days before you start date of your job. The start date of your job is the one given by your sponsor in your Certificate of Sponsorship. Your first date of your time on the Scheme for Registration will be your first day in the placement. If you start before this date, regardless of when you are issued with the visa, then you would be breaking the conditions of the visa and could face enforcement action from UKVI and jeopardise the College’s status as a sponsor.
Yes, you can switch from a Tier 4 visa to a tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa whilst you are in the UK.
Yes, in order to meet the requirements of the visa you will need to have secured a pre-registration placement with a UK employer and be able to evidence this through confirmation from the employer. The College will then verify this with the employer directly. The College will not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship unless you have guaranteed employment in order to meet the UKVI requirements under this visa.
The format of your pre-registration period will not change; you will be subject to the same assessments and procedures as detailed in your handbook. However, the tier 5 GAE visa is only valid for up to 2 years and therefore you will be required to complete the scheme within this time frame. The 2 years will commence from the date your leave to remain is granted. There are no provisions for an extension under this visa.
You will also be required to keep your supervisor and the College up to date with your contact details. If any changes occur which may affect the continuation of your pre-registration period this must be reported to your supervisor and the College immediately.
The Tier 5 GAE visa is valid for a maximum of 24 months; there is no provision to extend the visa if you fail to complete the Scheme in time.
Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)
This is a separate scheme to the Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) and one which the College has no involvement with. You will need to meet the requirements of this visa in your personal capacity. The YMS visa is only available to trainees from a specified list of countries and in certain countries, there is a limit to the number of visas awarded annually. The visa will be valid for two years and it is not possible to extend the visa further. You will need to provide the College with proof of your visa status (copy of both sides of your BRP card) in order to be enrolled or continue on the scheme, under this visa. Please refer to the UKVI Tier 5 YMS Visa Website for more information.
Graduate Route Visa
The Graduate Route visa is a new visa route which came into effect on the 1 July 2021 and will give you permission to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing a qualifying course in the UK. You can apply within the UK to switch from a Student visa to the Graduate Route visa. You are not able to extend this visa beyond the two years permitted. You must apply to switch to this visa before your Student visa expires. You will need to provide the College with proof of your visa status (copy of both sides of your BRP card) in order to be enrolled or continue on the scheme, under this visa. Please refer to the UKVI Graduate Route Visa Website for more information.
British National (Overseas) (BNO) Visa
The BNO visa is a new visa route which came into effect on 29 January 2021. If you are from Hong Kong and meet the requirements for this visa, you can apply for either a two and a half year visa or a five year visa. You can apply to switch to this visa within the UK if you are a UK resident. You will need to provide the College with proof of your visa status (approval documentation from UKVI) in order to be enrolled or continue on the scheme, under this visa. Please refer to the UKVI British National Overseas BNO Visa Website for more information.
No, upon completion of your pre-registration period your entitlement to stay in the UK under tier 5 GAE is no longer valid. You will be required to return to your home country or apply for a different visa type.
The Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa is intended for migrant students to undertake their pre-registration placement in the UK and subsequently return to their home country to register and practice. The visa does not give any provision for trainees to stay in the UK after the visa expires; continued employment in the UK as an optometrist is subject to UKVI rules and is beyond the scope of the tier 5 GAE visa.
If you wish to stay in the UK and work as an optometrist there is the option of switching to a Skilled Worker visa. You are able to apply within the UK, or from your home country. Your intended employer would act as your sponsor under this visa. Further information can be found on the UKVI website.
Yes. You will need to send the College a copy of your Tier 4 visa before we can enrol you.
If you are already enrolled on the Scheme for Registration when your Tier 4 visa expires, please provide us with proof of your Tier 5 visa application (including your application reference number) in order to continue on the Scheme. Please ensure you contact the College by emailing Chareen.Rae@college-optometrists.org in advance of your visa expiry date in order for the College to process the Certificate of Sponsorship.
Information for supervisors who will be supervising a trainee undertaking the Scheme for Registration under a Tier 5 GAE visa sponsored by the College.
We will use your information to process your application for a Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) on the UKVI Sponsor Management System. We will also use it if we need to make any changes to your CoS or to inform UKVI that you have finished the Scheme for Registration.
We will destroy all your information when you have completed the Scheme for Registration. We will not share your information with anyone else.
