Immigration Divorce/Family Commissioners for Oaths

Immigration Advice & Fees

Work Visas UK

Apply for Switching to a T2 Minister of Religion Visa

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 24 April 2026

You can apply to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa if you are in the UK and have been offered an eligible job as a Minister of Religion, a missionary, or a member of a religious order within your faith community. If you meet the relevant requirements for switching into the T2 (Minister of Religion) category, you will be granted leave to remain up to 3 years, depending on the job start and end dates on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). An application for switching into a T2 Minister of Religion visa is made in accordance with the requirements as set out in Appendix T2 Minister of Religion of the Immigration Rules. You can apply to switch to the T2 Minister of Religion from inside the UK through the Priority or Super Priority Service to get a faster decision on your application.

Premium Solicitors, open 7 days a week and 365 days a year, are specialist UK immigration solicitors. The high quality of UK visa and immigration services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced SRA-regulated immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Free Immigration Advice for T2 Minister of Religion Visa

Our specialist team of T2 Minister of Religion visa solicitors can provide a one-off, free 5-minute immigration advice session regarding your T2 Minister of Religion visa application. Ask a question online to our specialist team of T2 Minister of Religion visa solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our T2 Minister of Religion visa solicitors concerning your application for a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

Requirements for Switching to a T2 Minister of Religion Visa

You should meet the following requirements to be eligible for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK:

Valid application: The applicant must submit a valid application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion from inside the UK.

Immigration status requirement: A person applying for permission to stay must be in the UK on the date of application and must NOT have, or have last been granted, permission:

as a Visitor; or
as a Short-term Student; or
as a Parent of a Child Student; or
as a Seasonal worker; or
as a Domestic worker in a private household: or
outside the Immigration Rules.

Age requirement: The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

Suitability requirement: The applicant must not fall for refusal under Appendix Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

Consent of the official sponsor: If the applicant has, in the last 12 months before the date of application, received an award from a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.

Points requirement: An applicant must be awarded 70 points from the points scoring table.

Sponsorship requirement: The applicant must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job they are planning to do, and the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) must have been issued to them by their sponsor no more than 3 months before the date of application.

Genuineness requirement: The applicant must:

genuinely intend, and be able, to undertake the role for which they are being sponsored; and
not intend to undertake employment other than in the role for which they are being sponsored, or as otherwise permitted by the Rules.

Financial requirement: The applicant must meet the financial requirement as required in Appendix T2 Minister of Religion.

English language requirement: Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must demonstrate English language proficiency at level B2 or higher on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). The applicant must demonstrate that they meet the English language requirement specified in Appendix English Language.

Not in breach of immigration laws: If applying for permission to stay, the applicant must NOT be:

in breach of immigration laws, except that where the Exceptions for overstayers section of Part Suitability applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
on immigration bail.

Who Cannot Switch to a T2 Minister of Religion Visa?

A person applying for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa must be in the UK on the date of application and must NOT have, or have last been granted, permission:

as a Visitor; or
as a Short-term Student; or
as a Parent of a Child Student; or
as a Seasonal worker; or
as a Domestic worker in a private household: or
outside the Immigration Rules.

Points Requirement

Under paragraph MOR 4.1 of Appendix T2 Minister of Religion to the Immigration Rules, an applicant must score 70 points against the following:

Points requirements	Relevant Rules	Points
Certificate of Sponsorship	MOR 5.1. to MOR 5.3.	50
Financial requirement	MOR 7.1. to MOR 7.3.	10
English language skills at level B2 (intermediate)	MOR 8.1. to MOR 8.2.	10

All points are mandatory. If an applicant scores fewer than 70 points, the caseworker must refuse their application and explain where they have not awarded points.

Sponsorship Requirements

The applicant must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job they are planning to do, and the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) must have been issued to them by their sponsor no more than 3 months before the date of application. For the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to be valid, it must:

confirm the applicant’s name, that they are being sponsored as a T2 Minister of Religion and details of the job and salary the sponsor is offering them, as well as any other remuneration; and
include a start date, stated by the sponsor, which must be no more than three months after the date of application; and
not have been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused (but can have been used in a previous application which was rejected as invalid, made void or withdrawn); and
not have been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office; and
confirm that the applicant is qualified to do the job of a T2 Minister of Religion; and
confirm that the applicant is a member of the sponsor’s religious order (if the sponsor’s organisation is a religious order); and
confirm that the applicant will perform religious duties within the sponsor’s organisation or directed by the sponsor’s organisation in the UK (which may include preaching, pastoral and non-pastoral work); and
confirm that the applicant’s role will not involve mainly non-pastoral duties, such as school teaching, media production, domestic work or administrative and clerical work, unless the role is a senior position within the sponsor’s organisation; and
confirm that the applicant will receive pay and conditions at least equal to those given to settled workers in the same role and compliant with, or exempt from, the national minimum wage.

The sponsor must be authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job in question under the T2 Minister of Religion route. Furthermore, the sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a T2 Minister of Religion and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in their last permission.

Genuineness Requirement

The applicant must:

genuinely intend, and be able, to undertake the role for which they are being sponsored; and
not intend to undertake employment other than in the role for which they are being sponsored, or as otherwise permitted at MOR 10.3 of Appendix T2 Minister of Religion.

Financial Requirement

If the applicant is applying to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa and has been living in the UK with permission for 12 months or more on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.
If the applicant is applying for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa and has been living in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, either:
- the applicant must have funds of at least £1,270. The applicant must have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period and must show funds as specified in Appendix Finance; or
- the applicant’s A-rated sponsor must confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they will, if it is necessary, maintain and accommodate the applicant up to the end of the first month of their employment for an amount of at least £1,270.

English Language Requirement

Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must demonstrate English language proficiency at level B2 or higher on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages across all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). The applicant must demonstrate that they meet the English language requirement specified in Appendix English Language.

Period and Conditions of Grant

If the applicant is applying for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa, it will be granted for whichever is the shorter of:

up to 14 days after the period of employment stated on their Certificate of Sponsorship; or
3 years; or
the difference between 6 years and the period they have already been granted permission as a T2 Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, or T2 Minister of Religion (or any combination of these routes).

The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:

no access to public funds; and
the only work permitted is:
- work in the job the applicant is being sponsored for; and
- supplementary employment, provided the applicant is still doing the job they were sponsored for; and
- voluntary work; and
- working out a contractual notice for a job the person was lawfully working in on the date of application; and
study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.

Can I use Priority Service or Super Priority Service?

As specialist immigration solicitors based in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners TLSContact to provide Priority Service or Super Priority Service for switching into T2 Minister of Religion visa whereby decision on your T2 Minister of Religion visa application will be made within 24 hours if you submit your application through Super Priority Service or within five working days if you submit your application through Priority Service.

Our immigration solicitors can prepare and submit your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa and secure a decision faster through Priority or Super Priority Service. This way, you will not have to wait for the decision on your T2 Minister of Religion visa application for months.

How Can We Assist with Switching to a T2 Minister of Religion Visa?

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation for your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa on a fixed-fee basis. Our immigration solicitors can legally represent you in your application for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa and carry out all the work on your application until a decision by the Home Office UKVI on your T2 Minister of Religion visa application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors in relation to your application for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa will entail the following:

Advice on requirements: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you must meet for your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa to be successful.

Documentary advice: Our immigration solicitors will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to submit with your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

Assessing documents: Our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will review your documents to ensure that all the evidence you provide in support of your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa complies with the immigration rules.

Completing the application form: Our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

Priority or Super Priority Service: If required, our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will submit your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa online through the Priority/Super Priority service to expedite the decision.

Booking an appointment with the application centre: After submitting your online application for switching to a T2 Minister of Religion visa, our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will book an appointment with the application centre for you to enrol in biometrics.

Detailed Cover Letter: Our specialist team of immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter to support your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa. This letter explains the relevant legal requirements for your application to be approved by the UKVI.

Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will upload all supporting documents online to support your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

Follow-up work: Our T2 Minister of Religion visa lawyers will conduct all necessary follow-up work until the Home Office UKVI has decided on your application to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

Specialist Immigration Solicitors in the UK

Our committed team of immigration solicitors possesses in-depth expertise in UK immigration law, with a specific focus on the T2 Minister of Religion Visa pathway. We are well-versed in the nuances of securing this visa and stay up to date with the latest regulations and requirements, providing precise guidance to our clients. Our immigration solicitors specialise in T2 Minister of Religion Visa applications, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of managing such cases effectively. We provide prompt, accessible, and reliable fixed-fee immigration advice and legal assistance customised to meet the requirements of your UK T2 Minister of Religion Visa application.

Premium Solicitors are specialist solicitors for T2 Minister of Religion visa applications. The high quality of the services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors is evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating earned by 99% of our clients.