We advise on all the UK immigration options for artists, musicians, entertainers and production crew
Immigration routes for those working in the arts and creative industries have been through many changes in the past few years, so here is a snapshot of the current options available to you.
Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law assists many companies and individuals and their families working in the creative sectors, entertainment and the arts to enter the UK for performances and productions or identify the best immigration options for the UK.
Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law is highly regarded in legal guides such as Best Lawyers in the UK, Who’s Who Legal, The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for our personal and business immigration advice.
“Vanessa Ganguin is especially knowledgeable in the handling of immigration matters for entertainment industry clients,” according to Chambers & Partners. The Legal 500 2025 ranks Managing Partner Vanessa Ganguin and Senior Counsel Philip Trott in its Hall of Fame for UK immigration and says: “Boutique immigration firm Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law fields a strong team of ‘incredibly knowledgeable’ lawyers, well-equipped to handle work ranging from sponsor licence applications and processing issues to global talent visa procurement.”
All our friendly solicitors are always happy to discuss the suitability of any of the UK’s immigration routes outlined below in greater detail with you, as well as other options which may be suitable.
Non-sponsored UK immigration options for creatives
There are various immigration routes to work or even live in the UK as a media or music creative that don’t rely on a British organisation sponsoring you, from one-off performance visits to routes to settlement.
Standard Visitor visa
It is not permitted to work, take employment or live in the UK as a visitor, but creatives and entourage may use a Standard Visit Visa to enter the UK for certain work-related activities. You may apply for visas for six months, two, five or ten years – but you can only spend up to six months in the UK at a time.
Artists, entertainers, musicians, personal and technical production staff and film crew may take part in certain permitted performances, auditions, competitions and shoots throughout the six months if they are not paid by an entity based in the UK. Artists, entertainers or musicians paid by a British organisation can work in activities related to their main area of expertise, but only for the first 30 days of a visit and when invited by an arts or entertainment organisation, agent or broadcaster based in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
The exact requirements you will need to satisfy may vary depending on your circumstances and therefore we are here to help, provide tailored expert advice and assist with documents to bring with you on work-critical visits to the UK.
Visitor status does not lead to settlement in the UK and all visitors must make a separate application, even if travelling as part of a group. Visa nationals must apply for their Visitor visa before travelling to the UK. If you are a nationality which does not require a visa for visiting the UK, from next year you will need to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation before arrival. This is already a requirement for certain Middle East countries. You can check our visa/non-visa national list here to see which applies to you.
If you do not require a visa, as you are a national of the United States, Canada or the European Union, for example, we would advise that even if you use the swift e-Passport gates on arrival at a UK airport you should carry evidence of the activities you will be engaged in and be prepared to provide it should you be stopped and questioned by border officials. We can help you prepare this.
Global Talent visa
You can apply for a Global Talent Visa to live and work in the UK if you are a leader or potential leader in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. This route to settlement for applicants and their dependant family is open to talented and promising individuals over the age of 18 in the fields of arts and culture – including film, TV, theatre, fine arts and music. It is not contingent on an employer or work contract.
To be eligible, you should be a leader in your field, or have the potential to be a leader, as determined by Arts Council England, or for film and TV talent, the Producers’ Alliance for Film and Television (PACT) act on behalf of Arts Council England to determine whether the applicant should be endorsed. We help many successful applicants evidence the industry recognition they need to receive their endorsement for this prestigious path to work and settle in the UK.
Global Talent visa applicants can apply to be granted up to a maximum of five years leave in the UK, after which they can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Those classed as Exceptional Talent can apply for settlement after only three years.
Other unsponsored UK immigration routes for creatives
There are other UK immigration routes not specific to the creative industries that are often useful when they apply to our clients. Like the Global Talent visa, these below do not rely on a job offer or contract.
The Youth Mobility Scheme allows 18-30 year olds (plus applicants up to the age of 35 for Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Koreans) from a list of countries with strict quotas which you can find information about here, to visit, stay and work in the UK for up to two years (three years for Australia, Canada and New Zealand).
The High Potential Individual route is another useful temporary immigration route for those who have graduated in the past five years from a constantly updated list of forty elite universities which you can find information about here.
Another handy route for those that qualify is Ancestry – a route to UK settlement that commonwealth citizens with grandparents born in the UK may apply for.
What are the UK visa options for entourage?
Visitors and creatives can bring technical staff in some circumstances. These include where they are personal or technical staff or members of the production team of an artist, entertainer or musician who may support the activities of an artist, entertainer or musician who is coming to the UK as a visitor, provided they are attending the same event as the artist, entertainer or musician, and are employed to work for them outside of the UK.
Personal or technical staff may support the activities of a sponsored Creative Worker on the Temporary Work – Creative Worker route – see below – as members of that person’s entourage, provided they meet certain conditions, including that their employment is directly related to the work the Creative Worker will be doing in the UK.
Sponsored immigration options for creatives
Some media, arts and entertainment workers will require sponsorship by an organisation with a UK presence and a relevant sponsor licence. We specialise in advising on sponsor licence applications and compliance and can assist with all stages of the process to ensure it runs smoothly and within the time scale of the engagement. These, below, are the visas for entertainment, media, music, dance, theatre, TV and film production assignments that require sponsorship.
Temporary Creative Worker visa
The Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa is for individuals who have been offered short-term work in the UK for up to 12 months within the creative sector. Your sponsor will need to hold a valid Temporary Work – Creative Worker sponsor licence and you will need to have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship which corresponds to the job you will undertake in the UK.
There will be various requirements that we can advise on, including demonstrating that you are make a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example you are internationally renowned or are required for continuity in a production. Sponsors must pay the minimum salary as set by Equity, PACT or BECTU (except for models, musicians or circuses).
Temporary creatives may bring dependant family members and carry out certain other jobs as well as their sponsored work, for no more than 20 hours a week. The Creative Worker visa does not count towards settlement, but applicants can extend their stay up to a maximum of two years in the UK with the same employer. Creative workers changing employers can only extend their stay for up to 12 months in the UK.
Non-visa nationals, such as nationals of EU countries, the USA or Singapore that do not require a visa to enter the UK need not apply for a visa, so long as their sponsor obtains a valid Certificate of Sponsorship and their engagement is for three months or less. However, the government is in the process of rolling out pre-travel authority requirements for people travelling without a visa, so if travelling to the UK as a Creative Worker without a visa you will be required to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation once this comes into effect. It already applies to certain Middle Eastern countries and will become mandatory for non-European countries from January 2025 and for European countries from April 2025 – see above.
NB: Unless you have a visa in your passport don’t use the ePassport Gates to enter the UK to perform or work on a creative project: as part of the ever-increasing digitalisation of the world, the UK border now has ePassport Gates and citizens of certain countries (EU member states, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA) may be able to use these eGates to enter the UK without seeing or being interviewed by UK Border Force.
In practice this is a simple and quick way to navigate UK immigration. However, it is all too easy to come a cropper if you use these gates to come to the UK to perform, work on a creative project or any permitted paid engagements. Since you don’t get a chance to explain your intentions and planned activities when seeking entry, the eGate computer will normally only grant entry as a visitor by default (unless you already hold a visa in another immigration category).
For most travellers coming to the UK for tourism this is fine. However, if you are a non-visa national (a citizen of a country which doesn’t require a visa to travel to the UK as a visitor) and are actually coming to the UK to work under the Creative Worker visa-free concession, the computer has no way of knowing that. It will therefore only grant you entry as a visitor by default and visitors are not permitted to work. It is crucial that, if you are seeking entry as a Creative Worker and you have not been granted a visa in this category before travelling, you must not use the eGates and must see an Immigration Officer, who must stamp your passport with the appropriate immigration status. Otherwise, you will not be permitted to work in the UK.
We can advise clients on requirements for entry as well as all aspects of the sponsorship process.
Skilled Worker visa
Much like the Temporary Creative Worker route, the Skilled Worker Visa route requires a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for your role from a UK sponsor authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job in question under the Skilled Worker route. We assist with all stages of the process.
Unlike sponsorship under the Creative Worker route, which can come from a wider range of organisations than just an employer, with broadcasters, productions companies and even agents or performance venues able to get a licence to sponsor Creative Workers, Skilled Worker sponsor licences must only be used for those working for the sponsor (though this can include freelance staff). Once a sponsor has their licence they no longer need to renew it every four years. The Skilled Worker Visa can be applied for up to five years, contingent on working for your sponsor, after which you can apply to settle in the UK.
You must be sponsored for an eligible job at or above a minimum skill level (at least RQF level 3). Creative jobs eligible for the Skilled Worker route include: Artist, Illustrator, Portrait painter, Sculptor, Author, Copywriter, Editor (books), Writer, Actor, DJ, Entertainer, Presenter (broadcasting), Singer, Dancer, Ballet dancer, Choreographer, Dance teacher, Arts officer, Producer, Director, Film editor, Production assistant (broadcasting), Studio manager, Television producer, Theatrical agent,Musician, Photographer, Audio visual technician, Cameraman, Projectionist, Sound engineer, Theatre technician.
Skilled Worker Visa holders may also undertake certain supplementary employment (up to 20 hours a week) provided they continue to work in the job for which they are being sponsored.
To discuss any of these immigration routes and your best UK immigration options, call us on +44(0) 207 033 9527 or email at enquiries@vanessaganguin.com.