National Profile - ICYE

5.4 Visa information-Volunteers from non-EU/EEA countriesThe general rule is that non-EU / EEA nationals need a visa to volunteer in the UK. As avolunteer on the ICYE programme, ICYE-UK will officially sponsor your visa applicationunder the ‘Tier 5 (Temporary Worker): Charity Worker’ category. Important elements ofthis type of visa include:• Individuals can volunteer in the UK with a registered charity• Volunteer work must reflect the aims of the charity• Individuals can stay and volunteer in the UK for a maximum of 12 months.• Volunteers are allowed to receive pocket money, board and accommodation, butno additional remuneration• Volunteers must not seek or take any paid employment whilst they are here (noteven casual).• Volunteers can not leave the programme and stay in the UKTravelling with a visaDepending on your nationality, you will need to apply for a visa (the technical term forthis is ‘Entry Clearance’) in your home country before departure.When you apply for your Entry Clearance you will be asked to submit confirmation fromICYE-UK that you will take part in our programme. As soon as we receive yourapplication form and have found you a project, we will send you an invitation letter, aCertificate of Sponsorship and any additional documents that you need to apply for yourvisa. It is important that you prepare your application carefully. Once you know whichproject you will be working with please find out as much as you can about the projectand ask us if you feel you have not got enough information. Please also think about howdoing voluntary work for a year fits in with your background, future plans, etc. They wantto be assured that you will be returning to your home country after a year and that youare not using ICYE as a way to gain entry to the UK so it is important to be clear aboutwhat your future plans in your home country will be.If you have any problems getting the visa, please contact us immediately.Volunteers form certain countries also need to register with the police when they arrivein the country. This incurs a fee of £35, which YOU will have to pay. ICYE-UK can adviseif you are not sure if this applies to you.Volunteers from EEA countriesCitizens of the European Economic Area do not need an Entry Clearance to the UK andwill not need to give the immigration officer any information about their stay in the UK.In most cases the immigration officer will just look at your passport and there is no needto register anywhere once you are in the UK. Please note that the list of countries whose citizens require a visa beforearriving in the UK is subject to change, so please contact your nearestConsulate for the latest update. Information and application proceduredetails also available on www.ukvisas.gov.uk13