TIER 5 (GOVERNMENT AUTHORISED EXCHANGE) CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP INITIAL
APPLICATION FORM
Please complete this form when applying for a Certificate of Sponsorship for a temporary worker and return
it to the Staff Immigration Team along with the necessary supporting documents listed at the end of the
form.
Signed applications should be sent via email to the Staff Immigration Team at:
lisa.crook@admin.ox.ac.uk / david.richardson@admin.ox.ac.uk
It is important that the information provided on the Certificate of Sponsorship application is
accurate since this information must match the information provided by the applicant on their
visa/leave to remain application.
It is not possible for the Staff Immigration Team to consider incomplete applications. Therefore,
please ensure that you provide all of the required information.
Eligibility
Is the migrant filling an advertised vacancy for a role which
is essential for the normal activities of the
department/college?
Does the migrant intend to leave the UK at the end of the
period of employment/ visit for which this Certificate of
Sponsorship is required?
Maintenance requirement
Departments/ colleges should normally certify the maintenance requirement on behalf of the applicant in
order that they only have to submit bank statements to meet their dependants’ maintenance requirements
with their visa application. Maintenance for Tier 5 dependants cannot be certified.
By doing so, the employing department/ college is certifying that they will, if necessary, maintain and
accommodate the applicant (to a minimum value of £945) for the first month of the visit. Please confirm
how the applicant will meet the maintenance requirement by listing the relevant number (1 or 2):
1. Department/ college intends to certify maintenance on behalf of the main applicant
(£945);
Bank statements will be submitted by the applicant to evidence that £630 for each
dependant has been held for a consecutive 90 day period ending no more than 31 days
before the visa application is submitted.
2. Department/ college does NOT intend to certify maintenance on behalf of the main
applicant.
Bank statements will be submitted by the applicant to evidence that £945 plus £630 for
each dependant has been held for a consecutive 90 day period ending no more than 31
days before the visa application is submitted.
Updated January 2016
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Passport information
Please complete the following personal information in full.
appear in the migrant’s passport, where applicable.
Please complete personal details as they
Title (e.g. Dr, Mr, Mrs)
Last name
First name(s) – [incl. middle name(s)]
Other name(s) – [i.e. previous name(s)]
Nationality
City of birth
Country of birth
Date of birth
Gender
Passport number
Passport issue date (DD/MM/YYYY)
Passport expiry date (DD/MM/YYYY)
Passport place of issue (city / country)
Migrant contact details
Country of residence
This must be the country in which the migrant will
apply for their visa/leave to remain.
Full residential address including post code /
zip code / area code
This must be the country in which the migrant will
apply for their visa/leave to remain.
Email address
Updated January 2016
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Tuberculosis (TB) pre-screening
There are a growing number of countries considered to have a high incidence of tuberculosis and if the
applicant is resident in one of these countries and coming to the UK for longer than six months they must
provide a valid medical certificate issued by a Home Office approved medical practitioner confirming that
they have undergone screening for and have been diagnosed as being free from active pulmonary
tuberculosis (TB). The list of countries affected and country-specific guidance in relation to the testing
process is found on the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa
It is important that applicants from countries where TB pre-screening is required are tested as soon as
possible in advance of their application it can be difficult to obtain an appointment. If additional tests and/or
treatment is required this will significantly delay their application to come to the UK.
Will the applicant be required to provide a medical certificate confirming they have been
screened for and are free from active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) (please confirm Yes/No)
Identification numbers
UK National Insurance number (if applicable)
National ID card number (if applicable)
Employment/ visit details
Start date (DD/MM/YYYY)
The start date of the COS must be the start date of the job/ visit.
End date (DD/MM/YYYY)
Note that a COS can only be issued for two years or for the duration of the
visit, whichever is the shorter period. Please indicate the end date
accordingly.
I confirm that this applicant has been made aware that they and their dependants will
have to pay the ‘NHS Surcharge’. As this is a significant addition to the visa fee, based
on the duration of the visa, it may affect the decision of the length of visa applied for.
For further details, see:
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/permits/tier5/temporaryworkers/costandpaymentofapplications/
Does the migrant require multiple entry to the UK for work purposes?
Migrants who will be required to travel overseas for work purposes (such as to attend conferences or
conduct fieldwork) will require a multiple entry visa. Migrants who will only travel overseas for domestic
and leisure purposes do not require a multiple entry visa.
Total weekly hours of work
Updated January 2016
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Full work address in the UK, including postcode
Other regular UK work address(es)
Job title (e.g. sponsored researcher, visiting researcher, visiting
lecturer)
Main duties e.g. conducting experiments, giving a guest lecture
(maximum 700 characters).
Please note that only work which is additional to the department/ college’s
normal functional requirements is permitted under Tier 5.
Gross funding
£
per
Gross allowances
£
per
Description of allowances (e.g. £1000 per annum travel, £5000 per
annum accommodation)
Details of funding body
Full name of organisation funding the
employment/ visit.
If the department/college is funding the employment/
visit, please give the contact details of an appropriate
member of the department/college.
If there is more than one organisation funding the
employment/visit, please give details of all
organisations providing funding.
Full name of representative of the funding
organisation
Position in organisation
Telephone number
Email address
Updated January 2016
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Switching from Tier 4 into Tier 5
Is the applicant a Tier 4 student visa holder who has successfully completed and passed
a UK recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree and who will apply from within the UK?
(please confirm Yes/No)
If Yes, please remember to:
 Provide a copy of a qualification certificate, academic transcript or academic reference, on the official
headed paper of the awarding institution that confirms that the migrant has fully completed their
studies.
 Provide a copy of letter from either the funding organisation or the host department/ college (this can
be a separate letter or additional information contained within the funding letter) which confirms that
the research to be carried out is directly related to the migrant’s completed qualification and that the
host department/ college does not intend to employ the migrant at the end of the research internship.
 Remind them that they must inform their Tier 4 sponsor that they will be changing immigration status,
i.e. switching to a Tier 5 visa.
Was the applicant sponsored by an overseas Government or international scholarship
agency within the past 12 months? (please confirm Yes/No)
If Yes, they must provide the agency’s unconditional consent in writing, giving permission for
them to remain in the UK.
Is the applicant’s Tier 4 visa sponsored by the University of Oxford? (please confirm Yes/No)
Record-keeping and reporting responsibilities
Departments and colleges hosting migrants on Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) visas have a
number of record-keeping and reporting responsibilities. The consequences of non-compliance with these
duties, including reporting details late, are potentially severe for the University.
Departments and colleges can view their record-keeping and reporting responsibilities at
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/permits/employresp/
Our Tier 2 & Tier 5 Changes & Leavers Form should be used to report any changes in circumstances for
Tier 2 and Tier 5 visa holders to the Staff Immigration Team within 5 working days after the changes take
effect in order that they can be reported to the Home Office as required.
Departments and colleges can view the consequences on non-compliance at
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/permits/employresp/
Has the department/ college read and understood their record-keeping responsibilities for
Tier 5 migrants?
Has the department/ college read and understood their reporting responsibilities for Tier 5
migrants?
Has the department/ college read and understood the consequences of non-compliance
with their record-keeping and reporting responsibilities for Tier 5 migrants?
Updated January 2016
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Supporting documents – with naming convention (SURNAME,Initials-[document]-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
Please tick to confirm that the following documents are enclosed with this application:
 Copy of photo and personal information page(s) of a valid passport (SURNAME,Initials-passport-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
 Copy of any current UK visas (SURNAME,Initials-visa-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
 Copy of signed and dated Data Processing Consent form where applicant consents to the processing
and use of their personal data by the University. (SURNAME,Initials-declaration-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
 Copy of letter from the funding body confirming the start and end dates of the employment at/ visit to the
University of Oxford and the level of funds (and allowances, if applicable) that will be paid to the migrant for
the duration of the employment/visit (if the migrant will be employed and paid by the department/college
then the department/college will need to provide this letter). (SURNAME,Initials-funding-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
 Summary of the proposed work to be carried out by the applicant during the visit. This should be a
reasonably detailed bulleted list of duties/ tasks (1-2 pages) as you would find in the duties section of a job
description or project plan. This will be used to determine that Tier 5 is the appropriate route and in order
that any changes from the original proposed work during the visit can be identified and reported.
(SURNAME,Initials-plan-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
 For migrants switching from a Tier 4 student visa into Tier 5 as a research intern - Copy of a
qualification certificate, academic transcript or academic reference, on the official headed paper of the
awarding institution that confirms that the migrant has fully completed their studies and states their name,
title of the qualification/ award, course duration and date of course completion; and Copy of letter from
either the funding organisation or the host department/ college (this can be a separate letter or
additional information contained within the funding letter above) which confirms that the research to be
carried out is directly related to the migrant’s completed qualification and that the host department/ college
does not intend to employ the migrant at the end of the research internship. (SURNAME,Initials-academicref-ddmm-yy.pdf)
 For migrants switching from a Tier 4 student visa who have been sponsored by an overseas
Government or international scholarship agency within the past 12 months - the agency’s unconditional
consent in writing, giving permission for the migrant to remain in or re-enter the UK. The evidence must be
original, issued by an authorised official of the organisation on their official letter-headed paper or
stationery. (SURNAME,Initials-consent-dd-mm-yy.pdf)
Updated January 2016
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Payment and authorisation
The cost of each Certificate of Sponsorship is £21. Please give the full general ledger cost code that you
wish this fee and any in-country leave to remain application fee to be cross-charged to. We cannot crosscharge to project codes.
Cost codes should be in the format cost centre/natural account/ activity/ source of funds / organisation (e.g.
AX0000/85210/00/00000/10).
Cost code to charge application fee to:
8
5
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
We are unable to cross-charge application fees to colleges. Therefore, Colleges should attach a cheque
made payable to the ‘University of Oxford’.
Please complete below to confirm that you are satisfied that the migrant named on this form meets the
necessary points requirements for a Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) Certificate of Sponsorship
and that the department has read and understood its reporting and record-keeping responsibilities.
By completing this declaration and submitting this form via email you, or the named individual, are
confirming that the information and supporting documents provided are, to the best of your knowledge,
complete, true and correct.
Print name
Position
Date
Department
Telephone
Email
Should you have any queries regarding Certificates of Sponsorship requirements, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Thank you
Staff Immigration Team
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/permits/
Lisa Crook, 01865 289919, lisa.crook@admin.ox.ac.uk
Medical Sciences / Social Sciences / Colleges Q – W
David Richardson, 01865 289904, david.richardson@admin.ox.ac.uk
Humanities / MPLS / Colleges A–P
Updated January 2016
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