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The Training & Work Experience scheme (TWES) service enables an organization to bring in a citizen (non-EU) for the purposes of training them towards specialist qualification. TWES also contains the category of practical work experience, on the basis that the candidate will return to the establishment's office (in their home country) to make use of the experience they have gained while training in the UK.
A TWES permit will only be granted to a person who is in a faculty additional to the standard staffing requirements of the company. Once a TWES application is successfully processed, the applicant must apply for entry clearance to come to the UK.
Spouse & Dependent Immigration
Spouse immigration is permitted under the TWES. The unmarried partner/ spouse, or dependent children of a TWES permit holder may come to Great Britain for the same time granted to the TWES permit holder, provided that the they can support them without access to public funds. The TWES permit, unlike a De Facto visa or marriage visa, is a temporary agreement and does not lead to a grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Work Experience Scheme
The work experience part of TWES gives a visa to applicants and usually is valid for 1 year, but in some cases, TWES visas for two years are granted to candidates.
The requirements for both employer and candidate are the same as those for the training scheme. A TWES Permit holder must return to their home country upon completion of their work experience.
Training Permits
Permits issued under the training part of the TWES scheme are designed for people coming to Great Britain from a developing country to benefit from training, for example training that is unavailable to them in their home country. Candidates do not need to come from a developing country. Candidates from non developing countries can also apply for TWES permits.
Training should lead to a recognized professional qualification or in some circumstances a specific occupational skill. In all cases, the training provided must be of use to the candidate in their home country once they return.
Eligibility for TWES permits
TWES permit applicants must meet NVQ level 3 and above qualifications in order to apply.
The candidate must be able to satisfy one of the following criteria:
» A relevant degree (relevant to the work experience or training).
» A non-relevant degree and one year of experience within the field they will be training in.
» No degree but three years of relevant experience within the field they wish to be trained in.
Candidates must be aged between 18 and 54 years and the work undertaken must constitute 30 hours per week or more.
Employer Requirements for TWES
In order to offer training under the TWES scheme, employers must be able to carry out the proposed training, they must be registered with a relevant professional body and must provide a fixed duration for the intended training. Evidence of a schedule including relevant dates must also be supplied.
Employers must make the application for each candidate and must ensure that applicants undergoing training receive appropriate wages and conditions. However, in contrast to a UK work permit, they must be taken on in addition to existing staff.
A training permit under TWES is not to fill an available job. It is to provide training to an individual. Candidates have to return to their home country once the training has been. They must then spend a period of time outside the UK before they can be permitted to come back into the country through a usual working permit.
If the TWES visa was granted for less than 1 year then a 12-month period outside The UK is compulsory. If the TWES permit exceeds 1 year, then two years outside of the UK is required. Please be aware that applicants switch from TWES permits to work permits.
Benefits
A TWES permit is intended as a route through which staff members from outside the UK can have access to training within the UK, training which is unavailable to them in their home country.
A TWES permit allows candidates to gain professional qualifications with the intention of returning to their home country to utilize their new skills and experience.
British based companies with overseas branches may also advantage from applying for a TWES permit to be able to train their overseas staff in The UK.
Duration
The duration of the TWES permit depends on the length of time requested by the company. This is at discretion of the Home office. An initial permit can be granted for up to 5 years. A permit for work experience can be issued for up to 2 years. TWES is not for the purpose of finding settlement in the UK and is a different immigration service than the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). A TWES permit does not create a path towards indefinite leave to remain in the UK (ILR). TWES permit applicants MUST intend to exit the UK upon completion of their training and their work experience. TWES permit holders will not be eligible for further TWES permits or a work permit until they have completed a period of up to 2 years outside of the UK.
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