Table Of Contents
- What are the eligible GAE schemes
- Who can be an approved exchange programme sponsor
- Overarching sponsors and exceptions
- Summary
The Government Authorised Exchange (Temporary Work) visa, which is part of the UK’s broader Temporary Worker route, allows overseas migrants to come to the UK for a short period to gain experience of work, undertake training, undertake an OGLP (Overseas Government Language Programme), or participate in research or a fellowship programme through an approved government-authorised exchange scheme.
A UK government department must endorse an approved exchange scheme, and an overarching sponsor will administer the scheme, not an individual employer or organisation (unless they are an ‘eligible endorsed sponsor’).
The Home Office approves an overarching sponsor, which is a UK organisation that has been approved to manage an entire exchange scheme and sponsor multiple participants and host organisations (the host organisations are those that actually provide/offer the work experience, training, or research placement to the participants).
An eligible sponsor must assign a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) to the sponsored workers. An eligible licensed UK sponsor may be a government department, a higher education institution, or an organisation running an approved exchange programme.
What are the eligible GAE schemes?
You can find eligible GAE schemes and programmes listed in the Immigration Rules – Appendix Government Authorised Exchange schemes.
These are the 3 main types of programme mentioned below.
1. Work Experience Programme
Under these schemes, participants get the opportunity to gain work experience, including internships, volunteering, and job-shadowing. This scheme also includes Work exchange programmes between the UK and other countries. The purpose is for participants to get work experience in the UK by taking part in approved schemes for a maximum of 12 months (unless a shorter maximum period is specified in the Immigration Rules – Appendix Government Authorised Exchange schemes).
2. Research and Training Programme
These schemes allow participants to undertake the following:
• Fellowships and research programmes on an academic, scientific, medical, or government research project at a UK HEI (Higher Education Institution) or another research institution which has a relevant government department’s approval (which may also offer financial sponsorship for the institution)
• formal, practical training in the fields of medicine or science, or training delivered by HM Armed Forces or the UK emergency services
Participants can take part in approved schemes for a maximum of 2 years.
3. Overseas Government Language Programme
These are professional language training programmes. An overseas government or an organisation affiliated to an overseas government partially or fully funds these programmes.
Participants can take part in approved schemes for a maximum of 2 years.
Who can be an approved exchange programme sponsor?
For the purpose of a Government Authorised Exchange visa, applicants must be issued a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) from an eligible Government Authorised Exchange Worker (GAE) sponsor. The organisation or employer must have a sponsor licence for the GAE route. If they do not already hold such a licence, they must apply for and obtain one.
Importantly, even if an employer holds a valid sponsor licence to sponsor workers, but their licence does not include the GAE route, the employer needs to apply to add this route to their existing sponsor licence.
An organisation specified in the Immigration Rules may sponsor GAE workers, but the same workers may be employed at a different organisation.
An approved exchange programme sponsor can be any of the following:
1. An organisation running an approved exchange scheme
An organisation running an approved exchange scheme listed in the Appendix Government Authorised Exchange schemes is an organisation that is officially recognised and approved by the UK government. Such organisations operate a government-approved programme allowing foreign individuals to come to the UK temporarily for specific purposes, such as
• Training (receiving specialist training that is not available in the applicant’s home country),
• Gaining work experience (gaining practical experience in a particular profession or industry),
• Undertaking research (carrying out academic or scientific research), or
• For professional development (improving skills, knowledge, and expertise in a specific field).
The government usually approves these organisations under the GAE (Government Authorised Exchange) scheme, which falls under the Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa.
2. A higher education institution (if the applicant is a sponsored researcher, visiting academic or examiner)
A HEI which is a university or other recognised institution providing advanced education and conducting academic research can act as an eligible endorsed sponsor for certain categories of academic visitors. This means the university can sponsor someone directly, without needing an overarching sponsor to manage the exchange scheme.
3. A government department or agency
A government department or agency in the context of the UK Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa is a public body that forms part of, or operates on behalf of, the UK government (such as the Home Office or the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation). They can run or participate in an approved exchange scheme for specific purposes such as research, training, professional development, or international cooperation.
Under this route, a government department or agency may:
• Endorse an exchange scheme, confirming that it serves a genuine public, educational, scientific, or professional purpose.
• Run a GAE scheme and act as an approved sponsor in some cases.
• Host overseas participants for research, training, or work experience where permitted.
Overarching sponsors and exceptions
To stop/prevent potential abuse of this GAE route and the formation of small, isolated schemes, individual organisations and employers are normally not permitted to sponsor workers on this route, even if they are a Home Office-licensed sponsor on other routes. The only exceptions to this are if the organisation or employer is one of the following (an ‘eligible endorsed sponsor’):
• a HEI (Higher Education Institution) and they want to sponsor a person under the Sponsored Researchers scheme
• UKRI (UK Research and Innovation), or a UKRI endorsed organisation, and they want to sponsor persons under UKRI’s Science, Research and Academia scheme (s an approved Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme that allows overseas researchers, scientists, academics, and certain research-related professionals to come to the UK temporarily for research, training, and academic collaboration) or UKRI’s Future Technology Research and Innovation scheme (this scheme enables overseas research interns and sponsored researchers to come to the UK temporarily to carry out research, training, or work experience in specific advanced technology sectors) – they must include with their sponsor licence application a UKRI’s approval letter’s copy confirming their access to the scheme
• a diplomatic mission or consular post that has a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) currently in place with the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) to sponsor interns under the Diplomatic Missions Interns Scheme (this scheme allows certain overseas nationals to come to the UK temporarily to undertake a short-term work experience placement at a diplomatic mission or consular post in the UK) – they must include a copy of the signed MoU between them and the FCDO with their sponsor licence application
In all other cases, a GAE Scheme’s sponsor must be an overarching body which administers the exchange scheme and acts as the licensed sponsor for any workers. Overarching sponsors are not normally the ones who employ or engage the worker they are sponsoring but will place them with a participating organisation (‘host employer’) as part of the approved scheme.
Summary
Approved exchange programme sponsors are those organisations that have been authorised by the UK government to operate an approved GAE (Government Authorised Exchange) scheme and sponsor overseas participants coming to the UK under the Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa.
These sponsors are responsible for managing the exchange programme and ensuring that participants comply with UK immigration rules.
An approved exchange programme sponsor may operate an approved exchange scheme that has been endorsed by a UK government department, assign a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) to eligible overseas participants, arrange placements with host organisations such as universities, research institutions, businesses, or public bodies, monitor participants during their stay in the UK and ensure the exchange meets the scheme’s purpose, and ensure compliance with the requirements of the Government Authorised Exchange route.
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