Gap Year Entrants for Work in Schools
This page describes how you can apply to come to work in the UK during your gap year, a period of up to one year between leaving secondary education and starting tertiary education.
The scheme allows young public who are not citizens of the European Economic Area to come to the UK for one year to work in a school. You will not be able to apply under the scheme unless you have a written offer of employment in a school in the United Kingdom.
The gap year scheme is a short-term type of immigration. If you come to the UK on a gap year visa, you will be allowed to stay for a maximum of one year. When your visa finishes, you will be expected to return to your home country. You will not be allowed to expand your visa.
Please note the gap year scheme is due to be deleted later this year when the new points-based system Youth Mobility Scheme of Tier 5 is launched.
Entry clearance requirements
To be eligible to be considered for entry clearance as a Gap Year Entrant an applicant must:
i. be aged 17 to 19 at the time of making the application to enter the UK; and
ii. have completed secondary education on a date no more than 12 months prior to the date on which he/she intends to enter the UK in the category; and
iii. have evidence of an unconditional offer of a place on a degree course at a degree-awarding institution of higher education overseas that is due to commence at the next available opportunity after his/her intended 12 month period of leave in the category will expire*; and
iv. have evidence of an offer of employment in a teaching/teaching assistant capacity in a school in the UK for the period of one full academic year (three consecutive terms); and
v. have the means to pay for his/her return or onward journey; and
vi. be able and intend to maintain and accommodate himself/herself without recourse to public funds; and
vii. be intending to take employment in a teaching/teaching assistant# capacity in a school in the UK as per the offer of employment referred to in (iv) above, and not intending to take any other employment; and
viii. Intend to leave the UK at the end of his/her stay as a Gap Year Entrant, and take up his/her place at university overseas.