What changed on 29 October

Changes to the UK’s Minister of Religion and Religious Worker visa routes took effect on 29 October 2026, under the Home Office Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 584), published on 3 September 2026. For Ministers of Religion, permission can now be granted for up to three years at a time, and the previous maximum six-year cap on sponsorship has been removed. Previously, a minister could be granted a maximum of three years and one month at a time, subject to that six-year cap.

Members of religious orders may now undertake roles involving mainly non-pastoral duties, such as school teaching, media production, domestic work or administrative and clerical work. The rules have also been clarified to confirm that a Religious Worker role must mainly involve performing non-pastoral religious duties, and must not include work falling under a Minister of Religion role.

A new six-month affiliation test

For Religious Workers, the national recruitment search requirement has been replaced with a minimum six-month affiliation requirement. Proof that the role is supernumerary, or involves membership of a religious order, remain alternative options to meeting that requirement.

There is also a new sponsor requirement: sponsors must confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they will maintain and accommodate workers who are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage for the duration of their permission in the UK.

Financial requirements

Applicants entitled to the National Minimum Wage, applying for entry clearance or for permission to stay after living in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, must still satisfy the financial requirement by showing funds of £1,270. For a dependent partner or child of a Minister of Religion in the same position, the figures listed are £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for the first dependent child, and £200 for each additional dependent child.

Immigration rules change frequently: anyone affected should check the official GOV.UK Immigration Rules pages before applying. This article is general information, not personal immigration advice.

Sources: GOV.UK — Appendix T2 Minister of Religion | GOV.UK — Religious Worker | Bates Wells