Internships UK

What visa do I need? To intern abroad in the UK, you need to be eligible for a Temporary Work GAE (Government Authorised Exchange) visa – previously known as the Tier 5 visa. This allows international students and recent grads to come to the UK for 1-12 months to complete short-term work experience. To be eligible for this visa, you must be:

• 18+
• Any nationality
• Either a full-time degree level student (unfortunately distance learning is not permitted on this visa); or a recent graduate who will start their UK internship within 24 months of the date on your graduation certificate.
• If English isn’t your native language, you’ll need to show a SELT (Secure English Language Test) certificate equal or above of a B2, or IELTS score of 6.0.
• You must be able to show proof of funds of £1,270 when applying for your sponsorship and when you enter the UK.
• You must not have interned at your host company before. (We can sponsor you up to two times, but it must be at different UK companies).
• You cannot work alongside your internship on this visa, for example, you can’t do a casual bar job while doing your internship.
• You must have travel insurance that includes a minimum of USD $100,000 medical cover and repatriation of mortal remains. (Our team can suggest an insurance provider).
• You must have an internship offer that has been vetted by our team to ensure it meets the UK Government’s criteria for this visa. (See the below tabs for the types of internships that are permitted).

Why do I need a sponsor? Before you can apply for a Temporary Work GAE visa, you must have a government-approved UK sponsor (This is us, BTW). Together with our UK sibling company, BUNAC, we provide the placement and host company vetting to issue the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) you need to apply for your visa.

The visa process includes an online application and in-person biometrics appointment in your home country. (EU passport holders with e-passports can complete their biometrics online). The Temporary Work GAE visa itself costs £298 and must be paid directly to UKVI (UK Visa and Immigration). For internships over 6 months, you are required to pay an IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) of £1,035. This gives you access to NHS (National Health Service) treatment while in the UK and is paid directly to UKVI.

What industries can I work in? Marketing internships, fashion internships, accounting internships, publishing internships, museums internships... the UK hosts every sector and industry under the sun. (And despite the rainy reputation, we do get epic summers. Not to mention, your Euro Summer is only a 90-minute train under the channel...).

Apart from interning in healthcare and hospitality, we can sponsor you to work in pretty much any field. And unlike some student or grad visas, your UK internship doesn’t have to be connected to your degree - giving you the freedom to get experience in a sector that’s aligned with your future career aspirations.

Where can I work? While most interns tend to head for London, you can intern anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – getting to see more than just the capital and saving some ££ on rent.

Option 1: Own Placement From innovative start-ups to leading global brands, most of our participants land a professional placement on their own – either through their own network or the use a placement company. Use the criteria checklist on the below tabs to make sure you’re approaching UK companies with the correct requirements to get your internship placement offer.

Option 2: Placement Support Like any experience worth having, finding an internship can be hard going. It takes research, determination and some minor-but-legal stalking on LinkedIn. Or paying a placement company to sort it for you. We reach out to UK companies actively searching for interns, vet the roles, and add them to our online Job Hub where you can search and apply directly.

Wooing and vetting these employers takes a dedicated team, which is why if you find your internship on our Job Hub, the ‘Placement Support’ is slightly higher than the ‘Own Placement’ option. We think it’s a fair price for the time and effort it saves – and we hope that when you’re smashing it on the London PR scene, you agree.

Currently hiring on the Job Hub We currently have paid and voluntary London-based internships available in Marketing, Fashion, Architecture, Artist Management, Social, Finance, Business and more. Hit 'Placement Support' to apply.

Are internships paid? We can sponsor you to do a voluntary (or unpaid) internship, or a paid internship. Salaries vary between placements, but they must meet the minimum wage requirements below. The cost of living in the UK, especially in London, might be higher than in your home country. While we don’t offer accommodation, we work with some great people who do. When you book, we’ll give you all the intel you need on how to find a place to live.

Internship criteria checklist It’s a UK immigration requirement that your internship must be:

• A maximum of 12 months in duration and at least 25 hours per week.
• A supernumerary position, meaning that the role is not taking the place of a permanent employee.
• It must include complex activities rather than routine tasks, backed up by a detailed training plan (read: you’re not making copies, or coffees).
• It must include employer supervision. We look for a ‘full-time staff to intern’ ratio of 5:1.
• If it’s a paid internship, it must meet the UK’s National Minimum Wage legislation.
• If it’s a voluntary internship, it must meet UK Volunteer Rights guidelines. Internship longer than six months must be paid.
• Your host company should be registered with Companies House in the UK for at least the last 12 months.
• At least 30% of a hybrid internship must be based in the company’s registered office. You cannot be fully remote.

How we help As a global family of work abroad brands, we’ve worked closely with the UK Government since 2009 to launch this unique program for students and grads. We know the rules inside and out – so get on the dog and bone (Cockney for phone) if you have any questions. Don’t know what a Cockney is? Watch a Guy Ritchie film before you jet in.

Timeframes We advise starting your Intern UK application 4-6 weeks before your internship start date. Our UK-based team will always work as quickly as they can on your application – with additional options for priority processing along the way. However, each application is different and we are subject to government immigration processes and wait times – so please allow yourself as much time as possible to get through the process.

Own Placement Standard – allow at least 6 weeks Priority – allow at least 4 weeks

Placement Support If you find a position on our Job Hub, please add 1-2 weeks to the above timeframes. If you are using a placement partner, your application will be subject to their timeframes.

Application process

1. Check the eligibility Check the ‘About the visa’ tab above to make sure you’re eligible for the Temporary Work GAE visa.

2. Find an internship You must have an internship offer before we can sponsor you.

• If you already have an internship lined up, great – just ensure if meets the criteria checklist in the tab above and pay your deposit for the ‘Own Placement’ cost.

• If you need an internship, after you’ve paid your deposit, you’ll get access to our Job Hub of UK employers actively seeking interns. Check out the ‘Placement Support’ inclusions tab for more on how this works.

3. Vetting and paperwork Once you have your internship offer, our team will vet your placement and host company to ensure it meets the immigration requirements for this visa. We’ll then issue the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) you need to apply for your Temporary Work GAE visa.

4. Apply for your visa Unfortunately, we’re not able to apply for your UK visa for you – it must be done via the UK Visa and Immigration website (UKVI). Our team have assisted thousands of students with this part of their application, and provide step-by-step guidance.

5. Attend your appointment You’ll then need to send your passport to a UK Visa Application Centre in your home country and attend a biometrics appointment (mugshot and fingerprints). EU passport holders with e-passports can do this part online.

6. Sort the essentials Once your visa is secured, it’s safe to book your flights and UK accommodation. In your online customer account, you’ll find information and advice with everything you need to know about moving to the UK.

7. Arrive in the UK You’ll independently start your internship in the UK. Our UK JENZA team will be in touch for monthly check-ups, check-ins with your supervisor, and will be on hand if you need anything.