Sponsors of employees of overseas governments and international organisations on the International Agreement route should first check whether the worker is exempt and eligible for a digital record of exemption, which replaced the exempt vignette from 25 February 2026.
Key facts
- Who: Sponsors on the Temporary Work – International Agreement route, when sponsoring employees of overseas governments and recognised international organisations
- From: 25 February 2026 (the date the digital record of exemption replaced the exempt vignette, per IAW3.12). Version 04/26 of the guidance is valid from 8 April 2026.
- Source: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor an International Agreement worker
Version 04/26, valid from 8 April 2026, replaces version 03/26 published on 6 March 2026.
Paragraph IAW3.12 of the sponsor guidance refers to the digital record of exemption. It says sponsors "should first check" whether a worker is exempt from immigration control and eligible for a digital record of exemption, which the guidance says "has replaced the exempt vignette from 25 February 2026".
The paragraph sits in the category for employees of overseas governments and recognised international organisations who are not exempt from immigration control (IAW3.11). If the worker is exempt and eligible for a digital record of exemption, the sponsor does not need to sponsor them. If the worker is not exempt, they can be sponsored on the International Agreement route.
The guidance also explains how exemption relates to the organisation (IAW2.7). A recognised international organisation is one established by an international treaty signed by the UK, and it must be on the exempt organisations list on GOV.UK. Some of its employees or officials, usually senior ones, may be exempt from immigration control. Those who are not exempt can be sponsored on the route.
Employees of an overseas government or international organisation can be sponsored for a maximum of 24 months (IAW3.16). They must be under a contract of employment with a diplomatic mission, consular post or recognised international organisation (IAW3.13). This category cannot be used for a private servant in a diplomatic household or private household.
Version 04/26 also adds a bullet point at IAW1.10 requiring sponsors to sponsor only for "eligible roles", as defined in the separate glossary. The version's change list also records other minor housekeeping changes.
What this means for applicants
Before sponsoring an employee of an overseas government or international organisation, the sponsor should first check whether that person is exempt from immigration control and eligible for a digital record of exemption. An exempt worker does not need to be sponsored. A worker who is not exempt can be sponsored on the International Agreement route, which requires a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from an approved sponsor (IAW4.2).
Related guide
T5 International Agreement visa
Sources
- Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor an International Agreement worker, UK Visas and Immigration, version 04/26