Will I Need A Visa?

[Neotomic]

Hi,
I live in the US and looking to come to the UK. I've been offered one week's unpaid work experience this year for a music magazine, and I was wondering if I'll need a visa and if so, what kind.
Thanks!

[vinny]

Check if you need a UK visa.

[Wanderer]

Hi,
I live in the US and looking to come to the UK. I've been offered one week's unpaid work experience this year for a music magazine, and I was wondering if I'll need a visa and if so, what kind.
Thanks!

Yes you will.

[vin123]

Hi,
I live in the US and looking to come to the UK. I've been offered one week's unpaid work experience this year for a music magazine, and I was wondering if I'll need a visa and if so, what kind.
Thanks!

You don’t need a visa if you’re coming to the UK for activities allowed under the following visas:

- a business or academic visitor - eg if you’re coming to the UK for conferences, meetings, training or academic research
-a sports visitor
-an entertainer
-a prospective entrepreneur
-a visitor doing a ‘permitted paid engagement’ (you must have been invited to the UK because of your expertise) - you can only stay for up to 1 month

https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/usa/ ... hs_or_less

If, highlighted in bold applies to you - then you DO NOT need a visa.
Needless to say, ignore the irrelevant response in this thread.

[Frontier Mole]

As a non visa national being a US citizen you have a concessionary rules of entry applied at the border in certain instances.

Coming to work paid or unpaid is NOT a concessionary right. Hence you will require an entry visa that confers the right to work.
The previous post suggests that as an entertainer or an academic reasearcher you would be allowed entry, this is correct but the definition of those particular reasons for entry would not apply in the circumstances you have outlined.

Officially you would need a work visa of some form and for a one week role that is not viable of feasible.

You can chance your arm by just coming as a visitor and hoping for the best but obviously there is a risk attached to that and getting caught out at the border will result in being refused entry.