The government authorised exchange category is for people coming to the United Kingdom through approved schemes that aim to share knowledge, experience and best practice, and to experience the social and cultural life of the United Kingdom.  This category must not be used to fill job vacancies or to bring unskilled labour to the United Kingdom.

Your sponsor will be an overarching body who manages the government authorised exchange scheme. This overarching body must have the support of a United Kingdom government department.

Individual employers and organisations will not be allowed to sponsor migrants in this category, even if they are licensed as sponsors under other tiers or other categories of Tier 5. The only exceptions to this are if you are coming to the United Kingdom:

• as a sponsored researcher, where the higher education institution you are coming to work at will be your sponsor; or
• to work for a government department or agency.

Any work you do must be skilled which means it must be equivalent to NVQ or SVQ level 3 or above. This is unless you are taking part in the scheme set up as part of the European Union's lifelong learning programme, where you can do vocational education and training at a lower skill level.

You are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for up to 24 months under this category.

Before you apply under the government authorised exchange category, you must have:

• a sponsor (the overarching body); and
• a valid certificate of sponsorship.

When you apply you are awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).

You can apply under the government authorised exchange category now if you are:

• applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the government authorised exchange category;
• already in the United Kingdom under the government authorised exchange category and want to extend your permission to stay if you have been here for less than 24 months, which is the maximum time you are allowed to stay.

If you are in the United Kingdom in another category, you cannot apply to extend your stay by switching into the government authorised exchange category. And if you are here in the government authorised exchange category, you cannot apply to extend your stay by switching into another category. In both cases, you must leave the country before you can apply.

If you are given permission to stay under the government authorised exchange category, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum time of 24 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, which ever time is shorter.

If you need to leave and come back to the United Kingdom quite a few times as part of the job you are doing, you can get a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship. Your sponsor will give you a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship that allows you to come and go from the United Kingdom a number of different times during the length of your certificate.

If you have permission to come (entry clearance) for any length of time, you will be able to leave and come back to the United Kingdom during the time you have permission.

If you leave the United Kingdom and you were given six months or less permission to stay (leave to remain), you will not be able to come back as your permission to stay ends when you leave the United Kingdom. You must apply again to be able to come back.