The Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) is a sub-category under the Standard Visitor Visa route. It is available for individuals invited to the UK as an expert in their profession. PPE visitors will require a formal letter of invitation from Queen Mary to be able to enter the UK under this route as well as proof that the paid engagement relates to your expertise, qualifications and main job in your home country, such as a letter from your employer.
Under the PPE route, the PPE activities must be carried out within the first month of a up to 6 months stay in the UK. The activities that are permitted:
Depending on your nationality, you may be able to stay in the UK as a PPE visitor without applying for a visa in advance of travelling – check if you need a visa. You must carry the correct documentation when travelling to be able to demonstrate to officers at the UK border that you’re eligible for a PPE visa even if you don’t need one.
eGates expansion: Nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America arriving to a UK port of entry who have been invited to the UK to work on a PPE will need to see an officer and get a stamp in their passport. These travellers on PPE will require a specific grant of leave, which has to be given by an officer (in the form of a stamp). Without this passport stamp these individuals will be unable to do the activities they are coming to the UK to do.