Great Britain offers numerous opportunities for talented professionals from other countries who wish to contribute to the local economy. One of the most sought-after options is the UK Global Talent Visa. In particular, it is an attractive option for digital professionals who want to develop their careers in one of the world’s most dynamic tech ecosystems. Let us find out what such a visa is, who is eligible to get it, and what the application process is.
UK Global Talent Visa opportunities
This visa enables foreign digital tech experts to live and work in the UK legally for up to 5 years. Such professionals can be engaged in various sectors:
- artificial intelligence (AI);
- software engineering;
- financial technology (fintech);
- cyber security;
- social media;
- gaming, etc.
Compared to other visa routes, Global Talent Visa in digital technology is a more flexible and less painstaking solution. For example, there are no minimum salary requirements, and applicants do not need to prove their English language skills.
Other advantages of the UK Global Talent Visa include:
- any type of employment (you can be a hired employee, a sole entrepreneur, or a company director);
- opportunity to travel abroad and return to the UK as many times as you wish;
- immigration for the entire family (you can bring your spouse and children along with you);
- unlimited visa extensions;
- opportunity to change or stop doing your job without notifying the Home Office.
Global Talent Visa holders cannot get access to social benefits and the state pension. However, they can eventually apply for the indefinite leave to remain if they plan on staying in the UK permanently. Such a possibility appears just within 3 years for field leaders and within 5 years for potential leaders.
Digital technology market in the UK
The British tech market is growing rapidly. Tech companies are clearly outperforming other industries, and the overall value of the digital transformation market in the UK amounted to over $40 billion in 2023.
The main driving force is the AI but other sectors are expected to show a steady growth in the upcoming years as well. Experts believe that more deals are going to be made in 2024, including large-sale ones.
The reason behind such a popularity of the digital tech market among professionals is that it offers maximum flexibility and convenience. All you need to work is basically a laptop and your brain. There is no need to rent an office or purchase specialized equipment. There are no particular requirements with regard to the employee’s personality or appearance. And, most importantly, you can work from anywhere in the world or move to another country for working purposes. This is why an increasing number of software engineers and other digital tech talent choose the UK as their new working destination. Global Talent Visa is a great opportunity for them to immigrate to a prosperous country with high living standards where they will face no linguistic difficulties.
Eligibility requirements
In order to qualify for the Global Talent Visa for digital technology professionals, an applicant shall have knowledge and a working experience in a digital company. Their background can be either technical (engineer, designer, developer, senior analyst) or commercial (product manager, sales expert and so on). It should be noted that not all roles are eligible for such a visa route. For example, system administrators, junior analysts, consultants, and various corporate roles are not suitable for the purposes of the Global Talent Visa. Such professionals may apply for Skilled Work Visa instead or consider other appropriate visa routes.
Other eligibility requirements include:
- age 18 or older;
- TB certificate (valid for 6 months from the date of your X-ray);
- endorsement letter issued by Tech Nation (is given to technical or business applicants with proven technical, commercial, investment, or product expertise, respectively). An alternative can be a prestigious prize listed in Appendix Global Talent.
Additional requirements can apply depending on your personal circumstance (country of origin, age, academic and working background, etc.). To find out the exact requirements, one should consult an immigration solicitor.
How to get a Global Talent Visa
As we have just discussed, all candidates need to be issued a Tech Nation endorsement first, so this is the initial stage of applying for the visa. To do so, an updated CV and three letters of recommendation shall be produced. The CV must include your previous studies, career, and publication history (if any). Letters of recommendation shall be given by established organisations that are leaders in the digital technology sector and are closely familiar with your work over the past 12 months or more. Their authors shall state that they consider you to be a promising talent and that you are likely to make a considerable contribution to the British digital economy.
Once your endorsement letter is ready, you will have a 3-month period to apply for your Global Talent Visa. This can be done from within the UK if you have not previously been granted permission to stay as a visitor, short-term student, or seasonal worker. Otherwise you will have to return to your home country to be able to submit an application.
Candidates may request any visa term (from 1 to 5 full years). This makes no difference in terms of the probability of a positive outcome but the longer you are going to stay in the UK, the more you will be required to pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Processing time and fees
The issuance of the endorsement letter takes normally from 4 to 8 weeks. The decision with regard to the visa itself takes 3 weeks if the applicant is located outside the UK and 8 weeks if they stay within the country. Therefore, the entire process may require up to 4 months, excluding the time that you will need to prepare all the necessary papers and submit the relevant applications. Fast-track processing can be available but it is offered for an extra charge.
The Global Talent Visa fee is £716. Those who apply for an endorsement letter first can split this payment and pay £524 when applying for the endorsement and the remaining ₤192 – when applying for the visa itself. Candidates who opt for the prize award route shall make a one-time payment. If the applicant travels with family, each family member shall pay the visa fee.
Apart from it, the healthcare surcharge shall be paid. It is normally about £1,000 for each applicant.
Conclusion
The Global Talent Visa for digital tech professionals is an affordable and rather prompt way of moving to the UK for working or business purposes. It imposes no restrictions in terms of employment type, financial situation, or social background. By satisfying a number of requirements, you can successfully relocate to Great Britain, be it for a couple of years or for the lifetime.
