How web designers can make use of the global talent visa to move to the UK

Moving to the UK as a web designer? Need a flexible visa that will allow you to further your career? Find out how web designers can benefit from the Global Talent Visa.

Looking to secure indefinite leave to remain – (ILR) in the UK, but not sure you will qualify? Many artists, teachers, scientists, engineers, and web designers are unaware that they have the opportunity to reap the benefits of the Global Talent Visa. If you are, or have the potential to be, a leader in your field and you would like to live in the UK, there are plenty of options for you.

Contacting a London immigration lawyer for the advice and guidance needed to take the first steps is a good place to start. The UK are always looking for gifted individuals who can bring something to the country. So, there are plenty of different avenues available to assist, including the Global Talent Visa.

In this article, we’re going to discuss how this Visa may be the best option for you, as a web designer moving to the UK.

What is the Global Talent Visa?

The Global Talent Visa represents the freedom to change jobs, travel for research purposes, and gain a more flexible visa length, all with lower fees than a standard Skilled Worker Visa.

This visa is aimed towards talented people who have already established themselves in their field, or have a lot of potential to do so, and want to further their career within the UK. This includes professionals within arts and culture, digital technology, and academia or research.

The Global Talent Visa has two different paths available to applicants to accommodate a range of experiences. These paths include Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise.

1) Exceptional Talent

This pathway applies to individuals who have already been established in their field as a leader or expert. Going through this route will generally require applicants to have:

  • Won awards
  • Displayed achievements on or above a national level
  • Have had their work reviewed, critiqued, or recognised by industry experts or the media

One of the main benefits of Exceptional Talent is that you can gain permanent residence in the UK after only three years.

2) Exceptional Promise

Unlike Exceptional Talent, Exceptional Promise does not require an applicant to be a leader/expert in their field. Instead this path is available to individuals who show the potential to do this.

Exceptional promise still needs to show that they have made meaningful achievements on a national level and have had a respected industry expert or media source review their work. However, this path focuses more on those who have been nominated for awards rather than requiring the applicant to have won.

The main difference between this and Exceptional Talent is that to be eligible for permanent residence it takes five years instead of three.

Who is the Global Talent Visa for?

The Global Talent Visa can be rewarded to an individual who is over the age of 18 and meets the eligibility criteria, including over five years of experience within one of the following fields.

  • Science
  • Digital technology
  • Engineering
  • Arts and culture
  • Medicine
  • Humanities

Applicants also require an endorsement from one of the approved endorsing bodies, for example Tech Nation, Arts Council England, The British Academy or The Royal Academy of Engineering, to name a few.

Without an endorsement from one of these bodies, it is still possible to get a Global Talent Visa by winning an eligible award.

Switching to the Global Talent Visa

For people who are already living in the UK it might be possible to switch to a Global Talent Visa. To do so, you will need to have received an eligible award or have received an endorsement for your work and expertise. If you do receive an endorsement, it is important that you apply to the Global Talent visa within 3 months, or the organisation may have withdrawn their approval.

Unfortunately, if you are living within the UK and have a visit visa, parent of a child student visa, short term student visa, seasonal worker visa, or domestic worker in a private household visa, you are not able to switch to the Global Talent Visa.

This also applies to those on immigration bail and people who were given permission to stay in the UK on compassionate grounds.

What do you get with a Global Talent Visa?

Compared to other visas, the Global Talent Visa comes with a lot of benefits, allowing leading experts to work within the UK without the need for a sponsoring employer.

The Global Talent Visa permits:

  • Changing jobs, becoming self-employed, or doing voluntary work without needing to alert the Home Office.
  • Travelling aboard for research and returning to the UK without impacting the Visa.
  • Family members to live in the UK with the recipient.
  • Flexibility regarding extensions of the visa. These extensions can each last from one to five years each.
  • No need for additional endorsement when applying for a settlement or an extension.
  • The healthcare surcharge to only be taken for the amount of time the recipient stays.

How much does the Global Talent Visa cost?

The total application fee for the Global Talent Visa is £608. In comparison, the Skilled Worker visa can cost applicants between £610 and £1,408.

The Global Talent visa is paid in two chunks, starting with £456 when applying for an endorsement, with the remaining £152 paid when applying for the visa. If any family members are accompanying the applicant, each person will be required to provide an additional £608.

On top of this, healthcare surcharges will cost £624 per person per year.

How can a web designer make the most out of the Global Talent Visa?

An industry leader or expert in web design would be able to qualify for a Global Talent Visa as a part of digital technology. They would need to demonstrate vast knowledge of their field and have shown great potential or have already been established as an industry leader. If the applicant can do this, they will need to get an endorsement from Tech Nation.

Tech Nation has two routes for applicants to take when seeking an endorsement; Leader and Emerging Leader. Like Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise, these options provide individuals who are earlier in their career but have shown a great deal of potential the opportunity to gain an endorsement alongside those who are already established.

As well as meeting the eligibility criteria, applicants will also be considered by a panel of assessors to determine if they should be endorsed and whether they should be a Leader or an Emerging Leader. This process could be fast-tracked if the applicant has ever been accepted onto a recognised UK accelerator program, for example Carbon13, Creative Destruction Lab or Cylon.

If the web designer successfully qualifies for the Global Talent visa, they would benefit from all of the related perks. These include being able to work in the UK for up to 5 years whilst having flexibility regarding employment, or becoming self-employed without additional authorisation.

Is the Global Talent Visa a good fit for web designers?

A leading web designer who wants to develop their career further within the UK could benefit greatly from the Global Talent Visa. Despite the steep application criteria, having the ability to include any family members, travel, extend the visa multiple times, and be eligible for permanent residence after three to five years in the UK makes this visa an incredible opportunity.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained immigration professional.

Make sure you consult an immigration professional if you’re seeking advice about immigrating to the UK. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Photo by Kevin Bhagat