UK

Study, Work, Live in United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, or the UK, is once again rising as one of the most popular immigration destinations for Indian residents seeking to live and work in the royal kingdom. Although the immigration procedure in the United Kingdom is more severe than in other industrialized countries, there are several paths to obtaining permanent status in the United Kingdom.

Following the European Union referendum results released on June 23, 2016, and the UK’s decision to exit the European Union, recent flexibility in the UK immigration process has also been feasible. These events paved the introduction of the UK Innovator visa and the UK Start-up visa schemes, with certain new possibilities for eligible migrants to settle and work in the UK.

Benefits of migrating to the UK

Skilled and qualified professionals from India and other countries continue to see the United Kingdom as one of the finest places in the world to move and stay permanently to live, work, and study. Its excellent living standards and cultural purity make it the most sought-after location for persons seeking a good life for themselves and their dependents. Despite the challenges of Brexit, the United Kingdom may maintain its robust economic development due to its substantial engagement in global export and import via established sectors and world-renowned academic institutions.

Primary advantages of relocating to the United Kingdom:

  1. Growing economy across diverse in-house industries and enterprises
  1. Great demand for skilled and qualified workers to contribute to the economy
  2. High-quality and free healthcare services dispersed through the National Health Service (NHS) documentation
  3. Strong passport that facilitates travel across the globe
  4. World-renowned educational across universities and colleges

UK Immigration Process

The United Kingdom includes countries namely England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom offers various options to eligible international migrants to come and settle in these countries. However, individuals seeking permanent residence in the UK are required to first apply as temporary residents and become eligible to apply for the permanent residency of the UK after a considerable period through the Indefinite Leave to Remain or the ILR.

Some of the ways by which citizens of India and also from other countries move to the UK include:

  1. Migrating with a prior job offer
  2. Migrating on a student visa
  3. Migrating as an entrepreneur with a business idea
  4. Migrating as an investor
  5. Migrating if got married to a UK citizen or a permanent resident of the UK

To apply promptly under the existing UK visa schemes, your eligibility is mainly determined, based on your score on the UK Tier Points-based System. The Points-based system assessed the eligibility of the applicant against various relevant factors to apply for UK work, study, and business visas.

It is important to note that, most of the UK Work visa schemes (Tier 1 visa schemes), as well as the UK Study visa schemes (Tier 4 visa schemes), are processed using the UK Tier Points-based System.

UK Tier Visa System

Some of the most popular visa schemes that are used by citizens from India to migrate to the UK for work, study, and business purpose have been listed as follows:

Tier 1 Visa

This particular visa scheme has been designed especially for “high-value migrants” that belong from outside European Economic Area (EEA) and includes the Tier 1 Investor visa scheme (requires the applicant to invest a minimum sum of 2 million Pounds), Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa (includes only a few exceptionally talented individuals) and the Tier 1 Exceptional Promise visa.

Please note, the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa scheme has been replaced by the UK Innovator visa scheme, starting from 29 March 2019.

Tier 2 Visa

This particular visa category has been designed for those skilled and qualified workers that reside outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and possess a valid job offer from an employer in the UK under the Tier 2 Sponsor program. Further, this visa scheme also takes into consideration those skilled workers that are being transferred to the UK for work by an International enterprise or company using the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa scheme. This visa scheme particularly invites individuals possessing specific qualifications in their field of occupation for which the UK has a shortage of skilled workers. This includes the Sportsperson visa (Tier 2 visa) and the Minister of Religion visa (Tier 2 visa).

Tier 3 Visa

This visa category is relevant for bringing those low-skilled professionals to the UK, which enables the UK Government to fill certain temporary labor shortage industries. However, the UK Government has not granted any visa to anyone under this scheme and therefore it is better not to apply for the visa using the Tier 3 visa category.

Tier 4 Visa

This category of visa has been specially designed for students that reside outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and who intend to study in a college or university across the UK. However, applicants should have a place registered at the UK Educational Establishment before applying for the Tier 4 Visa (Student Visa).

Tier 5 Visa

This visa includes six sub-tiers for temporary workers. This includes occupations such as arts, sports, charity, religious activities, and others. The Youth Mobility Scheme included within the Tier 5 visa scheme allows approximately 55,000 young individuals each year to come and work in the UK as part of their working holidays.

Eligibility Criteria

You should be aged 16 or above to apply for the student visa and above 18 years of age to apply for the work visa. To apply for the work visa, you require to score more than 95 points for the points system valid under the Tier 1 visa and Tier 2 visa schemes. In addition to this, students are required to enroll themselves in UK Border Agency (UKBA) approved academic institutions before applying for a student visa in the UK. You need to take the English Language Proficiency Test. This mainly includes IELTS and TOEFL. You should belong to a country that is not being included in the European Economic Area or the EEA. You should have all the required documents, work experience certificates, and others needed to enroll in a college or apply for a particular job to enter the UK. You should have the required amount of funds needed to support yourself during your stay on a student or work visa for your initial years in the UK. You are also required to submit Character and Health certificates that will further prove your qualification for the required visa.