New visa prospects are introduced for international skilled workers in 2014

BY Author IN Family Law

 

There have been some important developments in the UK immigration law scene introduced by David Cameron this March one of which will come very helpful to opportunity seeking international workers that specialize in IT technologies and digital innovations- it is called the ‘tech visa’.

The ‘tech Visa’ is not a new type of visa; it qualifies under the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. An applicant for a ‘tech visa’ must be internationally recognized, regarded as an exceptional talent in his field and also must be endorsed by Tech City which is the fifth Designated Competent Bodies (DCBs) newly introduced by the Prime Minister. Its main purpose is to overlook and support the activity of technology clusters in London and stimulate economic growth and job opportunities in the sphere of digital innovations and IT systems. The other four DCBs that issue an endorsement are:

• The Royal Society
• Arts Council England
• The British Academy
• The Royal Academy of Engineering

‘Tech Visa’ has been introduced with a prospect of uniting and stabilizing the UK economy in the field of technologies and supporting the technology clusters that are currently being formed in London especially the technological area around Shoreditch. The field of technologies and innovative digital business has been experiencing a significant growth during the past 3 years and the Chief Executive of Tech City Joanna Shields believes it is Britain’s route out of its economic difficulties. There has been £15,5 million injected by the government into this area in order to further the growth and development of this field not only in London but across the whole country, which presents a massive potential not only for new investment but for skilled professionals as well.

The ‘tech visa’ offers a symbiotic relationship between the area of business that is in need of a fresh outlook and expertise and international skilled workers that have a great opportunity of realizing their full professional potential without the need of finding themselves a sponsor that would otherwise be required under the Tier 2 (General) visa. Such a goal can only be achieved if the flow of international work force is facilitated and the connection between UK employers and international professionals is strengthened on the immigration procedure level, as this is the starting point of any possible cooperation between UK businesses and their potential overseas employees. Joanna Shields said that hiring has become a problem, and Westkin strongly believes that the introduction of ‘tech visas’ is a positive step on the way to solving this problem.

The procedure of application for a ‘tech visa’ is the same as for all other applicants for a Tier 1(Exceptional Talent) visa and it contains two stages. In the first stage you apply to the Home Office for an endorsement by a DCB and in the second stage you apply for the visa itself. After an endorsement has been issued an applicant has up to 3 months to apply for the visa, the processing time is usually 3 weeks and under a ‘tech visa’ you can stay for 3 years and 4 months if applying from outside the UK.

Immigration lawyers at Westkin can provide a comprehensive advice and assistance on how to apply and achieve a successful result in the whole application process, so do not hesitate to contact us.