Sanwar Ali: UK Visa System Update August 2022

By Sanwar Ali:

The UK visa system can be very expensive and bureaucratic.  However, there is no quota and entry is possible for many skilled workers to the UK.

UK visa system fees enormous

To bring in a skilled worker into the UK substantial visa and related fees need to be paid.  In most cases you pay £364 a year (£1,000 a year for a larger company) for the immigration skills charge and £624 a year for the immigration health surcharge.  There is no immigration health surcharge for health and care visa applicants.  There is also the Certificate of Sponsorship fee and UK visa fees.   If you add all the Government fees together the cost could be about £7,000 for a small company to sponsor someone for five years.   UK Government fees are significantly higher for a larger company.

Only option for many is to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa

If you wish to gain entry to the UK then much of the time the only option may be the Skilled Worker visa.   You need to find an employer who is willing to sponsor you, which is not always easy to do.  Employers are in many cases likely to be put off by the costs and bureaucracy in applying to employ an overseas worker.

Investor immigrants probably need to set up business in the UK

Following concerns about Russian money laundering in the UK and Russian aggression in the Ukraine the Tier 1 Investor migrant scheme was closed on 17 February 2022. 

The Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, Layla Moran, said that

“shutting the door to Putin’s cronies” was not enough as too many had already “walked through it with virtually no questions asked”.

“It makes a mockery of their promises to stand up to Putin’s aggression when they are doing nothing to stop his cronies who are right now stashing their dirty money on our shores and claiming UK citizenship.”

The other options left would probably be either to come under the sponsor licence and Skilled Worker visa scheme, or come under the Innovator scheme.  The Innovator visa scheme is difficult to come under as you need to be endorsed by an endorsing body.  To come under the Skilled Worker visa scheme you need to start a business in the UK that has started trading, and have someone already in the UK who is a resident of the UK.

UK visa schemes for Ukrainians

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 various visa schemes were introduced:

• Temporary Visa Concessions
• Ukraine Scheme:
  • Ukraine Family Scheme
  • Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
  • Ukraine Extension Scheme

These schemes make it easier for Ukrainians and family members to come and live in the UK.  There is no Government fees and compared to most other UK visa categories it is quite easy to apply under one of these UK visa schemes.

Workpermit.com can help with Sponsor Licences

If you need help with employing Skilled Workers and help to apply for a Sponsor Licence, including complying with your Sponsor Licence obligations, workpermit.com can help.

For more information and advice on Sponsor licences, please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com