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Applying for a UK Global Talent Visa in the IT Field

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I had been working a lot with UK colleagues and knew that London is one of the biggest centres of the IT industry. Therefore, I decided to relocate to the UK to take my career to the next level. Someone recommended applying for a UK Global Talent visa. I looked it up online and found out that there was a very high refusal rate for this visa. I am so happy I did the right thing contacting Imperial & Legal.

Nakib Harbi, a 32-year-old
Leading digital developer
Clients’ names and photos have been changed

Nakib Harbi works in the IT field. He lives in Tunisia but would like to move to the UK. His main business partners are here, and some projects have called for his presence in the UK for several years. He was advised to apply for a UK Global Talent visa

The UK Global Talent visa allows you to live in the UK, work for any employer, manage a company, run a business or be self-employed. In addition, UK Global Talent visa holders can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 3 years, provided certain conditions are met. It is a more favourable condition compare to UK Skilled Worker Visa holders who can apply only after 5 years. Moreover, there is no need to pass an English language test to obtain a UK Global Talent visa.

Nakib understands what advantages a UK Global Talent visa gives but he does not know to apply for it and not get a refusal. Nakib’s associates recommended consulting Imperial & Legal on how to apply for a UK Global Talent visa. 

Our client 

Nakib Harbi is a 32-year-old Tunisian. He is a lead developer in digital banking in his country. The man created a digital consulting department for an accounting firm after which an investment bank hired him to develop and implement its digitisation strategy. Now he plans to move to the UK as a partner in a digitally orientated company.

Challenge

Prepare a UK Global Talent Visa application that would showcase the client’s experience in innovative digital solutions. 

Solution

There are two steps in the visa application process. The first step is to obtain an endorsement letter from an endorsing body (Tech Nation) and then use it to apply for a visa. 

The most important criterion for an endorser is evidence of achievements and skills. Applicants must prove that their skills, experience and abilities have made a significant impact in the IT field. There are, however, some problems for applicants relying on their commercial track record in the technology sector.

First, it is not enough for an applicant to contribute to the increase of income of a technology company. Their innovations must form a foundation for this growth. For example, a successful salesperson in a technology company might fail to comply with this criterion if they cannot prove that their sales success is due to innovation. 

The Home Office is clear about applicants who occupy corporate positions not being eligible for a UK Global Talent visa. However, if they can think outside the box and adopt a new approach, they may also be able to apply for this type of visa. 

Second, applicants must submit a quantitative assessment of their contribution to a technology business. The easiest way to do it is to provide financial information. However, many applicants cannot get the necessary evidence due to companies’ refusal to provide financial information or details of the deal.

Imperial & Legal advisors suggested that Nakib consider these issues and present the uniqueness of his digital banking solution in as much detail as possible. And though he had an excellent track record of launching new projects, he was humble and gathered all the necessary documents for obtaining an endorsement letter from Tech Nation.

In addition to the evidence of outstanding professional skills and credentials, our advisor recommended gathering letters of recommendation from Nakib’s partners. Nakib is respected by his colleagues because of hard work and innovative solutions in digital banking. That is why they were quick in sending their letters of recommendation and wishing Nakib to obtain a UK Global Talent visa as soon as possible to work together on their projects.

The application for an endorsement letter from Tech Nation also included videos of public speeches at industry conferences and awards that Nakib received in the field of digital technologies. Imperial & Legal helped Nakib Harbi draft a personal statement where he described his projects in detail and how the UK economy can benefit from them.

An IT specialist from Tunisia got a UK Global Talent visa in 3 months

12 August
Getting in touch with Imperial & Legal
+1 month
Preparing documents
+1 day
Applying for an endorsement letter
+3 weeks
Getting an endorsement letter
+1 day
Applying for a UK Global Talent visa
+1 week
Submitting biometrics
+4 weeks
UK Global Talent visa is granted
10 November
Nakib obtained a Global Talent visa

Conclusion

Once Nakib Harbi’s application for an endorsement letter was approved by Tech Nation, he started the second stage of the UK Global Talent visa application process with the help of our advisors. It took Nakib three months after getting in touch with our company to get a visa. It is a significant milestone in his career that will push it forward.

Nakib is very happy that he consulted Imperial & Legal’s qualified advisors who helped him obtain a UK Global Talent visa.

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