The United Kingdom (UK) has four work visa options for those wishing to live and work in the country without having a prior job offer. These pathways are unlike other visas which necessitate a job offer from a UK employer who can provide sponsorship.
Here are the visa options:
Graduate visa
This Graduate visa allows international students in the UK to remain after graduation, giving them time to explore career options without an immediate job offer.
Although this visa is not a direct pathway to settlement, it allows time to find a qualifying job and transition to another visa type. The requirement for this visa is that the applicant must have completed a degree from a recognised UK higher education institution.
This visa is valid for two years for bachelor’s or master’s graduates and three years for PhD graduates.
Global talent visa
The Global Talent visa is for individuals who possess exceptional talent or promise in the fields of academia, research, arts, culture, and technology and who can be eligible for permanent residency after three to five years, depending on endorsement level.
These individuals must be endorsed by a recognised body, such as Arts Council England or Tech Nation, based on proven talent or promise.
This pathway offers unrestricted work rights. Also, the individual can be self-employed, start a business, or work in any industry.
According to Rishi Sunak, UK’s Prime Minister “we don’t have a monopoly on talent in this country, and we recognise that nearly half of our most innovative companies have an immigrant founder.”
“So, if you’re an innovator, an entrepreneur, a researcher, you should know that the most competitive visa regime for highly skilled international talent is right here in the United Kingdom,” he said.
UK ancestry visa
This visa category is for individuals with ancestral ties to the UK, this visa is a unique opportunity to live and work in the country without a job offer.
The applicant must be a Commonwealth citizen with a grandparent born in the UK and is valid for five years, with an option to renew or apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) afterwards.
However, the individual must demonstrate sufficient savings to support themselves upon arrival. Work rights include full work rights including self-employment.
High-potential individual visa
The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa targets recent graduates from top global universities, allowing them to work in the UK without a job offer and explore career options freely.
This pathway does not directly lead to settlement but allows time to transition to a work visa with a job offer.
Applicants must have graduated from a qualifying university in the last five years, subsequently, the visa will be valid for two years for those who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree holders, while it is three years for PhD holders.
Full work rights are available which includes self-employment and voluntary work.
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