The Scale-up visa: Just Who Will Benefit from This New UK Immigration Route?

1. Mishoura THE SCALE-UP VISA: JUST WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS NEW UK IMMIGRATION ROUTE?

2. Introduction The United Kingdom's employment possibilities are at their best level in over two decades, the economy is rebounding from a massive pandemic, and there is no longer free mobility inside the European Union. As a result of the March Immigration Rules amendments, a number of new work visa options have opened up, and for some firms, this cannot come fast enough.

3. How Does the Scale-up Visa Work? The Scale-up visa route will enable UK Scale-ups to employ outstanding people with the essential abilities to aid in business development. It is a five-year settlement path that is first sponsored by a Scale-up but ultimately becomes unsponsored. This immigration method permits dependant children and spouses of Scale-up Workers to join them. The new Scale-up Worker visa is divided into two sections. The initial two-year stage, like with prior sponsored courses, needs a job offer from an authorised Scale-up sponsor, and the candidate must fulfil sponsorship, skill level, and pay criteria, as well as financial and English language qualifications. The next three steps effectively allow Scale-up Workers to continue without sponsorship based on prior PAYE earnings from the UK.

4. Who May Qualify To Sponsor A Scale-Up Worker? Applicants for Sponsored Scale-up visas must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from an A-Rated Scale-up sponsor that has not previously been used or withdrawn. The Home Office must authorise a qualified sponsor to support the work in question under this new Scale-up method. To be considered a Scale-up, a sponsor must have seen annualised revenue or staffing growth of at least 20% over the previous three years and have at least 10 workers at the start of the term. This new immigration path is adaptable because, unlike previous immigration routes, a sponsoring company just has to state that an applicant must work exclusively for them for at least the first six months of their visa.

5. Who Qualifies as A Scale-Up Employee? The Home Office must be persuaded that the sponsored candidate is filling a valid position, as with all visa sponsorships. The annual income must be at least £33,000 (higher than the £25,600 minimum for a Skilled Worker). The sponsored position should pay at least £10.58 per hour in the market. Compensation cannot include allowances or other benefits in addition to the specified gross basic income, as is the situation with Skilled Worker visa holders. Applicants must also meet an English language requirement (CEFR level B1) and, unless they have lived in the UK for at least twelve months, a financial condition, which can be met by an A Rated sponsor or by keeping at least £1,270 in a bank account for 28 days.

6. What Advantages Does A Scale-Up Visa Offer? The UK government has pitched its flagship Scale-up visa as a "quick" and simpler alternative to the Skilled Worker visa for qualifying businesses and individuals. While the minimum skill level and income requirements are greater than for the current Skilled Worker visa, the lack of a skills fee and the short sponsorship period may assist enterprises save expenses and bureaucracy. There are also concerns about how the sponsorship side of the process will operate in practise and how it will be streamlined, such as when and how corporations will be able to receive a licence and what regulatory constraints will be put on them.

7. Resource https://mishoura.com/the-scale-up-visa-just- who-will-benefit-from-this-new-uk- immigration-route/

8. Contact us: www.mishoura.com info@mishoura.com