Work Visas

Skilled
The UK particularly needs skilled persons to fill current and ongoing skill shortages. The UK’s Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) has some basic requirements which must be fulfilled by candidates, pre-requisites which include work experience, educational qualifications, levels of income in the applicant’s home country and demonstrated achievement in their chosen career path.

If granted, the work visa allows the holder to work in their chosen profession in any capacity they choose; as employee, self-employed person or consultant and so on. The HSMP is flexible and successful candidates may bring their spouse and families along with them to the UK to live (spouses will also be permitted to work).

Initially, if successful in applying for the HSMP, persons will receive a 12 month visa, which one month before expiration may be extended for another 3 years by the British government. After this period of time (a total of 4 years), individuals under the HSMP may apply for permanent residency and subsequently British citizenship.

Temporary
The Business Visitor visa is for those foreign persons recruited by companies based in the UK. The worker must be a professional and not someone in an unskilled or only semi-skilled industry. The visa is only for six months duration and work undertaken during the person’s time in Britain must be related to work in your home country or country of residence from which you come. Examples of individuals falling under this category include persons attending trade fairs in the UK, business people embarking on negotiations or consultants assigned to UK-based projects which are expected to take longer than just a few days or weeks.