Travel updates related to the Covid-19 outbreak

Travel updates to apply as of August 8, 2021

Dear Clients,

We would like to inform you about three important matters through this newsletter.

1. Travel Lists

The first of these is very important for the clients who plan to travel to the UK soon. As we explained in our previous e-mail newsletters, the UK government evaluates the countries under three main headings within the scope of Covid-19 travel restrictions: green, amber, and red list. These lists are updated every three weeks according to criteria set by the UK government.

Turkey is on the red list as of May 12, 2021, and unfortunately, there is no difference in the current list announced today (05.08.2021) regarding Turkey’s list change. The next list update will be released in three weeks. For this reason, individuals who will directly travel from Turkey to the UK in the next three weeks are required to stay in a hotel in the UK for 10 days and 11 nights, which is determined and paid for before the trip. Of course, this rule applies to all countries on the red list.

We have a solid grasp of the requirements and the process itself through our clients who have chosen to stay at a quarantine hotel. Until the new list is announced, we are, therefore, ready to support you if you wish to travel to the UK under these conditions.

2. Hotel Quarantine Rules

However, another matter we would like to inform you about is about the mandatory hotel quarantine rates. As of 11 August 2021, the fee for people who will stay in hotel quarantine upon arrival in the UK is £2,285. For those traveling and quarantined before this date, the fee is £1,750. You can check the table below for details.

3. New UK residency route on high demand

UK Health and Care Worker Visa

We are happy to inform you about one of the work visas in the UK: Health and Care Worker Visa. UK Health and Care Worker Visa allows professional health workers to come and work in the UK.

To apply for a health and care worker visa, as a first step, you can check your occupation eligibility through occupation codes allocated by the government. These briefly include nurses, dental nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, pharmacists, midwives and many more health and care worker job titles.

The second step will be to prepare documents indicating that you are or will be working for a UK-based employer that is authorized by the NHS. While your employer could be the NHS itself, it can also be a health or social care organisation recognized by the NHS.

Another mandatory part of this application is that you can prove your English language skills. You must prove that you can write, understand, speak, and read in English at least at B1 level. While you can prove your skills through an English test at a test centre approved by the UK government, there are some cases where you do not have to attend an exam. You can contact us for your questions regarding the exceptional circumstances.

 Apart from these three non-tradeable items, you will also be expected to prove your education and occupation history through documents. Please kindly be informed that while each case has its own special details, health and care worker visa applicants must obtain at least 70 points to be eligible.

For more detailed information, you can also check our Health and Care Worker visa page on our website!

The UK government is working on more flexible visa opportunities that will be applied in near future!

“We will open our borders to the world’s best innovators and make the UK a global hub through the Office for Talent; open up new and improved visa routes for innovators, and offer a reviewed funding offer for globally-mobile talent.”

We would like to inform you about the ongoing innovative plans under the leadership of Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and which the UK aims to implement in many areas in the near future.

Mr. Kwarteng underlines that the aim of these strategies to be implemented is to significantly boost private sector investments and to strengthen the innovative perspective of current and future businesses. It is our duty to inform you as much as we can at this critical point that we think will be of interest to hundreds of our clients who have jobs in the UK private sector.

In this newsletter, we would like to emphasize these innovative initiatives, bureaucratic changes and new business opportunities that we will witness together in the near future.
The UK government aims to become a global hub for technology and innovation, as clearly stated in the strategic guide, which outlines the steps and methods to be taken one by one. You can access the entire 116-page text here.
It seems that one of the most important stages will be to provide the qualified and talented people that the private sector needs in order to increase the workforce.

What are the changes the government is planning to make at this point?

The UK visa routes, which started to be reviewed after the UK’s leave from the European Union, will change even more with this statement.

In summary, it can be said that the UK, which is on a talent and investment hunt around the world, underlines that a multicultural working and research environment plays an important role in the development. The government aims to invest £290m to build a solid business network. Thus, it is ensured that business owners or individuals who want to take innovative initiatives can easily find investors, and they are also encouraged to implement their ideas.

Based on a study emphasizing that the UK falls behind other countries in terms of skilled immigration; the government announces that they will open the borders to talented immigrants wherever they are in the world. At this point, the ultimate goal is to make the UK the easiest country to enter for qualified and talented people, as well as for investors. The government thinks that in this way, the current perspective and talents will be diversified, and people from different education systems, different cultures and backgrounds will come together and reveal the ‘hidden treasure’ they are looking for.

For the first time in the history of the country, a unit is being created for all the aforementioned targets: the Office for Talent

The main tasks of the Office for Talent include:

• Properly promote the benefits to investors so they can see the UK as their ‘home’

• Demonstrating that the UK is fully open to gifted immigrants

• Working in coordination with the relevant units for the recruitment of qualified people in critical priority sectors

What is going to change?

The government declares that they are working on new global immigration routes in addition to the existing Global Talent visa. Among these, we believe the most important one is the “High Potential Individual” route. This can be obtained without having to receive a job offer from the UK by people who possess promising talent. Individuals applying on this route, unlike the Skilled Worker visa, will also be able to move more flexibly between industries and companies. Additionally, they will be able to extend their visa, and when the time comes, they will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The essential criteria that will be required for this route are that applicants have been educated at a top global university.

One of the other routes is the “scale-up” route which is for scale-up businesses in the UK. The route will enable business owners to hire the most qualified migrants they need from outside of the UK. There will be basic conditions such as employing a minimum of 10 people and proving that the average annual increase in turnover over the last 3 years has been more than 20%.

The other news is that the basics of the Innovator Visa on which we have been working with several clients will be revitalised. In this route, it is mandatory that you have £50,000 to support your innovative business idea. However, it has been stated that now this requirement will be removed in order to provide a more flexible business environment for the innovators.

It has also been mentioned that there will be a fast-track, less complicated endorsement process. Finally, there will be added flexibility in that Innovator visa holders will be able to work outside of their primary business.

With the Global Business Mobility route, the target is for globally known companies to easily transfer their employees to the UK, so that these companies can easily grow with the flexibility provided in the UK market.

Another important immigration news that we would like to share with you is of particular interest to students in the UK. This new route, published in 2021 under the title of “Graduate Route”, allows immigrant students who have successfully completed undergraduate or postgraduate education in the UK and wish to work in the UK, to seek and work after graduation. One of the first basic requirements is that graduates should have a ‘student visa’ as their last valid visa. With the graduate route, undergraduate and graduate students have the right to stay in the country for two years, and doctorate graduates for up to three years.

It is our great pleasure to share these valuable and exciting developments with you. Please be informed that we will continue to closely follow the laws regarding the aforementioned routes and innovative initiatives. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa is the most suitable visa route for those who wish to settle in the UK by investing a certain amount. Unlike the other visa types, the application process for the Tier 1 Investor visa route is quite easy and direct.

The very first and most important requirement of the Tier 1 Investor visa application is to invest a minimum of 2,000,000 GBP in the UK.

We will briefly talk about the advantages and application requirements of this visa route, also known as the Investor visa. If you ever wonder “How do I get a UK Investor visa?”, you are in the right place!

UK Tier-1 Visa: What are the Advantages and Eligibility Requirements?

When applying for the Tier 1 Investor visa, you are not required to present or prove your knowledge of the English language and your educational or professional background. You are not even expected to indicate your business plans in the UK. However, those wishing to apply for this visa route must be over the age of 18 and invest at least £2m either in the registered UK companies or in the UK Government bonds.

The investment amount can be found in a bank in or outside the UK. In order to prove that the amount belongs to the applicant, you should prove that;

·        The amount (minimum £2,000,000) has been in your or your spouse’s/partner’s bank account for 2 years without being reduced.

If you cannot meet these criteria, you must prove the source of your money by documenting the following situations.

·        Gift from a relative;

·        Deeds of a sale;

·        Your company income;

·        Will;

·        Divorce settlement;

·        An award or winning.

In the above cases, you must provide the relevant documents and prove that this money is under your control. You can contact us so that we can support you in your investment visa application process.

If your investment amount is in a bank outside the UK, you must also show that you have a UK bank account to prove you can transfer your money inside the country. Thus, if you do not have an UK bank account, you must open it before your application. In addition, the most critical issue at the application stage is that you can show documents indicating that the amount can be transferred to the UK without any problems such as blockage.

With the UK Tier 1 Investor visa, the visa period you can get in the first place is a maximum of 3 years and 4 months. At the end of this period, if you meet the criterion, you can apply to extend your visa. Depending on the amount you invest, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, also known as the ILR. Individuals with an investment of £10 million or more can apply for permanent residency at the end of 2 years, those with an investment of £5M after 3 years, and those with an investment of £2M can apply for permanent residency at the end of 5 years. Once you have your permanent residence, you can apply for UK citizenship if you meet the relevant requirements. For detailed information, you can visit the Investment Visa or naturalisation page of our website.

Your family members can also apply for a dependent visa to live with you in the UK. Your family members can apply at the same time as you, or they can apply after you obtain your visa. In both applications, you must prove the relationship of your family members to you based on official documents. Both you and your family members have the right to study and work in the UK with the Tier 1 Investor visa.

We will briefly summarize the advantages of the UK Tier 1 visa:

·        Chance to obtain a visa without presenting education and career history

·        Opportunity to do the job you want in the UK

·        3-year visa period granted at the first stage

·        The possibility of extending the visa and applying for permanent residence

·        The possibility of obtaining an Indefinite Leave to Remain much easier and faster than other visa types

·        Right to live, work and study in the UK

·        Right to apply for UK citizenship

·        Your family members can live with you in the UK

·        Flexible visa conditions

The supporting documents that need to be submitted with the application may vary depending on the story of each case. As Visavis team, we act with the awareness that each application and applicant’s conditions may differ, and we guide our clients in a unique direction. If you have any questions regarding the Tier 1 UK Investor visa application process or any other UK visa, we will be happy to assist you!

The UK Start-up visa route is a perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs who have decided to enter the UK market by establishing a business. The route became applicable in 2021 and replaced the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa. We will be briefly talking about the Start-up visa route in today’s post!

The Start-up visa allows entrepreneurs with a unique and innovative idea to set up and operate a business in the UK. It is important that the entrepreneur applicants have not established a company in the UK before. In addition, there are some basic criterions such as proving their English language ability and documenting through the UK endorsing body that their business idea is unique in the market.

You can stay in the UK for up to 2 years with a Start-up visa. If your business is successful, you can switch to other visa routes in order to settle in the UK.

The Start-up visa applications are assessed through a point-based system, which means that every piece of document you will provide can score if you know what you are doing! Before you apply, there are some important aspects you need to know.

What are the Start-up visa Requirements?

You must have 70 points for a successful Start-up visa application. The criterion and the points are as follows:

You have not established a business in the UK before – 25 points

As we mentioned earlier, it is not possible for you to apply for the UK Start-up visa route if you established a business in the UK before. However, there are some exceptional circumstances in which this rule does not apply. If you established your business while you held the Tier 1 graduate entrepreneur or start-up visa, or while you were in the doctorate extension scheme, you can still be eligible to apply for the Start-up visa.

Your business idea is innovative, viable and scalable – 25 points

Before your visa application, your business idea must be approved by an endorsing body within the UK. There are more than 100 eligible endorsing bodies specified by the Home Office for the visa applicants. Each of these endorsing bodies might require additional and different information regarding your business idea depending on your industry. However, in general, you are expected to present the innovative, viable and scalable aspects of your start-up business idea. While this can be achieved through a detailed business plan, you may also submit additional documentation.

You must get your endorsement letter from one of the UK Start-up visa endorsing bodies in order to have a successful visa application. This is a non-tradeable, therefore a mandatory, document to submit with your Start-up visa application.

If you are wondering how to reach Start-up visa endorsing bodies, contact us and we can guide you thoroughly!

You know English at B2 level – 10 points

The Start-up visa applicants must prove they know English at B2 level while applying. You can do this by having an exam result showing that you can speak, understand, read, and write in English at least at B2 level. There are certain exams and exam centres specified by the UKVI just for visa applicants. While you can take these tests in or outside the UK, you might be eligible to apply for the Start-up visa without an exam result. Please do contact us for these exceptional circumstances so that we can assist your visa journey!

You have enough funds – 10 points

So, what is ‘enough funds?’ The Home Office expects you to show enough funds to support your life in the UK without applying any benefits provided by the government. The minimum limit for this is £1270 which must be in your bank accounts for at least 28 days before the application date. However, if you have dependents applying with you, this amount changes. Please contact us to learn more!

Your Family Members Can Join You in the UK

Yes! If you are applying for the UK Start-up visa in order to establish a business, your family members can apply with you. It means that they will have the right to work and study in the UK.

You Can Work at Other Jobs

While you manage your own business in the UK, with the Start-up visa you can also work at supplementary jobs to support your income. The Home Office allows Start-up entrepreneurs to work at different jobs.

Do you need detailed information about the UK Start-Up visa requirements or Start-up endorsing bodies? You can check our Start-up visa webpage or directly contact us. We are ready to help you.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa, formerly known as Tier 2 Health and Care visa, allows professional health workers to come and work in the UK. You can apply for up to a 5-year visa. At the end of your visa period, you can extend it. Furthermore, you might be eligible to obtain indefinite leave to remain, also known as ILR, at the end of your first 5 years if you are eligible in terms of continuous length of stay and the other criterion.

Health and Care Worker visa applications are assessed by a point-based system. There are some mandatory and tradeable documents you need to submit with your application. For example, while a Certificate of Sponsorship is a mandatory document, you do not have to hold a PhD degree to apply even though your degree could provide you additional points. We will shortly discuss these documents in detail.

To apply for a health and care visa, as a first step, you can check your occupation eligibility through occupation codes allocated by the government. These briefly include nurses, dental nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, pharmacists, midwives and many more health and care worker job titles. Please do contact us if you wish to check your professional eligibility to obtain a UK health and care visa!

The second step will be to prepare documents indicating that you are or will be working for a UK-based employer that is authorized by the NHS. While your employer could be the NHS itself, it can also be a health or social care organisation recognized by the NHS. Your employer must assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which will include significant details such as your occupation title, employment period, salary amount etc.

Your salary and duties are, therefore, specified before your visa application through your Certificate of Sponsorship. There are also designated going rates for the salary amounts for each eligible job listed for the health & care worker visa. However, your minimum salary amount must be £20.480 as long as the going rate of your job is not higher than this. You usually cannot be offered less than the going rate amount, for it is a non-tradeable item. However, there are some circumstances where you can be offered less than the going rate amount. Please let us hear your story before you start your application so that we can assist you!

Another non-tradeable and mandatory part of the health & care visa application is that you prove your English language skills. You must prove that you can write, understand, speak, and read in English at least at B1 level. While you can prove your skills through an English test at a test centre approved by the UK government, there are some cases where you do not have to attend an exam. You can contact us with your questions regarding the exceptional circumstances.

Apart from these three non-tradeable items, you will also be expected to prove your education and occupation history through documents. Please kindly be informed that while each case has its own special details, health & care visa applicants must obtain at least 70 points to be eligible.

For more detailed information, you can also check our Health and Care Worker visa page on our website!

The UK Government’s new rules on entry into the UK come into effect from 15 February.