UK Scale-Up Visa: Eligibility, When To Apply, Costs, Benefits, And More

New UK scale up visa, which went into effect on August 22, 2022, seeks to entice highly-skilled labour from all over the world to work in an eligible position for a UK company that is expanding quickly. Scale-up firms are another name for these rapidly expanding companies, and the new UK scale up visa enables people from other countries to work for these companies for at least six months.

It's noteworthy that scale-up visa holders are allowed to change from a sponsored role to an unsponsored role within a 6-month window. Those who hold a scale-up visa may initially stay for two years, and then extend their stay further for three years. UK Scale up visa holders may apply for indefinite permission to remain in the UK if they have lived there for a continued period of five years (ILR). You must have lived in the UK continuously, which means you cannot have spent more than 180 days outside the country in any one year.

You must have a job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your sponsor/employer in order to be qualified for a scale up visa UK. A scale-up business must also be in a phase of rapid expansion in order to qualify as a sponsor company.

What Is A Scale-Up Business?

When a business has at least 10 workers by the end of the third year of its founding and experiences an annual growth of 20% in either sales or employment, it qualifies as a scale-up business. A scale-up business must be an A-rated company on the list of authorised UK sponsors in order to be able to issue a CoS.

Eligibility For UK Scale-Up Visa 2022

Meeting the following criteria that fulfils the criteria of scale up visa UK eligibility:-

• You must hold a job offer (for at least six months) from a scale-up company that has been given approval.
• You must have an employer-issued Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to fulfil the criteria of scale up visa UK eligibility.
• You possess a position on the list of permitted professions.
• You earn the required minimum wage of £33,000 annually, £10.10 per hour, or the "going rate" for that particular line of work.
• You must meet the English language requirements to fulfil the criteria of scale up visa UK eligibility.
• You have enough money to cover your expenses.

When To Apply For A Scale-Up Visa?

Up to three months prior to the first day of your employment in the UK, you may submit a visa application. This date will be stated on your CoS. You will also need to prove your identity and provide all relevant documentation while you are applying for the visa.

Getting Your Scale- Up Visa

If you live outside of the UK, it shall take you three weeks to receive your visa after you have submitted your online application, and eight weeks if you live in the UK. You can also pay to receive the decision more quickly.

How Much Is The Cost?

• For the new UK scale up visa you must individually pay the £715 application cost, along with your spouse or kids.
• For each year of your stay, pay the healthcare surcharge.
• Show that you have sufficient personal savings.

What Permissions Will You Have?

Here are things you are allowed/unallowed to do as a the new UK scale up visa holder:-

What You Can Do

• Work in your sponsored job for at least six months and leave it at the end of the six months with the the new UK scale up visa
• Study
• Get your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
• Take up additional work, or even become self-employed
• Engage in voluntary work
• Travel outside of the UK and return
• Apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’, which is the application to settle permanently in the UK, in case you’ve lived in the UK for five years and meet the other eligibility requirements with the scale up visa UK

What You Cannot Do

• Apply for most benefits (public funds), or the state pension
• Work as a professional sportsperson

English Language Requirements

The following English language standards must be met in order for you to be given a UK scale up visa. You must either:-

• be a citizen of an acceptable nation
• own an English-taught degree
• own a school-level credential from a UK institution where you have been enrolled since you were under 18 years old
• passed an English proficiency test at a level B1 or higher on the CEFR

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Funds Required

You must have a minimum amount of £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 days straight before applying for a UK scale up visa. However, if you have resided in the UK for a year or more, this condition does not apply to you.

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Sponsorship

The UK scale up visa is special in that after the first six months of employment with your sponsor scale-up company, you can switch to a different job without sponsorship. Since the majority of UK companies lack sponsor licences, scale-up visa holders have a great deal of freedom to look for profitable employment options that fit with their professional aspirations. If self-employment is how they want their careers to develop, scale up visa UK holders can also think about it after finishing the initial six months with their sponsor company.

When you change jobs after six months, you won't require a new visa, but you'll still need to meet the wage requirements when you apply for a visa extension. It should be noted that you must approach your home office to update your scale-up visa if you desire to change jobs within the first six months of receiving it. Your new employer must also be on the list of permitted professions.

With The UK Scale Up Visa, You Can Switch To A Non-Sponsored Job After First Six Months Of Employment With Your Sponsor Scale-Up Company,

Scale-Up Visa & Skilled Worker Visa: Difference

Scale-up visas and skilled worker visas both require a sponsored job offer from a UK firm and are still subject to the home office's points-based immigration system (PBS). Scale-up visa holders can move and accept a new job without sponsorship after working for a sponsored employer for six months, whereas skilled worker visa holders must maintain sponsorship. This is where they diverge. Scale-up visa holders must maintain a £33,000 salary requirement, whereas skilled worker visa holders must maintain a £25,600 income requirement. This is another distinction. Both visa holders must possess the necessary English language skills.

How Will Indians Benefit?

The British High Commission reports that Indian nationals received the most number of study, employment, and visitor visas to the UK in the fiscal year that ended in June 2022. There were about 1,18,000 Indian students granted study visas in the UK, an increase of 89% from the previous year. There have been about 2,58,000 Indian nationals granted visit visas to the UK, a 630% increase from the previous year, when travel restrictions were in place because of Covid-19. Almost 103,000 work visas, including those for skilled and seasonal workers, were granted to Indians in the last year, a 148% rise from the year before. If things continue as they are, the introduction of the scale-up visa will undoubtedly create numerous opportunities for highly trained Indian professionals such as engineers, scientists, programmers, architects, etc., who are needed in large quantities by the scale-up enterprises.

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