Moving to the UK? Here are your Visa Options…

Visa options & the Right to Work in the UK

At first, planning a move overseas to live in the UK may be a bit of a daunting task. In particular if you aren’t sure of the visa options available to you.

We have put together a high-level overview of the most common UK visas that you may be eligible for, so please read on to determine the type of visa that is relevant to you, to work and live in the UK!

As a starting point, we recommend that you consult the Check if you need a UK Visa section of the Home Office webpages to go through the simple quiz.

YOUTH MOBILITY VISA:

One visa you could look into if you are under 31 and hold an eligible passport is a Youth Mobility Scheme Visa (YMSV). Please check the list of eligible countries, including; Australia, New Zealand & Canada.

This grants you two years to live & work in the UK.

Please note there are positive changes coming to this visa for Australian and NZ citizens including a raise of the age to under 35. From June 29th the New Zealand changes are coming into effect, with the Australian changes coming into effect as of January 31st 2024! These changes will include:

• Be able to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme Visa between the ages of 18 and 35 years inclusive. This is a five year increase from the current maximum age of 30 years inclusive; and
• Extend their Youth Mobility Scheme Visa for a third year if they choose.

Confirmation of the AUS/UK Free Trade Agreement coming into play at the end of June! Read here for further information – https://anzuk.blog/visa-update-aus-uk-free-trade-agreement/

More information on visa updates here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/whm-program/latest-news

ANCESTRY VISA:

An Ancestry visa gives Commonwealth citizens working rights in the UK for five years, granted you meet a certain criteria. If you are a Commonwealth citizen & have a grandparent born in the UK, then you can look at applying for an Ancestry Visa.

This grants you five years to live & work in the UK. There is no age restriction on this visa, you can re-apply after you complete your five years, and you can also take dependents (or go as a dependent on a spouse or defacto partner who has this Visa).

Click on the link to speak with our anzuk Visa Support team to assist with your Ancestry visa application process.

PARTNER VISA:

To apply as a partner, your partner must either: be a British or Irish citizen, or have settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence, along with some other eligibility criteria’s.

You must be able to prove one of the following: you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK, you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply.

Please see here for a comprehensive breakdown of the Partner Visa criteria.

UK High Potential Individual Visa:

The HPI route is a work visa for individuals at an early career stage, who have shown they have potential to benefit the UK workforce.

From 30 May 2022, you can apply for the HPI route if you have graduated from an eligible international university in the 5 years immediately before your application. There are less the 50 Universities in the world that qualify, so please ensure you read through the following blog post to learn if you University is on the list & if you qualify:

Please see here for a breakdown of the HPI Visa – UK High Potential Individual Visa Scheme

SKILLED WORKER VISA:

If you find you aren’t eligible for the above visas, then it’s likely a Skilled Worker Visa (Sponsorship) is your only available option. This is a more involved pathway, and to meet the requirements you would need to be a fully qualified & registered Teacher in the UK. See here for how to apply for a QTS.

The Skilled Worker Visa requires a job offer from a UK school & your visa/employment is directly linked to that school.

The majority of schools will look for educators that are STEM teachers: Secondary Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry Technology, Engineering, Maths (or Computer Science) or an experienced SEN specialist teachers.

Other subject specialisms can still apply for positions through the Skilled Worker Visa.

For Early Childhood, Primary Teachers & Support staff, unfortunately this option is not currently available for overseas applicants.

See here for an overview of the Skilled Worker Visa & how you can apply – https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS:

If yourself or your parent/s were born in the UK, you may be eligible for a UK Passport. Please read here to find out more information on how to apply and what documents are required – https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

NEXT STEPS:

If you are eligible for any of these visa & right to work options, & interested in pursuing the UK move further, please send us through your full CV & we can look to start the process from there.

We hope this helps, please let us know if you have any further questions.

If you haven’t yet registered with anzuk, please click on the following link & we can chat further about your work preferences.