New Scale-up visa

What is the new Scale-up visa?

This is a work visa for individuals with advanced talents and certifications, and it will be available beginning on August 22, 2022. If the applicant has not previously been authorised as a Scale-up worker, the Scale-up visa still requires them to have a sponsored position. 

The Scale-up visa is designed to facilitate making hiring the best-skilled labour from across the world simpler and faster for organisations experiencing significant expansion (i.e. those in the Scale-up phase). A ‘Scale-up’ is a business that has reached the next level of its commercial development after experiencing significant expansion. These companies have usually passed the start-up stage and have gained more confidence in their ability to provide a return on investment (ROI).

How does the Scale-up visa work?

The Scale-up immigration path will allow UK Scale-ups to employ exceptional people with the skills they need to help them expand their businesses. It is a five-year settlement path that’s first sponsored by a Scale-up but then becomes unsponsored. The dependent children and spouse of a Scale-up worker can join them through this immigration route. The Scale-up method has been recommended by the UK government as a simpler, more flexible, and faster route. There will be no immigration skills charge for the skilled worker category, as well as the expert or senior worker route, both of which are now included in the Global Business Mobility category.

Who can apply for the new Scale-up visa UK?

The UK Scale-up visa 2022 is a work visa for persons with advanced skills and credentials, however, unlike the Skilled Worker visa, it does not require sponsorship (however, a job offer is still required). The full specifics of the visa’s eligibility requirements are unknown at this time, but will be released closer to the scheme’s introduction in 2022. 

The UK Scale-up visa 2022 is scheduled to be offered to individuals who satisfy the following criteria:

  • High levels of skills or who are academically elite
  • A highly skilled job offer with a UK business that meets the criteria of a Scale-Up company
  • A salary of at least £33,000
  • Sufficient English language proficiency.

What is an eligible business?

UK firms must fulfil specific qualifying requirements in order to sponsor an overseas worker under the UK Scale-up visa 2022 initiative. Businesses will be asked to demonstrate that they have:

  • 3 years of annual revenue, or
  • Employment growth of 20%, and
  • At the start of the 3-year period, the business must have had at least ten employees.

Will the Scale-up visa count towards Indefinite Leave to Remain?

The Scale-up visa is extremely likely to count toward Indefinite Leave to Remain. This may happen after five years, or the Home Office could create a faster path to ILR for the most highly competent and intellectually outstanding individuals. As a result, this would be similar to existing visa programmes, such as the Investment visa

UK Immigration
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How can NA Law Solicitors help?

Our business and work visa immigration lawyers can assist you with any questions you have about the new Scale-up visa. If you require any assistance or guidance in this regard, please contact our staff.

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