If you want to work in UK laboratories but not sure how, the Global Talent visa or the Skilled Worker visa may be what you need.
Option 1: The Global Talent visa
If you are a leader or potential leader in science, medicine or engineering, and you want to work in the UK in academia or research, the Global Talent visa could be the perfect option for you.
What are the benefits of a Global Talent visa?
With a Global Talent visa, you can choose the length of your visa, which can last up to 5 years; be an employee, self-employed or a director of a company; change or stop doing your job without telling the Home Office; bring your partner and children as your dependants, provided they are eligible, and travel abroad and return to the UK. There are also no language or minimum salary eligibility requirements.
Additionally, you can renew your visa as many times as you like if you meet the eligibility criteria for extending your stay. You could also apply for indefinite leave to remain if you’ve lived in the UK for 3 years and meet the other eligibility requirements. Importantly, any time you spend outside the UK doing research counts towards this time
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, you can either have an eligible job offer as an academic or researcher, an individual fellowship, a research grant that is approved by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) or an eligible award. The Home Office provides a list of achievements in science that qualify applicants for the Global Talent route.
How do I apply?
Global Talent visas require endorsements in addition to the application for the visa. The endorsement is to prove that you are a leader or potential leader in your field. These are provided by the endorsing bodies who have expertise in your field. There are different processes for endorsement, depending on whether you have an eligible job offer as an academic or researcher, an individual fellowship, a research grant approved by UK Research and Innovation or your application is being peer reviewed.
You could be fast tracked for endorsement if you have an eligible job offer either as an academic or researcher, or at an institution approved by the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and British Academy.
However, if you have one of the eligible awards, an endorsement is not required and you can skip straight to the visa application process. .
Option 2: The Skilled Worker visa
Another option would be to apply for a Skilled Worker visa, which enables you to come to the UK and work in an eligible job with an approved employer.
What are the benefits of a Skilled Worker visa?
Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.
Firstly, this visa can last up to 5 years before extension is required. Whilst you do need to apply for a visa extension, you can do this as many times as you like, provided you are still eligible. Another benefit is that after 5 years, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain which gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for an indefinite period of time.
This visa enables you to work in an eligible job, study, bring you partner and children to the UK if they are eligible dependants, volunteer, travel abroad and return to the UK, and it can also lead to settlement.
Who is eligible?
In order to qualify for this visa, you have to work for a Home Office approved UK employer, this employer must have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ (CoS), which has information about your UK role offer, your job must be on the list of eligible occupations and meet the minimum salary requirement, which is dependent on your role and the date of your CoS. Generally, the minimum salary is either £38,700 or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing, whichever is the highest. Importantly, your job offer must be confirmed before your visa application.
You will also be required to prove your capacity to speak, read, write and understand English.
What if you are paid less?
There are certain circumstances where you can work in an eligible job and have a lower salary than the standard salary requirement.
Provided your salary is at least £30,960 and you meet one of the following criteria, you can still apply for a Skilled Worker visa. The criteria are that you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training; you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job (if you have a relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject your salary must be at least £26,100) or you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education.
If you want to work as a laboratory technician, provided the role requires 3 or more years of related on-the-job experience gained legally, you do not need to earn £38,700. If you got your certificate of sponsorship after 4 April 2024, you must earn £30,960 (£15.88 per hour). If you got your certificate of sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024 and have continually held one or more Skilled Worker visas since then, you must earn £23,200 (£11.90 per hour).
How do I apply?
Skilled Worker visa applications must be submitted online. The process varies depending on whether you are outside the UK and coming to the UK, or inside the UK and switching from a different visa. All applications require you to prove your identity, provide documentation, prove you have enough personal savings, pay an application fee and a healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay.
Your date of application can be up to 3 months before the date you start your job in the UK – this date can be found on your CoS.
How Gherson can assist
Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.
The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.
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