Our personal immigration team has extensive experience in work-related visas and we are able to offer our help to both employers and employees who wish to apply for a Scale-Up Visa.
Where a rapidly-expanding UK-based business is looking to recruit a highly-skilled individual to help with growing their business, they may wish to consider sponsoring the candidate for a Scale-Up Visa. The candidate will be committed to working for the UK business for at least 6 months.
In order to sponsor a candidate for this Visa, a UK business will first need to have obtained a Sponsor Licence under the Scale-Up category. As part of the Sponsor Licence application, the Home Office will be assessing how the UK business has grown yearly in terms of turnover and staff count, to be satisfied that the UK business is one that is rapidly expanding.
Individuals sponsored for this Visa will need to demonstrate that the UK business will be paying them a minimum gross annual salary of £33,000 and that they are able to speak, read, write and comprehend English to an intermediate standard (B1 Level).
Applicants will also need to show that they have sufficient funds to maintain themselves in the UK (unless maintenance is certified by the sponsor).
An initial visa is valid for a period of 2 years and the Scale-Up migrant will be expected to work for the UK business that has sponsored them for at least the first 6 months of the visa.
It may then be possible to extend the visa for a further period of 3 years, provided that the individual has completed the relevant period of at least 6 months employment with their Scale-Up sponsor and has subsequently continued to work in the UK and earned above the required threshold of £33,000 per year.
Yes, a dependent spouse or partner and dependent children who are under the age of 18 at the date of initial application can be joined.
Yes, after 5 continuous years of residence in the UK under this visa route, it may be possible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Again, the Home Office will be verifying that the Scale-Up migrant has been working and earning in the UK throughout the relevant 5 years
For more information about us and our personal immigration services, please contact a member of the team who can answer any questions and guide you through the process.
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