At G&M Fashion Career we often promote and encourage an international experience or even career path to our community. It is a way to broaden your horizons, work with diversified teams, learn different ways of working and so much more! However, it’s not as easy as packing your bags and moving country (especially when the country has specific regulation and you need a visa to relocate) – there is a lot of preparation and logistical processes involved. We asked Adarsh Girijadevi, Senior Immigration Lawyer at City Legal Services to give us an overview and some tips for those of you interested in working in the UK.
Working in UK is filled with opportunities for professionals from the fashion industry, you can find several retailers (from fast fashion to luxury houses) for example Burberry, Farfetch, Topman, Paul Smith, Victoria Beckham, Alexander McQueen and also start-up designers. It is also hosts important universities such as UAL, Royal college of art and Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design and many more. At the end of the day, the UK is one of top countries to be in Europe for the fashion industry.
Building a successful and fulfilled career is a dream of many. Resiliency, hard-work and great sacrifice are the keys to a steady and long-lasting professional growth within any industry. Many successful businesses are always on the hunt for potential candidates who own those skills and are willing to take big decisions, such as relocating to a different country, to turn over their careers and achieve high success.
With the current law changes, following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, we have seen many companies and individuals preparing for a New Immigration System, which is coming in force from January 2021. New rules and regulations are expected to slowly take place, as the Home Office continues to regularly publish new updates. The most recent being the creation of a new Skilled Worker Visa Category, which will replace the current Tier 2 General work visa; the adaptation of selected visa categories to include European Nationals and the changes to border controls.
HOW CAN I RELOCATE TO THE UK FOR WORK?
When considering relocating to the UK to start a new job or perhaps to set up your own business, you must evaluate which immigration rules apply to you, and how to make a valid application. The United Kingdom is tightening its borders, restricting entry to only those nationals who will bring value to this country. This Immigration Rules are anticipated to become more stricter, particularly due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic leading to an increase in unemployment rates and the Residency and Citizenship offer to 3 Million British Overseas citizens from Hong Kong. The Home Office is becoming more selective on who should be granted entry and this would eventually be purely on skills and talent that the UK needs.
A tip to succeed in making a valid Entry Clearance (Immigration) application, is that of always seeking legal advice before jumping in its lengthy and costly process. At City Legal, we offer a 15 minutes complimentary consultation to help you understand which route is best for you. You can then decide whether you wish to instruct us in representing your case to the Home Office up until grant of entry permit or simply get the initial advice and do the process yourself.
The work visa application requires a valid sponsorship and job offer, before you can start your visa process. Your prospective employer must be holding a valid Sponsor Licence, must have issued a Certificate of Sponsorship and carry adequate Resident Labour Market Test if required.
WHAT VISA CATEGORY IS BEST TO WORK IN THE UK?
The Home Office provides many different routes for migrating to the UK with the aim to undertake a new career path or set up a new business. Some of those can be: (click for links)
Each of those categories will allow for an eligible applicant to obtain a work permit to either: work for an UK-based company for short or long terms, set up their own business in the UK (provided that they have an original, viable and scalable business idea), set up a foreign business’s branch in the UK, showcase internationally recognized talents and more.
HOW DOES BREXIT AFFECT MY RELOCATION?
In addition to the new immigration routes for Skilled Worker visas, European Settlement Scheme and different selected existing visa categories being applied to European Nationals, the UK Visas and Immigration Department has incorporated a new visa application process, which has been operating for sometime now. Majority of visa applications are submitted and paid for online. Foreign non-EU nationals will continue to submit biometric information, such as fingerprints and photographs, to visa applications centres in their country of residence, before their application is considered. European Nationals instead will only be required to provide a digital photograph with their application.
A new approach will also be adopted in relation to documentation required from European Nationals who wish to enter the UK. Following the end of 2020, the UKVI will no longer accept National ID cards to enter the borders, and EU nationals will have to present their national passports at the borders when seeking entry, including those entering for a short visit.
At City Legal, we specialize in personal and business immigration, and dealing with many well-established organizations and international professional exchanges. We fully understand the key aspects for a positive relocation experience for professionals. City Legal is a multi-award-winning law firm focusing in UK Immigration Law, Global Citizenship, Wills and Estate Planning as well as providing Business, Education and HR Consultancy to both individual and corporate clients around the world. We assist clients on a daily basis in preparing and presenting their immigration cases to the UK Visas and Immigration Department, preparing and reviewing Business Plans with UK start-ups, provide HR solutions using advanced software technology and much more. You may visit our website www.citylegalservices.co.uk or contact us by email at enquiries@citylegalservices.co.uk or by phone on +44 330 058 3929.
By Annamaria Zeka, City Legal
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