Home to remarkable monuments, world-class universities, top-class business centers, and a plethora of opportunities, the United Kingdom (UK) has always allured people worldwide. However, migrating to this nation requires proper procedures, completion of formalities and finding the right guidance on settling in the UK for job and career.
Important Requirements to move to the UK from India
The UK has always been an attraction for Indian nationals. Over the years, thousands of people have settled there, and thousand others are thinking of grabbing this golden opportunity. Students from India are also welcomed in the United Kingdom and offered scholarships.
If you want to know how to settle in the UK from India, here is a detailed guide.
The United Kingdom provides opportunities galore to eligible international migrants to visit and settle there. But the Indians aspiring for permanent residence in the UK need to first apply as a temporary resident and then become eligible to ask for permanent residency in the UK after spending a considerable period of time there. Some of the ways the Indian nationals can avail the visa for the UK are:
1) Migrating with a job offer
2) Migrating on the basis of a student’s visa
3) Migrating as an entrepreneur looking for business opportunities in the nation
4) Migrating as an investor interested in buying properties or businesses there
5) Migrating after getting married to a UK citizen.
For applying under the existing UK visa schemes, the eligibility of the aspirants is determined as per their score on the UK Tier Points-based System. The Points-based system verifies the eligibility of the aspirant against relevant factors – work, study, or business visas. The most common visa schemes used by Indians who immigrate to the UK from India are:
This scheme is specially designed for migrants considered VIPs or special aspirants. The entrepreneurs interested in investing in the UK, talented applicants, and promising individuals are granted a visa in the Tier 1 scheme.
2. Tier 2 Visa
This scheme is applicable to the skilled and qualified workers applying for a job in the UK. Mostly, it requires a recommendation letter from employers. Workers getting transferred to the branches in the UK are given visas in this scheme. Further, sportspersons and religious visas are also considered under this scheme.
3. Tier 3 Visa
Note: The UK Tier 3 category is currently suspended.
This Visa scheme was for the aspirants who were required to migrate to the UK for a labor-oriented job or even a temporary replacement job.
4. Tier 4 Visa
This scheme is designed for students aspiring to pursue education in the universities in the UK. But to avail this sanction, the aspirants must provide proof of their placement in the educational institution.
5. Tier 5 Visa
This visa has six sub tiers under it, and it includes categories like sports, charity, religious purposes, etc. This is the most common scheme that allows more than 50,000 aspirants in the UK each year.
6. UK business Visa
This category covers explicitly the business aspirants willing to travel to the UK for a long-term.
7. UK family Visa
This is a special category that allows migrants to visit the country as the family members of UK-based citizens.
If a person is interested to immigrate to the UK from India, then they should fulfill the below-listed eligibility criteria:
1) The candidate should be of 16 years of age or above for the student visa and above 18 for a work visa
2) For the approval of a work visa, the aspirant should score above 95 points under the tier point system
3) For educational visas, students need to pass English language proficiency tests like TOEFL Exam, IELTS Exam, etc.
4) The aspirant should produce all the documents, legal papers, and even certificates of the work or purpose of travel
5) The aspirants even have to show a certain amount of funds in their bank account to get the visa approved
6) A character and health certificate needs to be submitted as well
Once the aspirant gets a visa approval and lands in the UK, the individual can enjoy their stay as per the duration of the visa and later renew it when the visa expires. After some time, with the desired proofs submitted, the individual can easily get a permanent visa for the UK.
The United Kingdom is one of the most livable countries in the world, with an incredible quality of life and multicultural cities. Bustling cities with art and culture, welcoming people, the best healthcare, top universities, and job opportunities make this country an ideal place to settle down. Indians find these reasons quite enticing to immigrate to the UK. Some of the very positive qualities of this nation are:
1) Hospitable people —
People from the United Kingdom, including the English, Scottish, Welsh, and North Irish are hospitable and polite. They tend to embrace people from all across the globe. So, the aspirants traveling to the UK to settle permanently don’t face any issue or adversity from the citizens of the UK.
2) Job opportunities —
The United Kingdom offers a plethora of job opportunities to the people aspiring to work here. London (the most progressive destination) alone has ample opportunities. A skilled professional would never find lack of work or job in the UK.
3) Impressive education —
There are some word-class schools, colleges, and universities in the UK known for imparting top-quality education to the students.
4) Highly developed healthcare —
Even the healthcare facilities in the United Kingdom are known for its excellence. Everyone is entitled for quality medical treatment and healthcare services without spending much.
5) Cultural diversity —
The United Kingdom is already a culturally blessed location with many historical remnants dating back to the Before Christ era. Now slowly, this nation has embraced and welcomed other cultures, too and that is why it has a blend of each of them under its wings. There are around 300 languages spoken in London itself. The cultural versatility of the entire UK is phenomenal.
6) Natural beauty —
The location of this nation is such that it provides both the winters and summers in the most alluring way with jaw-dropping natural beauty to motivate growth and wellbeing. Along with the natural beauty, even the weather is quite conducive.
The United Kingdom has a point-based immigration system. Interested candidates can apply and pay for the visa online. While applying for the visa, candidates will be asked to provide their biometric information. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens will have to provide digital photos of their faces. In contrast, non-EU citizens will have to submit fingerprints and photos at an overseas visa application center.
A point-based system is also applicable for the skilled workers who have a job offer from an approved employer. Students can apply for a visa to study in the UK if selected for a course, meet the English language requirements, have enough money to support themselves, and pay for the course. A new graduate visa is available for international students who have completed a degree in the UK. Candidates will have to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if they wish to visit the UK to get married or register a civil partnership.
A person can stay and work in the UK for up to five years at a time.
Types of Immigrations in UK
The applications interested in settling in the UK must know that they are divided as per the purpose of their immigration and are granted visas accordingly. Some of these types of immigrants and visas for them are:
1. Immigrants aspiring to meet family
Such immigrants should have family members in the UK with the permanent citizenship. The immigrant should provide proof of that family member’s citizenship to get the visa approved.
2. Immigrants asking for a settlement visa
If the candidate is already working in the nation temporarily, he can apply for a permanent visa after five years.
3. Immigrants travelling for investments
The immigrant visa is assigned to the immigrants who intend to invest in a property in the country.
4. Immigrants visiting to start a business
Such immigrants can get an entrepreneur visa and start a business in the nation.
5. Immigrants travelling for work
People travelling to work in the UK must apply for a work visa. Again, proofs are required pertaining to the job application and appointment letter.
6. Student immigrants
Students interested in pursuing their higher education from the UK universities, must apply for the student visa – proof of induction is a must.
Apart from all these, there are also people traveling for marriage purposes, tourism, events and occasions, and medical purposes. But most of these are short-term visits, and the visas for these purposes are easily attained.
From the inquiries on immigrating to the UK from India to the overall procedure, several important questions often baffle us. The United Kingdom is a country with a world full of opportunities. But completing all the proper steps to get the visa and permissions to settle in this country is not easy.
Settling in the UK with family requires the applicant to apply under the category of Family Visa and provide all the necessary details of each member of the family with the visa form. If the applicant has some family members already settled in the UK, their reference makes the procedure of getting the visa easier.
Which is the best place to settle in the UK?
Several destinations are considered preferable to get settled in the UK. Out of these, some are Reading, Southampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Wales, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
What is the best way to settle in the UK?
The best way to settle in the UK is by applying for an investor or entrepreneur visa. This comes under the special tier 1 visa category and gets the visa approval quickly. Even the renewal process of this visa is quicker than others.
How long will it take to get a UK visa?
Normally, an application for a UK Visa is answered within 3-5 working days or maximum of 15 working days. Special applications are considered as well, which are replied under 24 hours of time.
How to apply for a UK immigrant’s visa?
The applicant should provide the purpose of migrating to the UK, apply for the type of visa as per that purpose, fill out the visa form along with providing the necessary details and documents, and then attend the interview for the visa.
Is IELTS mandatory to apply for a UK visa?
No, passing the IELTS exams is not mandatory to get a UK visa. But there are certain other types of test scores that can be provided as proof of the English language proficiency of the candidate, like the Secure English Language Test (SELT), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), etc.
Can one switch between a Tier 2 to Tier 5 Visa after arrival in the UK?
Yes, it is possible for the Tier 2 applicant to switch to a Tier 5 Visa after reaching the country.
What are the types of family Visa options in the UK?
When in the UK, an applicant can ask for a family visa if his/her spouse is a UK Citizen or someone’s parent has a UK passport, or any person’s child holds UK citizenship.
When should an applicant apply for a UK visa?
An individual should apply for a UK visa as early as possible because the entire verification and processing process requires at least 3 weeks. So, applying way before the intended date of travel is mandatory.
How much is the UK visa fee?
The UK visa application fee is different for each category; the fee for study visas ranges between ₹20,000 to ₹53,000, the fee for visitor visas ranges from ₹10,000 to ₹ 84,807, and the fee for work visas ranges from ₹16,921 to ₹1,66,000.
Geetanjalee is an experienced writer and editor. She started her career as a journalist and during her stint as a journalist, she has worked with a leading news agency.
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