Expansion Worker Visa brings more possibilities for SA businesses looking to expand in the UK

SA Migration – 2 Dec 2022

The Expansion Worker Visa, is the best bet for any business owner outside the UK who wishes to establish a branch or subsidiary in the UK.

Expansion Worker Visa brings more possibilities for SA businesses looking to expand in the 

If you are a business owner outside the UK and wish to send a manager/senior employee (up to a maximum of 5 managers/senior employees) to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary of the overseas business in the UK, the UK’s Expansion Worker Visa might be the visa for you. It is important that the manager/senior employee is 18 years or older and already working for the overseas business. It’s also important that the UK branch or subsidiary is not already trading in the UK.

This immigration route replaced the ‘Sole Representative Visa’ and is very similar to the UK’s Skilled Worker Visa. One also has to apply for a sponsorship licence and a certificate of sponsorship. The UK Expansion Worker Visa can be issued for a maximum of 2 years. At the end of the two years, the business needs to provide evidence that it’s established, therefore negating the need for other employees to apply under this route. After two years, the branch/subsidiary can sponsor employees under the normal Skilled Worker Visa route. Unlike the previous ‘Sole Representative Visa’ route, unfortunately, this route does not lead to settlement in the UK. However, dependents are allowed to apply with the main applicant.

The UK will charge a visa fee of GBP 625.00 per applicant, and NHS is also payable for the full period that the visa will be valid. Applications can take 2 to 4 weeks to be processed, although the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine may cause delays in the processing times.

How Sa Migration can help you

If you are a business owner looking to expand your business to the UK or a manager/senior employee of a business outside the UK who wish to help establish a branch of this business in the UK, please contact us for more information.

www.samigration.com

Care Worker wanting to work in the UK?

SA Migration – 02 Dec 2022

Care workers who want to work in the UK using the Health and Care Worker Visa have a deadline of 15 February 2023 to apply. Find out how Sa Migration can assist you.

Care Workers wanting to work in the UK urged to apply: Image: Adobe stock

Care workers wanting to work in the UK must take heed of the deadline of 15 February 2023 to apply for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa

In February 2022, the UK Government included care workers in the Health and Care Visa route. The announcement was and is still good news for overseas care workers wanting to work in the UK. 

However, carers wanting to apply under this route only have until 15 February 2023 to apply.

The UK Government expanded the Health and Care Visa route to bring relief to the Care Worker industry, as the industry had been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and faced staff shortages and pressures.

How to qualify as a Care Worker under the Health and Care Worker Route

Since 15 February 2022, the Shortage Occupation code 6145 has been on the Shortage Occupation List. The code includes Care Workers and Home Carers and related job titles such as Care Assistant, Care Worker, Carer, Home Care Assistant, Home Carer and Support Worker (Nursing Home). Such workers can thus qualify to apply under the Health and Care Worker Visa.

Private households and individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. Home Carers will thus only be able to be sponsored on the route if they are working for an organisation able to meet the sponsorship requirement.

The inclusion of the Care Workers on the Shortage Occupation List stipulates a minimum annual salary. If carers meet this minimum salary, they are eligible for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa.

The good news is that dependents of care workers can apply to accompany the main applicant. More good news is that these types of visas are issued quicker than the normal skilled worker visa. However, there are currently delays at the Home Office due to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. One could therefore expect delays in some cases. 

How Sa Migration can assist you

UK Care Providers who do not have a sponsorship licence in the Skilled Worker Route can contact Sa Migration for assistance to get this in place. We have a team of highly qualified and experienced consultants dealing with Sponsorship Licences.

Unfortunately, care agencies who contract out carers to third parties and do not employ them to work directly will, in all probability, not qualify. However, we highly recommend you speak to one of our consultants to clarify your situation.

Care workers with a job offer are welcome to contact us.

www.samigration.com

Should you move to the UK: Why sending your child to a UK university may be better

SA Migration – 02 Dec 2022

Find out what it would take for your child to get a university qualification from the UK and also stay there.

Should you move to the UK? Why sending your child to a UK university may be better: 

The prospect of immigrating to the UK is very enticing but is it the best investment for your children? We break down how to study abroad in the UK and explain why it may be a better alternative to moving your family overseas.

Many South Africans believe that moving to the UK is the best way to give their children a greater chance at success. But there is a way to give your child the brightest future without uprooting the whole family.

Firstly, let’s consider a scenario where you move to the UK in the next few years.

You sell your house, ship your things over and find the correct schooling for your children. Here’s where the problems start to arise. How much will you make from the sale of your house in Rands? When you convert that into Pounds, you’ll be walking away with barely enough to buy yourself a small place in the UK (even smaller in costlier areas such as London). In fact, you may need to rent. It will take you a while to be able to afford the lifestyle you’re used to in South Africa.

Alternatively, you can take the money you would’ve spent on relocating and put it toward sending your child to a university in the UK. One of the main benefits of studying at a UK university is that your child can use that as a foot in the door when it comes to both working in the UK and naturalising as a British citizen.

Using this option, as opposed to the first scenario, allows you to remain in South Africa and continue to enjoy the life you’ve built here. You can send your children to top-notch South African quintile five private high schools. In the meantime, you could save for the UK university fees and invest the money you would’ve used to immigrate (which our wealth team could assist you with, should you need financial planning and advisory services).

Studying in the UK as a route to immigration

After studying at a university in the UK, your child can apply for a Graduate visa, which grants them two years (three after completing a doctorate) to seek work in the UK. The Graduate visa has no employment requirements or restrictions on the work they can do in the UK. There is also no salary threshold and no cap on the number of visas issued.

While on the Graduate visa, your child can gain the necessary skills and experience to be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa. This employer-sponsored visa is valid for an additional five years.

If they are under the age of 26 and have recently finished studying when they apply for their Skilled Worker visa, they are considered a “new entrant” and will have less stringent salary conditions to meet.

Once the Skilled Worker visa is acquired, their countdown for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) starts. After spending five years in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, your child may be eligible for ILR, which is permanent residency in the UK. A year after obtaining ILR, holders may be eligible for British citizenship.

Those who have studied at a UK university do not need to take an English language test when applying for residency or citizenship.

Why study in the UK?

In addition to the advantages of easier routes to immigration and citizenship, there are other benefits to studying in the UK.

• The UK has some of the best universities in the world. While the famous names include Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, your child does not need to go to such a competitive school for world-class education. The UK university system as a whole offers a high level of education.

• UK companies will be inclined to employ someone they see has an education level they are familiar with.

• Studying abroad gives you a range of new skills to help your child grow as a person.

• In the UK, international students are entitled to work 20 hours per week while in full-time study at a university, so they can start gaining an income and work experience.

Courses in the UK education system are shorter and more intensive than many other countries, which means students graduate sooner without compromising on quality.

Does my child need a UK student visa?

Since Brexit, most foreign nationals need a UK Student visa. South African citizens will need to apply for a Student visa.

The UK’s Student visa is a points-based system which requires applicants to meet a minimum of 70 points to be eligible. To qualify for a student visa, applicants need: 

• Confirmation of acceptance for studies from an approved educational institution

• Proof of sufficient funds to pay for the course and to support themselves

• Proof of English language proficiency (some universities will accept your south African NSC English grade or may conduct an online English test to meet this requirement)

• Have consent from their parents if they’re 16 or 17 years of age

www.samigration.com

" It will be impossible to deport 15 million migrants, here's what can be done so that they leave."

Opera News | 01 Dec 2022

It's impossible to deport 15 million people; here's what can be done to make them leave. 

South Africa's immigration crisis has reached crisis proportions. The majority of South Africans support returning foreigners to their countries of origin. Many South Africans want illegal immigrants sent home, but some experts say it's impossible to send back all 15 million of them at once. 

This was posted on a Twitter account: "Fifteen million illegal immigrants cannot be returned home. The logistics and cost would make it impossible. 

You take away their justifications for being here. Commerce, employment opportunities, housing, educational facilities, medical facilities, etc. 

Create an environment in South Africa where survival is next to impossible for them to understand the message ". 

South Africa has always had an immigration problem, it is not a recent phenomenon. Most immigrants come to South Africa in search of a better life. Perhaps it would help if everything they use would be cut, but not all foreign nationals deserve to leave, as some provide business and jobs for South Africans. 

In my opinion, it is a violation of human rights to deny health care to anyone, no matter where they are in the world, and this includes non-citizens. 

Please share your thoughts on this matter. Feel free to chime in with your opinions below. Always remember to click that like button, share that article, and follow that account to get the latest and greatest information.

www.samigration.com

SA Migration – 1 December 2022

Find out how SA Migration can help you plan your immigration route, should you wish to settle in the UK eventually.

Getting married in the UK? 

South Africans coming to the UK to get married cannot do so while on the UK Visitor Visa.

The UK Marriage Visitor Visa is available specifically for persons who want to come to the UK to get married, register a civil partnership in the UK, or give notice of a marriage or a civil partnership in the UK.

However, it is important to note that you will not be allowed to stay or settle in the UK after the marriage or civil partnership while still on this visa.

We strongly recommend that readers looking to get married in the UK speak to a SA Migration consultant, to help them plan their immigration route, should they wish to settle in the UK eventually.

Below we have answered some of the most FAQs on the UK Marriage Visitor Visa.

How soon can I apply before travelling, and how long will I be able to stay?

You can apply at the earliest three months before you plan to travel to the UK. Your visa will then be valid from when a decision has been made. You can stay in the UK for up to six months with the Marriage Visitor Visa.

Can I switch to another type of visa while in the UK?

You cannot apply for or switch to any other permit while on a Marriage Visitor visa. If you intend to move to the UK, you must return to your country of residence and apply for new entry clearance to the UK. We highly recommend that you speak to a SA Migration consultant in this regard.

Do I need to prove that I will get married while on the Marriage Visitor Visa?

Yes, firstly, you will have to prove that you are in a genuine relationship.

You will also have to supply additional documents to support your application, including details of the planned marriage or civil partnership and proof that you have paid for some of its costs. You will also have to provide documents to prove that the wedding will take place. This could, among other things, be in the form of booking confirmations or communication between yourself and the venue.

SA Migration have a team of consultants specialising in Family and Visitor Visas, such as the Marriage Visitor Visa. They will be able to provide you with full guidance during the application process and ensure a successful outcome!

www.samigration.com