What are the skill categories that fall under Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa and the procedure to extend the visa?
The United Kingdom immigration process is based on laws that have been passed over the last few decades. These laws, while some directly and some indirectly related to immigration, serve as definitions for procedures and regulations that the government has to abide by. The ‘Home Office’, headed by the Secretary of State, is the regulatory body of the UK government responsible for handling immigration related cases related to all individuals, whether they are foreigners or UK nationals. A document known as a ‘visa’ is granted to any individual who has been granted permission to enter or leave the country. For convenience, the visa has been divided into four types i.e. Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 4 and Tier 5 with each type dealing with a different type of case depending on the reason the individual wants to come to the UK. For example, the Tier 4 visa exists for individuals who wish to enter the UK for study purposes; the Tier 5 visa exists for individuals who wish to enter the country for visit purposes, the Tier 1 investor immigration to UK exists for people who wish to settle by investing in the country and so on. Furthermore, these visa types are further broken down into categories depending on the reason the applicant wishes to apply on.
The Immigration Rules of the UK is a document that defines rules and procedures for each visa type (Tier 2 visa, Tier 4 student visa, investor immigration to UK etc.) based off of laws related to immigration currently in effect. The Home Office is obligated to abide by the laws defined in the Immigration Rules as a breach would null the decision taken on any immigration related matter.
The ‘Points Based System’ is a measuring system for visa cases where points are secured each time a requirement of the visa application is met. The points needed vary depending on the visa category the applicant is applying on. Such as, a person applying to visit the UK for tourism purposes will need to qualify for a different set of points than a person who wishes to enter the country for study purposes. The following article explains the UK Tier 1 visa requirements by explaining the Tier 1 exceptional talent category and how requirements can be met for Tier 1 visa application in this category.
The Tier 1 visa is divided into 5 categories i.e. The Exceptional Talent category, the Entrepreneur category, the UK Investment Immigration Program category, the General category and the Graduate Entrepreneur category.
Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Category
The Tier 1 visa application for Exceptional Talent category requires 75 points to qualify for the visa. This can be gained by securing endorsements from UK bodies that confirm your exceptional abilities in the eyes of the government (giving you 75 points) and proving your English language skills (giving you 10 points).
Different bodies covering different fields exist that grant endorsements depending on the nature of the work of the applicant. These bodies, such as the Arts Council England or the Royal Academy of Engineering, cover the fields of arts and sciences and act as the competent bodies to decide which applicant is more deserving of the endorsement based on his/her talent and merit.
For applicants applying on this category whose work falls on the category of arts, significant evidence must be submitted of work that has been distributed internationally. Not more than 10 documents that reflect the merits of the artist can be submitted which includes any acclaimed awards or recognition or reviews from a major news publication or news organization.
For artists whose work is related to film, post production, the visual effects industry, animation or television, a different kind of criteria holds. Individuals from any one of this category must have been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award, a BAFTA or an Emmy award within the last five years preceding the time the application is being submitted. However, if the applicant has received any of these awards, no time limit exists.
Artists need to submit at least two endorsements when making their visa application on this category. One, from a body domestic to the United Kingdom, and the other that holds national or international recognition. These bodies must hold a significant reputation in the fields of arts and the letter the applicant submits on behalf of these organizations must be addressed by an official who is authorized to do so such as the Chief Executive, the Chairman or an Art Director. The letter must follow the below given format addressing and explaining his/her credentials such as:
As for person whose work falls within the category of science and technology, and the person who is renowned within his/her study of work or promises exceptional work in future is applicable to apply on the exceptional talent category. Other than promises exceptional work in your field, at least one of the following UK Tier 1 visa requirements must also be fulfill:
Where the above mentioned conditions were of a nature that only one of them needed to be fulfilled, the below mentioned requirements must all be addressed if the person wishes to apply on this category:
Extension on the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Category Visa
If the applicant is applying on an extension, the application for this extension must also include a document showing a service contract between the applicant and the institution he/she was employed in along with details regarding the research or field of work he/she was involved in. It must also include an official document that contains the organization’s letterhead acknowledging that the applicant earned money by working as expert in his/her field.
If the applicant is an employee or acting as the director of a company, at least one of the following details must also be included:
To elaborate, one of the below given documents can be considered tax documents:
In the condition that the applicant is self employed, and has structured his/her earnings in a manner of a company, the below given documents must be showed:
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