Tier 1 Exceptional talent visas for IT professionals

The UK has always wanted the world’s brightest and the best to come here and work or set up businesses.  In the 1990s there was the HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) visa. Then came the Tier 1 (General) visa.  Both of these were large scale programmes with tens of thousands of visas issued. The replacement Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route is restricted to a quota 2,000 visas a year (of which 250 are set aside for Tech Nation endorsement), but the quota has never yet been reached as it sets such a high bar that few people qualify.

If you want help with a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa application or advice, we can arrange a consultation, but the immigration professional looking at your case will charge you as the assessment process is quite involved and very individually focussed.  Consultations can be done by phone/skype, but if you are in the London area, face to face is often best.

If you can qualify for a Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa, it is a great option as it

• Does not require sponsorship by an employer
• Gives freedom to either work for a UK employer OR set up your own business

Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visas are predominantly issued to professionals from the English speaking world and Commonwealth, with the US, India, Australia and Nigeria topping the lists.

Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visas need endorsement by a ‘sector body’ such as:

• Tech Nation
• Royal Academy of Engineering

A Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa consultation will cost at least £250, and does not guarantee a positive conclusion. 

Please “contact us” detailing ‘Tier 1 exceptional talent assessment’ for an assessment form. This form is lengthy and will be best completed on a computer/tablet rather than on a phone.