Time Pressure on Digital Nomads: Sixty-day Quest to Obtain Another UK Work Visa or face Deportation
In the ever-evolving landscape of the UK's immigration policies, the experiences of foreign workers on Skilled Worker visas are a testament to the complexities and uncertainties they face. This article tells the story of a tech worker, who, like many others, found themselves in a precarious situation when their sponsorship was suddenly terminated.
The new salary threshold for most Skilled Worker roles has recently risen to £41,700 ($49,000), up from £38,700 as of July 22. However, this tech worker moved to the UK in 2022 on a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by a global tech firm. Unfortunately, they were eventually sponsored by a fintech company, a change that avoided deportation but brought its own set of challenges.
The tech worker's journey began with a 60-day ultimatum to find a new sponsor or leave the UK. During this period, they applied to seven UK companies, six of which rejected them without offering visa sponsorship. The experience was emotionally burdensome, made more challenging by the fact that only 3% of the nearly 5.5 million registered companies in the UK are authorized to sponsor foreign workers.
To find a new sponsor, a foreign worker must secure employment with a new employer who holds a valid sponsor licence and is listed on the official Home Office register. The new employer must issue a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the worker. The worker must then submit a visa application to update their Skilled Worker visa with this new sponsorship before beginning work with the new employer.
Key requirements and challenges include the licensed sponsor requirement, job eligibility, the need for a new CoS, timely application, employer reporting and compliance, and practical challenges such as finding a new sponsor quickly. Failure to comply with these rules risks losing legal status in the UK.
Interestingly, health and care jobs in the UK have a lower salary threshold of £25,600 ($30,000) for visa sponsorship. However, the tech worker's visa process took over two months and involved health screenings, a tuberculosis test, and providing documents such as a police report and affidavits.
The tech worker's story is a reminder of the complexities and uncertainties that foreign workers on Skilled Worker visas face. It takes careful preparation, eligibility, and often a bit of luck to navigate the different visa options available for migrants facing a curtailment notice. For many, being forced to leave the country means starting again, often in a place they thought they had left behind.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Some sponsoring companies are starting to recognize the emotional toll that comes with sudden layoffs and are giving migrants advance notice when workforce reductions are on the horizon. This small change could make a significant difference in the lives of those navigating the challenging world of Skilled Worker visas.
[1] UK Visas and Immigration: Skilled Worker Visa [2] Home Office: Sponsorship Management System
- As the tech worker navigated the complicated process of finding a new sponsor on a Skilled Worker visa, they utilized various resources for education and self-development, such as online courses and networking events in the fintech industry, to improve their chances of securing a new career-development opportunity.
- In a bid to make their career more adaptable to future changes within the UK's immigration policies, the tech worker also explored options for learning new skills that could potentially qualify them for roles backed by sponsors in the cloud sector, given its growing importance in the fintech landscape.
