The new UK Scale-up route came into force on August 22. The route is available for individuals recruited by a UK company with the skills to enable the business to continue to grow or “scale up.” The UK company must be listed as a UK Scale-up Sponsor, and the individual must have a high-skilled job offer at the required salary level – a minimum of £33,000 (which is higher than that for a Skilled Worker visa).
Employer Requirements
- A sponsor license under the Scale-up route is only available to businesses with an annualized turnover or staffing growth of at least twenty percent for the previous three years before the application is made.
- They must also have at least ten employees at the start of the three-year period.
Considerations
- On this visa, highly skilled individuals entering the UK have a route to settlement that does not tie them to one company. The individual sponsored on a Scale-up visa is only linked to their initial sponsors for the first six-month period.
Erickson Insights
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to share updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.