Speaker A
Today, we will talk about a fact regarding the UK and UK migration that few people know about. It is strange because so many people are talking now about where to get a passport faster, how to guarantee dual citizenship without extra red tape, with a predictable and clear path to a residence permit, yet they often overlook the UK in these rankings. And that is a shame because the UK is one of the best countries where you can actually start the process of obtaining a second citizenship right now. And it is one of the fastest and most predictable countries. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Elizaveta. Welcome to the Movley YouTube channel. There is a very interesting, common phenomenon among migrants now: if a country has a very good, very simple path to a residence permit—predictable and accessible to many—then that country will either never lead you to a second citizenship or will do so only after a decade (or in practice, perhaps even longer), with some unpleasant conditions, such as renouncing your first citizenship, for example. If a country has a closed migration system, if it is difficult to enter, if obtaining a residence permit is hard, if it is not available to everyone, if there is some strange bureaucracy involved in the residency process, then the passport will be obtained easily, simply, without significant paperwork, in about 5-6 years without renouncing your first citizenship. These are very popular phenomena right now. This applies to almost all countries. There are very rare exceptions. I can hardly even think of any off the top of my head. The UK is certainly a country of the second type, but there is a mistaken impression that only very wealthy investors or people with British employers can get in, and so on. That is also not true. There are ways to obtain a residence permit. Yes, they do not suit everyone, but they do suit a certain circle of people. And perhaps you belong to that circle. Let's first talk about the passport acquisition process itself. And in this video, I will also talk about the methods of obtaining permanent residency. Let's first talk about the ways to obtain a residence permit. And in this video, I will also tell you how to arrive at a passport, how long it takes, what the main nuances are, and so on. In the UK, as I said, the migration system is quite closed; there are not a great number of visas, but they are mainly divided into several types. Firstly, these are work visas. Skilled worker, healthcare worker, and so on. They are usually issued for 5 years. After 5 years, they lead to permanent residency, and after another 1 year to a passport—a total of 6 years. This is for those who have an employer within the territory of the UK. Everything is clear. The second type of visa is entrepreneur visas. These include, for example, Innovator visas, sometimes it can be something like Global Mobility, and so on. Most often, these visas lead to permanent residency through an accelerated program. It works because you have some kind of innovative enterprise that you want to develop within the UK. Permanent residency is generally obtained through them in 3 years, which is very fast. In today’s reality, you can hardly find this anywhere else. And in another 2 years, a passport without renouncing your first citizenship and without unnecessary red tape, but, as a rule, they require showing some results from the business you initially applied with. I think this is the only reason why this startup scene is developing so vividly in the UK, although other European countries are generally slowly abandoning these startup visas, as they clearly overestimated the potential contribution of startups to the economy. And the third point is talent visas. This is the Global Talent visa, which we work with a lot, and which is issued for achievements in your field, that is, for your track record. Achievements don't necessarily have to be of "Oscar" caliber; they don't have to be completely extraordinary, but you need to show your contribution to a sphere, or to product companies if you are an IT specialist; or to the field of arts if you are an artist; or to science, meaning you have a PhD and publications. These are the three types of people who can qualify for this visa. These are IT specialists, specialists in the field of arts, and specialists in the field of science. And these are the visas the British like the most. They are developing them the most right now. There are many benefits for them. And they follow an accelerated program to permanent residency in 3 years. Permanent residency, and in another 2 years, a passport. These are the three main ways a person can currently come to the UK. There are others, of course, like fiancés, spouses, some relatives, obviously there are other family visas, but that’s not our story. If it were all that simple for us, we would have moved long ago and wouldn't be watching videos like this. And if you belong to one of these three categories of specialists, you are very lucky, which means the UK is probably one of the best options for you to pursue a second citizenship, because the UK grants you permanent residency in 3 or 5 years, depending on your visa type. To get this permanent residency, you need to live in the UK for 183 days a year for 3 or 5 consecutive years. For half a year each year, you will be a tax resident of the UK. And when you apply for permanent residency, you will need to pay a fee; it costs almost 2,000 pounds. You will need to show that you lived in the UK, meaning some utility bills, contracts, lease agreements, and you will need to show a tax return. All of these documents are submitted online, everything is submitted very quickly and simply, and, accordingly, in 2 months you already have your PR. You have ILR. ILR—Indefinite Leave to Remain—is the same thing as PR, and it is issued for 10 years. During these 10 years, you can apply for a passport. And during these 10 years, you need 2 years in a row if you had a three-year path to PR, and one year if you had a five-year path to PR. And also to be a tax resident, and show all those same documents. But you also need to show that you were not absent from the UK for more than 450 days during all those 5 or 6 years that you were working toward a passport. You do not need to renounce your first citizenship. Everything is submitted online and is reviewed very quickly. I recently had a client who received approval for a UK passport. They received citizenship after 3 weeks of processing. And yes, it was reviewed in just 3 weeks. The UK, apart from these bureaucratic advantages... The UK does not require you to renounce your first citizenship. Obviously, it is a very strong passport. And from the less obvious side: the UK will not treat you like some European countries, where it happens that you need to live for 5 years to get PR, but they give you a residence permit for 3-4 years, and you either have to renew it, or do something else with it, or get a new one. And if there isn't a new one, I won't, I won't qualify for anything. I won't be able to get it. Then all those years lived there are down the drain, and it's time to go home. No, the UK doesn't do that. And the second element I would like to highlight: you don't need to learn any new languages. Yes, for the English language, they currently require B1. But soon they will start requiring B2. And the UK will not keep reviewing your residence permit every 3 years, like some European and American countries do. Therefore, the UK is a wonderful option as a strategy for obtaining second citizenship. It suits many, gives approvals quite predictably, and I would say that it is truly worth considering, yes, as an option for a second citizenship. If you are interested in assessing your chances, come for a free consultation. We will be happy to help you. Have a good day. No.
