Why should you choose UK as a migration destination?

First of all, for those of you who're wondering why this topic and what's my expertise to write on the topic, here goes. I migrated to the UK (from India) on a HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) visa and have been replying to a lot of my friends back home on the process and other details of this visa. This blog is meant to be reduce the repeatable effort that I put in to answer the queries from my friends back home ( the programmer in me (although a dead and unskilled one now ;) ) calls for a reusable code and this is the answer).I would start off with a list of visas available and a brief description of the visas I am aware of.

HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) - its a visa which allows you to work in UK for any employer and is initially for a period of one year or two years. If in the one year, you're able to work for at least six months and pay tax to the government during the period, you'll get an extension of three/four years (not sure of the exact period now). This is a good route to get a residency if you're keen on settling down in the UK.

Working Holiday Maker - the idea of this visa is for people to enjoy a holiday in UK while being able to work. Its provided initially for a period of 2 years with the understanding that you leave at the end of the period (unlike the HSMP)

Work Permit - Unlike the previous two, this one is tied to an employer and hence means that you cannot change employers during your period. But if you're on work permit for long enough (5 years), you can apply for a permanent residency and settle down and change jobs

Business Visa - Basic visa for business travels and entitles to a maximum stay of 3 months (continuously) in the country.

Other Categories - this includes the dependent visas, refugees etc etc.

I will be writing in detail on the HSMP visa as I don't think I have sufficient knowledge to write about any of the others.Before I get into the details of the visa, just a few pointers on what visa should you be looking for.

About UK

The most important thing is to be clear about why you want to come to UK (or any other country for that matter). I can give you a few reasons
Developed Nation with a very cosmopolitan culture (that's true for London and surrounding areas , not sure of other areas)

• Plenty of opportunities (if you've the right visa and of course, skills) for jobs and entrepreneurial set-ups
• Easy availability of food and other basic necessities (for those of us, who tend to miss Indian food occasionally)
• Great opportunities for furthering your skills and educational qualificationGood facilities and school system for the kids
• Great Infrastructure and social support network (social care, pensions and hospitals (although the state of NHS(National Health Services) is debatable now))

I shouldn't seem like not giving the right picture, hence here are the downsides of being in the UK

• Weather - totally unpredictable ( I used to crib from Dec till April on the cold conditions, found myself cribbing again on the hot weather till Aug, I am cribbing again now on the unpredictability of the cold/rain/heat in Aug) and can get gloomy and cold from Sept till April
• Job process- this may seem at odds with my 2nd point above but I want to convey the long process delay in getting a job. I was one of the lucky ones to have got into a job within a month and half of landing here. But still was surprised that it took that long . As I understand it , although organisations may have requirements for people, they take long time to process that and offer you a job. Please provision for at least six months to find a suitable job and be prepared to work on roles which may not be exactly fitting your profile (in case you don't have enough to cover yourself for six months or longer)
• Housing Costs - The cost of living (in general) is higher in London and surrounding areas compared to anywhere else in the world (except maybe New York - look at the latest Economists for details on that). But, if you move to the suburbs, you can find good houses for comparatively lower cost (again, this may mean extra cost and time for commute).

Hope the above pros and cons would have given you a good idea on deciding on the place.

Now if after all that, you've decided on UK, how do you go about getting here.

How to Get here?
One, you can join an MNC with offices in UK - impress them enough for them to post you here and to take care of applying for the visa and other details. The only thing to be careful about is that it won't be easy to switch jobs (for at least five years) in this setup. So, better make sure you really like the company and the job (Please also look at the future prospects of the role).

Second, you can apply for the HSMP (if you really want to settle down here). What do you need to do for applying for it? One, check if you qualify for the visa . You can check for the points at http://www.hsmp-services.co.uk/points_calc/hsmp_points_calculator.php or you can also check the UK government site at http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/ for details. Once you're sure you've the necessary points to apply for HSMP.

For those of you who don't want to read the details in the website - HSMP works on a point system where you need to score at least 65 points to qualify. You're awarded points for your work experience, educational qualifications, earnings, special achievements, spouse's qualification etc. Also, if you're under 28, you get more points too.Once you're clear that you qualify, download the forms, include all your certificates (to prove that you've the points - they insist on the originals or attested by the court (not sure if they accept the attested copies anymore)), necessary fees and send it to the address. The average response time is mentioned in the workingintheuk website. Although there are a lot of agents who can help you with this, I would suggest caution as some of them may not be credible. Even if they're credible, I don't there is too much effort and complexity involved to warrant an agent's help (provided you satisfy all the criteria). The response time was six - thirteen weeks when I had applied.The HSMP team would send you an approval letter if you are cleared. You've to take the approval letter, certificates , passport and the visa fees to the nearest British embassy or the VFS offices close by (For those in India VFS offices are in Bangalore, Cochin and a host of other cities). You need to travel to UK within six months of receiving your approval. Do make sufficient plans for that.

I will write another blog on finding a job and settling in the UK.

Good Luck!!