The wave of disappointment that engulfed South Africa's youth following the recent announcement of SA's exclusion from the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme, effectively denying young South Africans the opportunity to live, work and travel abroad, may be salvageable for our country.
According to expert immigration and financial services group 1st Contact, it is not all doom and gloom for South Africa, since many viable options are still available for South Africans to pursue the experience of life abroad.
1st Contact affirms that that although the working holiday visa was previously a popular mechanism for South Africans to enter the UK, this leading immigration group have found that there was a greater need for South Africans to change their Visa status, whilst in the UK, in order to extend their stay.
So, although South Africa is excluded from the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme, this exclusion will create more flexibility for South Africans to apply for Visa options that may be more valuable to them in the long run.
This same flexibility will not apply to the four countries (Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand) that have been included in the Youth Mobility Scheme.
1st Contact is of the view that British law still maintains that any individual wishing to enter the UK needs to match their intention with the correct Visa option, thus presenting some solid options for South Africans to harness.
Since UK nationality laws are of the most complex in the world, seeking the advice of immigration experts will be preferable in order to best tackle these opportunities.
The following options for South Africans to consider, curbing the aftermath of disappointment associated with SA's exclusion from the UK Youth Mobility Scheme:
- 1. Tier 1 or the old HSMP Visa - This is the most popular visa for young professionals seeking to develop their careers in the UK, where an official offer of employment in the UK is not needed.
The attainment of this Visa will require proof that you can satisfy a points based system, where points will be allocated for your age, qualification (minimum recognised qualification is a bachelors degree) and previous earnings. This Visa is initially issued for three years, after which the option to further extend the duration of the Visa is available.
- 2. UK Nationality - Some SA citizens will be lucky enough to be considered British at birth, if either of your parents were born in the UK and if you were born after 1982.
- 3. Right of Abode (ROA) - This is essentially one step beneath British Nationality, allowing individuals to live and work in the UK for the rest of their lives, if they wish. If your mother was born in the UK and if you were born a Commonwealth citizen and prior to 1982, you are entitled to apply for a certificate of entitlement to right of abode.
- 4.Registration as a British citizen - If your mother was born in the UK as a British citizen and you were born in a non Commonwealth country i.e. South Africa was not a part of the Common Wealth between 1961 and1982, you will only have the option to register as a British citizen.
- 5. UK Ancestry - If either of your grandparents (deceased or alive; adopted or a blood relatives) were born in the UK and if you are over 17 and intend to work in the UK, then you are eligible for a five year visa.
- 6. Partners/Dependants - The British government will recognise the partners of people who fulfil the criteria of any of the options above, to be legible to live and work in the UK.
If you are either married to someone who is eligible for any of the above visa options or if you can prove that you have cohabitated with your partner for at least 24 months, you will be issued a visa to accompany your partner to the UK.