The UK’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot
The UK Government has launched the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot, designed in collaboration with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB).
The pilot aims to identify and address the administrative and legal barriers that refugees and other forcibly displaced job seekers face when seeking to move internationally as skilled workers.
Over the next 1-2 years, the pilot will give approximately 50-100 primary applicants and their families the opportunity to move to the UK for work in a variety of critical fields including IT, construction and engineering.
How will the pilot work?
Under the pilot, employers who hire through a competitive, remote recruitment will be able to sponsor TBB candidates via the Skilled Worker Route.
These applicants will receive priority processing, and case management support to overcome administrative barriers such as accessing passports or travel documents, employment references, and tax records.
Candidates will have access to safeguards in the event that they lose their job to ensure they are not returned to a country where they may face danger. As with other international skilled workers, TBB candidates will be entitled to a 5 year Skilled Worker Visa, and then Indefinite Leave to Remain (providing criteria is met).
This pilot seeks to establish a ‘proof of concept’ and test whether a more permanent solution (eg. a Displaced Talent Visa) is viable and/or necessary.
How can employers participate in the pilot?
To participate in this pilot, UK employers must be willing to hire and sponsor displaced talent through the Skilled Worker Route.
To begin the process of identifying suitable candidates, employers should register their interest via TBB’s website or contact our UK Director, Marina Brizar, for more information.
How can displaced job seekers participate in the pilot?
To participate in this pilot, a displaced person must be screened by TBB and have a job offer from a UK employer. Participants will be highly skilled people who have been forced to flee their homes. This includes refugees, stateless people, and others. (See eligibility criteria).
To be considered for employment, displaced professionals must register on TBB’s Talent Catalog providing detailed information about their skills, education and work history.
FAQs
What does this mean for humanitarian resettlement of refugees in the UK?
Providing more people, overall, with a solution to displacement is at the core of TBB’s mission. The UK Government has publicly committed that this pilot and any subsequent Displaced Talent Visa programs will be in addition to the UK's resettlement program for highly vulnerable refugees. This is critical to our participation in the scheme.
TBB is an enthusiastic supporter of UNHCR, the Refugee Council and the broader refugee sector’s work in resettling the most vulnerable refugees. We encourage the UK Government to grow and strengthen their resettlement programme, and uphold that refugees resettled via UNHCR should always be assessed on factors relating to need and vulnerability - not on the basis of professional skills.
What jobs can displaced people take up in the UK under this pilot?
Participants may be hired to work in any occupation eligible under the Skilled Worker Route, however occupations on the Shortage Occupations List will be prioritised.
How does the recruitment process work?
Once a role has been identified, TBB will present a shortlist of candidates from our Talent Catalog - a pool of more than 25,000 skilled people, most of whom are currently living displaced in Jordan and Lebanon, where we have offices and local staff.
The employer then has the option to include any/all of these candidates in their normal recruitment process (interviews, skills tests, etc). TBB can organise remote interviews in accordance with any specific format required. Employers are ultimately responsible for assessing a candidate's skills and experience and deciding whether they are suitable for a particular role.
When the recruitment process is complete, employers can extend a job offer to their preferred candidate/s, then commence immigration and mobility processes.
What happens after an employer makes a job offer and it is accepted by a TBB candidate?
Once a job offer is made and accepted, TBB will work with the employer and our preferred immigration partners at Fragomen (and/or the employer's immigration partner if they have one) to prepare the immigration application on behalf of the employer and the candidate.
We will advise the relevant team within the Home Office and UK Visa & Immigration that a Displaced Talent Mobility application has been lodged.
How long will it take for the visa to be granted?
Visa applications under this pilot program will receive free priority processing ie. a five-day turnaround (although some more complex cases may not be deliverable within this timeframe). This represents a cost saving of approximately £500.
Once a visa is granted we will work with employers to make arrangements for the relocation of successful candidate/s to the UK.
What happens once a successful TBB candidate arrives in the UK?
Successful candidates usually begin work two weeks after arrival in-country. TBB works with the employer and local support services to ensure candidates and their family members are welcomed into the community. This includes support in connecting with community-led welcome groups and refugee serving organisations.
TBB stays connected with the employer, candidate and their family for 12 months post relocation to help ensure a good settlement experience.
How much does it cost an employer to hire through this pilot?
The cost to employers is in line with any international hire, and is comprised mostly of:
Visa application and associated charges;
Immigration legal fees (for assistance with the visa process); and
General relocation costs such as flights and temporary accommodation upon arrival.
TBB does not charge a fee for the recruitment and settlement coordination services that we provide. We rely on donations and grants to support our work.
Can successful TBB candidates bring their family with them to the UK?
Yes. The primary visa applicant is entitled to bring their spouse or de facto partner and any dependent children with them to the UK.
In some cases, for practical reasons, the primary applicant may elect to relocate first in order to start work, then make arrangements for their family to join them.
Thank yous
This is a groundbreaking achievement and TBB acknowledges the work of partners, donors, advocates and policy-makers in bringing it to life, in particular the Cameron Foundation; Neilson Foundation; the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler; the Refugee, Asylum and Migration Policy (RAMP); Fragomen; Susan Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford; the UK Home Office; and Kevin Foster MP, Minister for Future Borders and Immigration.
We also recognise the work of UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration in providing critical guidance to TBB, and helping to build support for new and innovative solutions to displacement.
Finally, we thank those involved in our parallel healthcare pilot: the Department of Health and Social Care; NHS Employers; NHS England; NHS Improvement; and a talented cohort of TBB candidates who have helped demonstrate the immense value of labour mobility for displaced professionals.