Immigration to UK from Taiwan

Overview of Moving to UK from Taiwan

There were an estimated 51,000 Taiwanese nationals living in the UK in 2021. Although this representation is relatively small compared to other nationalities, Taiwanese nationals are still within the top 50 most populous nationalities living in the UK.

Many Taiwanese communities are similarly located to the UK’s Chinese population, due to the two groups sharing languages and cultures. As a result, most Taiwanese nationals in the UK are likely to be living in London, with small communities in other major UK cities.

For Taiwanese nationals looking to immigrate to the UK, there are a number of potential immigration routes that will allow settlement in the UK, either short-term or long-term.

Long-term settlement can also often lead to the possibility for indefinite leave to remain, which is the UK’s term for permanent settlement.

Indefinite Leave to Remain for Taiwanese Nationals

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is the UK’s version of permanent settlement. Anyone who has ILR status in the UK will be able to live, study and work in the UK indefinitely, without having to apply to extend or update their permission.

However, note that there are a few requirements you must meet before applying for indefinite leave to remain, some of which may depend on the type of visa you’re in the UK with.

For example, the main eligibility criteria is that you must have spent a certain amount of qualifying time in the UK before applying. This may be 2, 5 or 10 years, depending on your type of visa or your personal circumstances.

You may also have to meet other requirements pertaining to your specific visa type, such as financial, salary or relationship requirements.

Most applicants will also have to meet the minimum English language requirements and also pass the Life in the UK Test.

UK Spouse Visa Taiwanese Citizens

One route to settlement in the UK is if you already have an eligible spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner and you intend to live with them in the UK permanently.

In order to be eligible for this type of visa, your spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner must be one of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen
• Settled in the UK, such as through indefinite leave to remain, pre-settled status, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• An individual with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
• An individual with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

The Spouse visa will allow you to stay in the UK for an initial 2 years and 9 months, after which it can be extended for another 2 years and 6 months. After a total of 5 years, you will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

What Are the Eligibility Criteria for the UK Spouse Visa?

There are a range of eligibility criteria that all applicants must adhere to when applying for a Spouse visa. These include the following:

• Your relationship with your spouse must be genuine and subsisting
• You and your spouse must be over 18
• You and your spouse must intend to live together permanently in the UK with adequate accommodation that doesn’t require access to public funds
• You must meet the minimum financial requirements, which will normally be a shared income of at least £29,000
• You must meet the minimum English language requirements

You will also have to provide a range of documentary proof to demonstrate that you and your spouse meet these requirements. For example, these may include proof that you are in a genuine relationship, or proof that you have been living together for a certain period of time.

Some applicants may also be called to attend a Spouse visa interview with an immigration officer in order to prove their eligibility.

UK Family Visas from Taiwan

If you have another type of eligible UK-based family member other than a spouse, you may instead be eligible for a Family visa.

Similarly to the Spouse visa, your family member must be a British or Irish citizen, have settled status in the UK, or one of the other eligible statuses as listed above.

Eligible family members you can join in the UK include the following:

• Fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
• Child
• Parent
• Relative who’ll provide long-term care for you

Note that if you’re applying as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, you’ll only be allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of 6 months, during which time you must get married or enter into a civil partnership. You will then be able to apply for a Spouse visa after that.

The eligibility criteria for the Family visa will vary depending on which family member you’ll be looking to join. For example, if you’re applying to join your child in the UK, you must prove that you’ll take an active role in your child’s upbringing in the UK, among other things.

Most Family visa applicants will also have to show that they meet financial and minimum English language requirements. However, Family visa routes can lead to indefinite leave to remain.

UK Student Visas for Taiwanese Nationals

For some Taiwanese migrants, the notion of studying in the UK may be a more attractive proposition than committing to immigrate permanently.

If this applies to you, then the UK Student visa may be a good fit for you.

Applicants can apply for a Student visa if you have a genuine offer of a place from a licensed student sponsor, such as a qualifying university or college.

You should also have enough money to support yourself during your time in the UK, as well as meet the minimum English language requirements.

As well as being able to study in the UK, you may also be able to work for a certain number of hours, depending on your course and when you plan to work.

After completing your course, you may also be eligible for a Graduate visa, which will allow you to stay and work in the UK for another 2 years if you wish to continue living in the UK. You’ll then be able to switch to another long-term visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, if you decide to stay in the UK.

UK Skilled Worker Visa for Taiwanese Nationals

If you’re a Taiwanese national who’s looking to immigrate to the UK specifically for work, then it’s likely that you’ll be looking to see if a Skilled Worker visa will fit your needs.

The Skilled Worker visa is the UK’s general, all-purpose work visa for skilled foreign nationals in a range of occupations and professions. It allows people to come and work in the UK for eligible employers who will act as sponsors.

When applying for this visa, you must already have a job offer from a Home Office-approved sponsor. You must also meet certain salary and English language requirements in order to be eligible.

The Skilled Worker visa operates on a points-based immigration system, which means that you will need to accrue a certain number of points across a number of different categories in order to be eligible to apply.

For example, you may be able to attain additional points towards your eligibility if you have a high-level academic qualification, or if your job is in a shortage occupation.

The Skilled Worker visa will allow you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years. After this 5 year period, you will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain, after which you will no longer be tied to working for your sponsor if you wish.

Other UK Work Visas for Taiwanese Nationals

If you work in a specific, specialised field of work, or you’re coming to the UK for other purposes such as starting up a new business, you may instead be eligible for some of the UK’s other work or business visas.

These cover a wide variety of specialisms and business interests, such as individuals who wish to work with rapidly growing businesses, those who have been sent to work in their employer’s UK branch, or those who work in health and care sectors.

An example of some UK work and business visas include the following:

• Health and Care Worker visa
• Senior or Specialist Worker visa
• Scale-up Worker visa
• Minister of Religion visa
• International Sportsperson visa
• Innovator visa
• Start-up visa

Like the Skilled Worker visa, these will have stringent eligibility criteria that all applicants must adhere to. For example, the Innovator visa will only be eligible for those who wish to set up an innovative business in the UK, and who also have endorsement from an eligible endorsing body.

Youth Mobility Scheme for Taiwanese Nationals

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is a special visa that allows individuals aged 18 to 30 to come and work in the UK for up to 2 years.

Applicants from Taiwan are eligible for this visa, though they must first enter the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot in order to be eligible.

The ballots for Taiwanese residents typically open in January and July each year. To enter, you must send an email to the Home Office with your personal details enclosed within the 48 hour period of the ballot being open.

You must also have at least £2530 in savings in order to apply. You will also be ineligible for this scheme if you’ve already been in the UK as part of it once before.

Approximately 10% of all Youth Mobility Scheme visas were issued to Taiwanese nationals in 2001, according to the Migration Observatory.

Global Talent Visa for Taiwanese Nationals

If you’re a Taiwanese national who’s also a leader in certain fields such as academia, arts and culture, or digital technology, then you may be eligible to come to the UK with a Global Talent visa.

With this visa, you will be allowed to come and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time.

However, you must first either apply for endorsement to prove your credentials and potential for leadership, or provide proof that you’ve won an eligible award.

Once you’ve done so, however, you’ll be able to take up any kind of employment in the UK without having to face restrictions on what kind of work it is, or with what kind of employer.

You will also not have to meet any minimum language or salary requirements.

However, you may have to meet certain specific eligibility requirements based on which field you’re a leader or potential leader in.

How Can IAS Help?

The process of moving to the UK from a non-EU country such as Taiwan can be a daunting one, not in the least because of the distance and the differences in culture between the two countries.

If you’re a Taiwanese national looking to immigrate to the UK, IAS can help.

Our legal experts are on hand to provide you with the support and advice you need in order for your move to the UK to go smoothly. We offer complete and bespoke immigration advice for individuals, families and businesses looking to immigrate to the UK and other destinations, and can help guide you through every step of the process.

Whether you’re looking to come to the UK to join a family member, looking to take up work in the UK and don’t know where to start, or just need to talk to someone or receive a briefing about your specific immigration needs, we can help.

For more information on the services we offer and what we can do for you, reach out to one of our immigration experts today. Call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244, or contact us online.