Alex Piletska writes explainer on the UK’s new Global Talent visa for designers

This summer a new category was added to those eligible for Britain’s most prestigious immigration route: designers, with endorsement by the Design Business Association (DBA).Like architecture and fashion design, these peer review applications for endorsement fall under Arts Council England’s broad umbrella, even though the BDA makes the decisions. Alex examined what that entails in her practice notes for immigration practitioners’ publication Free Movement.

This route opens up possibilities for professionals with recognition in fields such as Graphic design, Brand design, Motion graphics design, Product design and development, Furniture design, Commercial interior design, Exhibition design and display and Service design.

Feel free to contact Alex if you think you may be eligible for this or other UK immigration routes.

“Like architecture and fashion design, these peer review applications for endorsement fall under Arts Council England’s broad umbrella, even though the specialist endorsing body actually decides; in this case, the DBA,” writes Alex.

According to the Arts Council, applicants must work within a commercial design setting, and/or in the design and production of functional products, services and systems intended for mass production and/or use:

·      Graphic design
·      Brand design
·      Motion graphics design – excludes work for Film and TV
·      Product design
·      Industrial design
·      Furniture design
·      Commercial interior design – excludes the design of domestic interiors
·      Service design – excludes the design of digital services
·      Policy design
·      Design foresight and futures
·      Strategic design
·      Systemic design

Ineligible applications include:

·      Designers that work primarily in a Visual Arts context (those working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Visual Arts remit)
·      Craftspeople (those working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Visual Arts remit)
·      Landscape design (those working within the areas supported within the remit of the Royal Institute of British Architects)
·      Urban design (those working within the areas supported within the remit of the Royal Institute of British Architects)
·      Textiles design
·      Jewellery design (Fashion Designers working within the areas supported within the remit of the British Fashion Council and Jewellery Artists working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Visual Arts remit)
·      Design for exhibition (those working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Visual Arts remit)
·      Digital design (falls within the remit of Tech Nation)
·      UX/UI design (falls within the remit of Tech Nation)
·      Visual effects design context (those working within the areas supported by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in their Film and TV remit)
·      Production design (those working within the areas supported by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in their Film and TV remit)
·      Set design for Film and TV (those working within the areas supported by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in their Film and TV remit)
·      Set design for Theatre (those working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Theatre remit)
·      Costume design for Film and TV (those working within the areas supported by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in their Film and TV remit)
·      Costume design for Theatre (those working within the areas supported by Arts Council England in their Theatre remit)
·      Architects (falls within the remit of the Royal Institute of British Architects)
·      Fashion designers (falls within the remit of the British Fashion Council)
·      Games and VFX designers (those working within the areas supported by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in their Film and TV remit)
·      Digital and UX designers (falls within the remit of Tech Nation)