In 2022, Alex Tkachenko, an experienced developer and digital entrepreneur from Russia, found himself in a situation where he urgently needed to find a new country to live and work in to ensure his business could thrive. He knew the UK was the perfect place for leading a digital business, so without hesitation, he decided to apply for a Global Talent Visa – a fast-track program ideal for digital entrepreneurs because of the flexibility and freedoms it offers. He obtained the visa with no significant issues.
Nearly three years later, he has launched a new startup in the UK, Fira. In this conversation, he reflects on the perks of life in the UK and how the decision to move has changed his life
I started my career as an Android developer, working on products at startups and launching apps on my own. Additionally, right before starting the Global Talent process, I raised early funding for my previous startup. So, in a way, I was an ideal candidate for this visa.
I left Russia the day after the war started in 2022, stayed in Istanbul, and realized that I needed to find a new place to live. After considering multiple options and speaking with people living abroad, I quickly decided to move to London and apply for a Global Talent visa. It was clearly one of the best options for tech founders. I believe I made the decision in less than a week.
It was before the ChatGPT era, and you needed a lot of time just to learn about the visa. I generally prefer to delegate visa tasks and wouldn’t even consider applying for such complex visas myself. Immigram provided hands-on help, expertise, and management of the entire process, allowing me to focus on my startup.
A friend introduced me to Immigram’s co-founder, Michael Sharonov. We had an intro call and signed the documents. I knew that others from Russia would follow me soon and wanted to move quickly before Immigram took on more clients.
I made a very quick decision and took action to start working on the Global Talent visa. However, it eventually took many months to actually get it. It was crucial for me to focus on my startup, so I decided to move to London by the end of that year anyway. It worked out perfectly for me, but others should plan carefully.
London is one of the greatest cities in the English-speaking world and certainly one of the best places to start a startup. You can have a great life and be productive at the same time.
Moving here allowed me to focus on work and meet a lot of great people. I recently founded a new startup, Fira, after going through Y Combinator and raising pre-seed funding. We’re hiring our first AI engineer and helping our employees move here.
If you’re planning to apply, don't let the visa process or costs scare you into changing your mind. Moving to the UK will change your life, and getting a visa is just a side quest you need to complete. Remember, it’s not that hard – many people successfully get it, and you will too!
