I received my BRP card in the spring of 2024. After that, we decided to resign from our jobs and relocate, which required some time to prepare and wrap everything up. We found a home, chose a school for our child, and moved. We now live in London in long-term, permanent accommodation.
After relocating, I was able to fulfill a long-standing dream of becoming a solo startup founder. My startup has already secured investment, and I’m now moving toward my goal of becoming the CEO and founder of an international technology company.
I began thinking about relocating back in 2021. I had previously been a startup founder, but later moved into enterprise roles and became a corporate top manager. After three years there, I realized that although the work was stable and paid very well, it was also extremely boring.I wanted to do something international, something bigger, and I felt constrained despite holding a good position.
When the events of 2022 happened, we quickly relocated — first to Kazakhstan, then to Turkey. That’s when I understood that if I didn’t make a change then, I might never leave the comfort of a top-management position to pursue something global.
I first heard about the Global Talent Visa from my friend, Kostya Vinogradov. By then, we had been living as digital nomads in Kazakhstan and Turkey, and realized it wasn’t suitable for our family. Our young child was reaching preschool age, and we wanted proper socialization and professional early development, which required stable residency.
We also wanted a visa that could lead to long-term residency, potentially even citizenship. Knowing there was a path to permanence made it more meaningful to invest in the city, community, and environment around us.
It offers many opportunities and few limitations.
Both of us speak English, so an English-speaking country made the most sense. We also wanted a city with an international tech hub, which narrowed our options to London, New York, San Francisco, or Sydney.
The UK Global Talent Visa (GTV) was easier to obtain than U.S. alternatives. The UK’s time zone is closer to our family, which is important for staying in touch with our child. It also includes a dependent visa, so my spouse can work.
Another major benefit is flexibility — we didn’t have to live in the UK immediately after receiving the visa, unlike some other countries where physical presence is required.
Initially, we considered several options and were preparing documents for multiple pathways at once. I was working as a senior manager, and my workload was extremely high — I simply didn’t have the time. I realized that having someone assist me would be great; without help, I probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere. So, from the start, it was clear that I needed support.
Immigram is a well-known team that I had heard about even before starting my application, around February 2023. At that time, most applicants who used professional support went through a few dominant providers, and Immigram was one of them. I also had a friend who had already started working with them, so I decided to follow the same path.
To my surprise, the process began simply by submitting an application on their website. The form was well-designed and motivating, and I was excited to see Global Fashion Group listed with a note that I had strong chances.
During a follow-up call, they confirmed my profile had high potential. As someone prone to self-doubt, it was encouraging to hear this. The website notes that not all applications are accepted, so getting validation from such a professional team gave me real confidence to proceed.
The preparation process was very structured and, overall, quite clear. What surprised me was how many stages there were and how strictly they were sequenced. Many steps could probably have been done in parallel, but instead everything was laid out in a strict order. Some stages were broken into many micro-steps, which extended the timeline unnecessarily.
At one point, I got stuck on obtaining recommendation letters, which left me stalled for about three months. It was my responsibility, but as the process dragged on the new requirements regarding documentation kept appearing, which made it feel way longer than expected. I had imagined a more hands-on, concierge-style support, but each stage was broken into micro-tasks with separate schedules. I can understand it helps the team manage quality and organization, but for me it was too long.
My first advice: believe in yourself. I thought I wasn’t good enough, but later saw people with much weaker profiles succeed — it was just imposter syndrome. So try — if you have doubts, you’re probably more likely to succeed than you think.
Second, consider your priorities: speed, cost, and time. I had almost no time, so I needed help, but it made the process longer.
If you have to choose between the Global Talent and Skilled Worker visas, the Global Talent Visa is better, as it isn’t tied to a job offer and provides greater freedom.
