‘Start Early!’: A Meta Engineer’s Recipe for Success on the Way to the UK Global Talent Visa

How did you start your career, and what inspired you to pursue a digital profession?

Yerzhan Torgayev: I've always enjoyed creating things with my hands. In school, I built a puppet theater with decorations to entertain my siblings, thinking I’d become an engineer but unsure of the field. 

My father advised me to become a developer since they work in air-conditioned offices and earn well unlike people who work in factories or out in the field. At the time, IT was booming—Flash games ran on school Pentium 4 computers, and the first iPhone had just launched. 

I didn’t fully understand what programmers did, but the field seemed promising, so I decided to pursue a career in IT.

When and how did you learn about the UK Global Talent program? What attracted you to it, and what advantages of this visa were decisive in your decision to apply?

Yerzhan Torgayev: I've learned about the UK Talent Visa from a friend undergoing a similar process. Later, I read about it on my company’s internal portal from other employees. The process seemed straightforward and significantly reduced the time required to obtain ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

In 2022-2023, mass layoffs hit big tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta. I felt that ILR would give me peace of mind, as I wouldn’t have to worry about my visa status if I lost my job, unlike with the Skilled Worker Visa. 

My company covered half the application costs, and to speed up the process, I worked with professionals. At the time, I could afford it, and it seemed like a worthwhile investment.

How did you find out about Immigram, and why did you choose them to help with your Global Talent visa application?

Yerzhan Torgayev: I learned about Immigram from acquaintances who successfully obtained a Global Talent visa through them. Their high success rate stood out, as many people I knew had positive results.

Unlike other agencies that required candidates to handle part of the work themselves, Immigram took care of all the paperwork. Around that time, they also won a startup award, which boosted my trust.

Since this was likely a one-time process, I didn’t want to spend too much time on it. With a demanding job and a second child on the way, outsourcing made sense. Immigram handled everything efficiently, making the process much smoother.

What was the most difficult or unexpected part of preparing your documents?

Yerzhan Torgayev: The hardest part was boosting my profile—writing articles and speaking at conferences. Immigram helped by suggesting topics, finding the right platforms, and editing my articles before publication.

Another challenge was collecting data from my previous workplaces. Over five years, most access to records had been lost. Also, since I worked at startups, I didn’t always have exact figures on hand. My advice to applicants: track your impact in real-time, save all achievements in a separate folder—you never know when you’ll need them.

Gathering all the required data was the most time-consuming part and took about six months.

What are the benefits of working with Immigram instead of applying on your own?

Yerzhan Torgayev: Immigram helped navigate the less obvious nuances of the process. For example, a friend who applied independently wrote technical articles on LinkedIn, but Immigram advised me to publish on platforms like Habr or Hackernoon, which are more authoritative for the review committee.

Since preparing documents, writing articles, and speaking at conferences is a long and demanding process, I wanted to complete it efficiently and move forward, focusing on my family and career. Given the complexity, working with an agency was the most logical choice.

What advice would you give to those considering applying for a Global Talent visa? Did you already move to the UK? How was the relocation process?

Yerzhan Torgayev: At that time, I had been working in the UK for three years on a Skilled Worker Visa, so I received ILR a few months after getting the Global Talent visa.

Tips for applicants:

Start early—collecting documents takes six months to a year. If you’re in the UK, applying in your fourth year makes little sense since you can wait a year and get ILR. Apply before your third year or move with a Global Talent visa.

If you’re a strong programmer with startup, open-source, or research experience, or an entrepreneur, this visa is easier. With Immigram, it’s even simpler.

Track achievements early. Save records in one place to avoid last-minute scrambling.

How would you rate your experience working with Immigram? How did they help you in the visa application process?

Yerzhan Torgayev: Immigram helped me avoid bureaucratic stress and took care of most of the paperwork.

They assisted me in choosing topics for articles and conference talks that aligned with my skills. They also provided editing services before publication.

The main complaint people have about Immigram is that the process takes too long. That’s partially true. In my case, the biggest time drain was collecting and organizing data from my past jobs.

But overall, working with them made the process much easier and more efficient.