The UK’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot was designed to provide a legal pathway for highly skilled refugees and displaced individuals to work in the UK. Many skilled professionals, such as engineers, healthcare workers, and IT specialists, face significant barriers to employment due to displacement, despite having the qualifications and experience needed to fill UK labour shortages.
The scheme aimed to remove administrative and legal obstacles that often prevent displaced individuals from applying for skilled migration routes. It adapted the UK’s Skilled Worker visa to facilitate applications from those who may otherwise struggle to meet standard evidentiary requirements, such as documentation and employment verification.
Is the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot Still Open?
The Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot concluded on 1 November 2024. There is currently no confirmed replacement scheme. The UK government continues to explore alternative legal pathways for displaced individuals through refugee resettlement programmes and humanitarian work visas.
Although the pilot has ended, employers interested in hiring skilled refugees should monitor official government announcements and collaborate with organisations like Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), which continues to advocate for refugee employment opportunities.
Who was eligible under the displaced talent mobility scheme?
The scheme provided up to 100 primary applicants with the opportunity to relocate to the UK for skilled employment. Priority was given to refugees from conflict-affected regions, including Gaza, Iraq, and Syria, who were residing in Jordan and Lebanon.
Unlike UK asylum routes, this visa was not open to asylum seekers already in the UK. Instead, it targeted individuals living outside the UK with the skills to meet employer demands in shortage occupations.
What did the displaced talent visa allow?
Successful applicants under the scheme were granted a Skilled Worker visa, enabling them to:
- Work in an eligible skilled occupation
- Bring their partner and children (if eligible)
- Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years, provided they met the residency and employment requirements
Applicants also received case management support, helping them to overcome barriers such as lack of access to passports, travel documents, employment references, and tax records.
How did the displaced talent visa programme work?
The scheme closely followed the structure of the UK’s Skilled Worker visa. To qualify, candidates needed a:
- Job offer from a Home Office-approved UK sponsor
- Salary meeting the Skilled Worker visa minimum threshold
- Role on the eligible occupation list
- Proficiency in English, verified through testing or qualifications
Unlike standard Skilled Worker visa applicants, displaced individuals were not required to provide all typical supporting documents, such as formal employer reference letters or tax records, recognising the difficulties faced by those who have fled their home countries.
Applicants under the pilot scheme received priority visa processing. UK employers benefitted from a £500 visa fee reduction for priority processing, though standard costs for visa sponsorship and relocation remained applicable.
How Did Employers Participate in the Programme?
The Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot was a collaboration between the UK government and Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB). Employers interested in hiring skilled refugees needed to:
- Register interest with TBB to access a pool of over 25,000 skilled displaced candidates
- Recruit from the Talent Catalogue, where candidates were matched based on skills and employer requirements
- Issue a Certificate of Sponsorship through the standard Skilled Worker visa route
- Assist with relocation and onboarding, with continued support from TBB for 12 months post-arrival
TBB facilitated remote recruitment, skills validation, and virtual interviews, ensuring employers could assess candidates effectively before making job offers.
What Happens Now That the Pilot Has Ended?
With the scheme now closed, the UK government has not yet announced a replacement programme. However, skilled refugees may still qualify for the standard Skilled Worker visa if they meet the eligibility criteria and can secure employer sponsorship.
For UK employers, hiring displaced talent remains possible through other immigration routes. Employers interested in recruiting skilled refugees should:
- Monitor government updates for new initiatives or expansions of the Skilled Worker visa
- Engage with organisations like TBB, which continue to connect employers with displaced professionals
- Ensure they hold a valid sponsor licence, enabling them to hire international talent under the Skilled Worker route
Need assistance?
DavidsonMorris are specialists in UK immigration. We advise employers on all aspects of corporate immigration and international talent recruitment and global mobility, including guidance on visa options for highly skilled recruits. For advice on the immigration options open to your workers, contact us.
Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot FAQs
What is the Displaced Talent Visa?
The Displaced Talent Visa was part of the UK’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot, which aimed to help skilled refugees and displaced individuals move to the UK for employment. The programme provided a legal pathway for those with recognised skills to secure jobs with UK employers experiencing labour shortages.
Is the Displaced Talent Visa still available?
The Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot concluded on 1 November 2024. There has been no confirmation from the UK government on whether it will be extended or replaced by a similar scheme.
Who was eligible for the Displaced Talent Visa?
The visa was open to skilled individuals who had been displaced due to conflict or other crises. Applicants needed to meet the requirements of the UK’s Skilled Worker visa, including qualifications, experience, and a job offer from a UK sponsor.
Did UK employers need a sponsor licence to hire under this scheme?
Yes, only UK employers with a valid sponsor licence could hire workers under the Displaced Talent Visa scheme. The job offer had to meet salary and skill requirements similar to those of the Skilled Worker visa.
Can refugees still apply for work visas in the UK?
While the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot has ended, skilled refugees may still qualify for other work visas, such as the Skilled Worker visa. Some organisations work with displaced professionals to connect them with UK employers willing to sponsor them through standard immigration routes.
What happens if an applicant was selected for the pilot but has not yet received a visa?
Individuals who were selected but have not yet received a decision should check with the Home Office or their sponsoring employer. Any delays in processing should be followed up through the appropriate channels.
Will there be a replacement for the Displaced Talent Visa?
There has been no official confirmation about a replacement scheme. However, interest in skilled refugee employment remains high, and similar initiatives may be introduced in the future. Employers and applicants should monitor government announcements for any updates.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Displaced Talent Visa | A visa scheme that allowed skilled refugees and displaced individuals to work in the UK under the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot. |
| Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot | A UK government initiative designed to facilitate the employment of skilled displaced individuals in the UK through the Skilled Worker visa route. |
| Skilled Worker Visa | A UK work visa that allows non-UK nationals to work in eligible skilled roles for a licensed UK employer. The Displaced Talent Visa used this route. |
| Sponsor Licence | Permission granted by the UK Home Office that allows businesses to employ non-UK workers through visa sponsorship. |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | A digital document issued by a licensed employer to confirm a migrant worker’s job offer, which is required for a Skilled Worker visa application. |
| Home Office | The UK government department responsible for immigration, visas, and nationality matters. |
| Shortage Occupation List | A government list of jobs experiencing labour shortages in the UK, which may allow for lower salary thresholds and reduced visa fees. |
| Talent Beyond Boundaries | A global organisation that works with governments and employers to help skilled refugees find employment and relocation opportunities. |
| Refugee | A person who has been forced to flee their home country due to war, persecution, or conflict and has received legal recognition as a refugee under international law. |
| Internally Displaced Person (IDP) | Someone forced to flee their home due to conflict or disaster but remains within their home country rather than crossing an international border. |
| Consular Processing | The process of applying for a visa from outside the UK at a British embassy or consulate. |
| Immigration Skills Charge | A fee that UK employers must pay when hiring a migrant worker under the Skilled Worker visa route, unless exempt. |
| Right to Work Check | A legal requirement for UK employers to verify that a worker has the correct visa and permission to work in the UK. |
| Integration Support | Assistance provided to displaced workers and their families to help them settle in the UK, including housing, language training, and employment advice. |
| Visa Sponsorship | The process where a UK employer with a sponsor licence offers a job to a migrant worker and supports their visa application. |
| Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) | The UK immigration status that allows a person to live and work in the country permanently without visa restrictions. |
| Settlement Route | A visa pathway that leads to indefinite leave to remain, allowing a migrant to remain in the UK permanently. |
| No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) | A visa condition preventing migrants from accessing most state benefits, including housing and financial support. |
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
