The new fashion visa would help attract international talent to luxury fashion houses like Burberry (Photo by Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images)
From today, the UK’s Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa will be extended to include the fashion industry. Amongst growing concern that Brexit will negatively impact the talent pool coming to work in Britain, the British Fashion Council has been working with the Arts Council for England, the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the UK to secure the new arrangement.
Previously, the visa was open to 1000 selected applicants across “science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology or the arts.” In November last year the number of visas available doubled to 2000 and now “the arts” will include fashion designers who either run their own brand or wish to take the top creative jobs at the UK’s luxury fashion houses. While it won’t have a large impact on the number of fashion designers coming to the UK, it will be beneficial in securing a better visa deal for top-level talent and making UK luxury fashion brands a more appealing option for design stars.
Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, said in a statement to press “The British Fashion Council were thrilled to work with the Arts Council and the DCMS to extend the opportunity for talented individuals to secure Tier 1 visas, allowing them to continue to work as fashion designers in the UK and contribute to our growing industry. This is a great example of positive change to support the creative industries to improve access to the best international talent.”
The Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa is only open to those outside of the European Economic Area and Switzerland but can be sought by either a current leader in the field, referred to as “exceptional talent” or an emerging leader in their field, classed as “exceptional promise”. The British Fashion Council will become an endorsing body for such visas and will conduct an independent assessment on each case to determine whether the application can progress. Supporting evidence for “exceptional talent” can include a recent history of participation in international fashion weeks, significant critical acclaim from press, a well-recognized award such as the LVMH Prize or British Fashion Award or participation in a support schemes such as NEWGEN, Fashion East and the Centre for Fashion Enterprise.
The move also marks a significant step for fashion, which brings £29 billion into the UK economy each year, being recognized by the government as a valuable industry both economically and culturally. Margot James, Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said of the announcement, "The UK is a global fashion capital and home to world-renowned brands such as Burberry, Alexander McQueen and Ozwald Boateng. Our innovative designers and fashion houses not only showcase the nation's creative zeal but are also are a vital part of the economy. We are determined to do all we can to support this hugely successful sector.”
Further information on how to apply for the visa can be found on the UK government website
.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviapinnock/2018/07/06/uk-tier-1-exceptional-talent-visas-extended-to-fashion-professionals/
No comments:
Post a Comment