While European countries tighten rules for immigrants and right-wing parties come to power, the USA and the UK remain countries with the most transparent and accessible relocation programs. Both states offer specific criteria, clear requirements, and the opportunity to obtain a passport in 5 years.
Why immigration is narrowing worldwide
Over the past six months, there has been a radical shift in global migration policy. In Europe, far-right parties are coming to power, starting with Germany, where an alternative party won and the three-year passport program was canceled. Hungary is changing its political course. Many countries, including Ireland recently, have taken a course toward tightening migration and increasing the residence periods required to obtain a passport.
Under these conditions, the migration landscape has changed fundamentally. If previously it was possible to choose between several attractive routes, now the strategy is different: you need to apply everywhere and at the final stage choose from what will be available, rather than from what you like most.
The new priority in migration policy is aimed at skilled migrants with strict controls. This may seem like further tightening, but it is rather a return to the normal functioning of immigration law. During the Biden administration, visas in the US were issued en masse, and this seemed like a new normal. After the change of administration, the rules began to work as they were originally supposed to.
Two advantages of the USA and the UK: language and open programs
The USA and the UK win in migrants’ choice for two key reasons. The first is language. Moving to a country where you need to learn the language from scratch is already challenging for the migrant themselves. If for an adult this is a difficult task, then for a family, especially if it has teenagers, it becomes a challenge of a completely different level.
The second reason is that the immigration programs of these two countries remain open, while in many European countries and Australia, programs are either closing or changing significantly. In the USA and the UK, there are talent programs that offer the most understandable and transparent criteria. There is a clearly defined set of criteria by which you can apply without any external support.
How this differs from other countries
In the UAE, if you apply for a Golden Visa, you need a nomination or support in the form of a recommendation letter from a government agency, private organization, or outstanding individual depending on the route. In Australia, to receive an invitation for the Australia Innovation Visa, you need a recommendation from a nominator who must be either a holder of Australia or New Zealand residence permit or a passport holder. This procedure is significantly more complex.
In the USA and the UK, the criteria allow even an average entrepreneur to go through these categories. A talent visa and green card involve a higher entry threshold, but it remains achievable despite all migration shifts.
US Green Card: a pathway for talents
The EB1 green card for foreign talents is called a people’s visa. Processing times have lengthened as the volume of requests has increased. Some applicants whose profile is not sufficiently public may need to allow for at least one rejection. After receiving a rejection, the case can be improved: achievements can be reframed, and the application can be restructured. Each case requires individual work, but the pathway remains open.
UK programs: Global Talent and Innovator Founder
In the United Kingdom, processing times have also increased. Previously, approval was granted within 8 weeks under the Global Talent program; now a quick decision is rather an exception. Usually, a decision comes after at least 8 weeks.
For startups, the UK offers the Innovator Founder program, which is currently one of the few in Europe with clear and not discouraging entry requirements. In Spain, startup visas have been tightened after it became clear the program only worked on paper. In France, the program depends on the selected subcategory.
When working with Innovator Founder, official UK endorsers (private organizations that issue approvals) say that even borderline cases pass. If there is a hint that the business needs further development, but it is an active, real business that the applicant genuinely plans to develop in the UK, approval will likely be issued. This is in the interest of the endorsers themselves: they have contracts with the UK Home Office, and they are interested not only commercially but also in a social sense.
Each year, applicants are checked through an audit together with the body that issued the decision. This means you cannot simply come and sit for 3 years until you get a residence permit—you need to develop a real business. This scheme benefits both sides.
Timelines for obtaining a passport
The USA and the UK issue passports after 5 years. In the United Kingdom, there is an opportunity to obtain it faster if you apply through a program that accelerates legalization—these are Innovator and Global Talent. For Skill Worker, acceleration is not available, and the minimum is 5 years. If the trend of European countries continues with a focus on right-wing ideas, these two countries could indeed become the last bastions of immigration, and it is unclear how long they will continue to operate in their current format.
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