Can UX/UI designers get the Global Talent Visa?

The most common misconception for those considering a Global Talent Visa is that the program is only for tech candidates with coding skills. This is not the case and we will prove it based on one of the Immigram’s cases.

A Product, UI/UX Designer who creates system and product design and has zero experience (and knowledge) in coding. He worked as a design director in a big Russian company and then as a design director in a big American company.

Proving the mandatory criterion

Recognition as a leader. Public conferences, public speaking, and public appearances can support the criterion. It would be also beneficial to show the applicant’s expert roles in various community projects. In the case of a UX/UI designer, community projects would be not in the format of creating tech in the open world but in the product design industry.

Proving the optional criteria

An applicant is required to meet two of the four optional criteria.

Contribution to the field. To prove the contribution to the field criteria, Immigram’s caseworkers looked at the products themselves. They were less interested in the technical aspects but how the system design was created, how it worked and why it was unique. The reaction and number of users, A/B testing for the product before and after the design system were also of more importance. At this stage, it is significant to prove the design value of the product to Tech Nation.

Any awards the product or the company has won can also show the importance of the design. Especially, if the award was received after the design was created/changed. Any evidence that supports the fact that the design has led to improved performance in retention, daily active users, etc. can be considered as a proof for the significance of contribution criteria.

Recognition for the work outside of immediate occupation. Our applicant has created several educational courses for designers and a community project for product designers, has written professional articles on design and a guide for the design industry.

• Articles. The number of views, shares and comments is important. If the article was shared or commented by a recognized product designer, it is of greater importance.

• Courses. We are looking into the number of participants, the course platform status, the satisfaction rate and the participants' feedback.

• Guide. It will be beneficial to show the guide circulation (number of copies printed/sold if it’s paperback) and web analytics (for an online-guide).
  

• Community project. Here we focus on the number of participants, their status, and feedback.

Innovation. Hard to prove in this case.

Research. Hard to prove in this case.

Tech Nation guidelines do not differentiate between software engineers and product designers. With that, a UX/UI designer can get the Global Talent Visa.

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