Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways to Japa speaks to real people and explores the endless reasons and paths they take to japa.
Splendid (28) was building her career in Nigeria but knew that reaching her true potential meant going to a place where opportunities are easily accessible. So in 2023, she applied for the global talent visa and got it on her first try. In this story, she shares her processes, how she struggled to settle into the UK and how she’s thriving now.
Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?
I currently live in the United Kingdom (UK), and I left Nigeria in February 2023.
What inspired your decision to move?
I was inspired by my need for growth. I had always wanted to leave since my secondary school days. The push in those years was just to escape Nigeria. But by the time I left in 2023, it was no longer about that; I was already building things in Nigeria, but I felt like I wasn’t reaching the ceiling. So I needed that move to leap. My move to the UK wasn’t an escape plan; it was a growth decision.
That’s nice. How did you leave?
I left on the Global Talent Visa
How can one get the Global Talent visa
To get the global talent visa, you have to get an endorsement from Tech Nation.
Who is eligible for this visa?
I don’t think there’s a straightforward answer to who is eligible for the Global Talent Visa. To get a recommendation from them, you have to work in tech, but it doesn’t have to be a technical role that requires coding. I came in as a growth marketer.
Tech Nation is not the only body that can endorse one for the Global Talent Visa. There are also endorsing bodies under arts and culture, and there’s also architecture. To know if you qualify, I advise that you visit the gov.uk website and spend some time there.
Thank you. Is there anything else people should know?
Tech Nation will endorse you either as an exceptional promise or as an exceptional talent. But you definitely need to have some experience in your field to be endorsed in either category. I was endorsed as an exceptional promise. At the time I applied, you’d need less than three years of experience to apply as a promise and about five years of experience to qualify as a talent.
What’s the difference between the two categories?
As an exceptional promise, you’ll be given five years global talent visa to enter the UK. At the end of that, you can apply for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and your British passport.
As an exceptional talent, you’ll get a three-year visa after which you can apply for your ILR. It’s faster for people under this category.
Is there essay writing involved?
It’s not an essay; it’s an elaborate process of putting together everything you’ve done in your career to prove that you’re a person of value.
The process was intense for me. To me, the hardest part was not the application; it’s documenting your impact in a way that makes sense to people who don’t know you. It’s you, telling your story clearly and showing proof of work, and positioning yourself as a person of value. And so, I had to put up different documents broken down into different criteria.
Tech Nation also requires applicants to get recommendation letters from three top people in the tech space, so I had to get those. I also had to show the work I did at different companies, proof of high earnings, and speaking engagements. So, it’s not a single essay; you have to actually put your documents together, and if I remember correctly, put them into ten letters or PDFs, then group them into mandatory and optional criteria.
The process is rigorous; I always advise people who want to apply through Tech Nation to be thorough. The requirements change all the time, so go to their website and carefully look through it to see what’s required at the moment.
The rigorous nature of the process forces you to think critically about your journey and your career. But once everything comes together, it’s worth it.
That’s lovely. Can you remember how long the process took you?
When I applied for my Tech Nation endorsement, it took me two weeks to hear from them. But the time can vary, really. I have a friend who heard back from them in four days.
After you get your Tech Nation endorsement, everything else is a breeze. You just apply for your visa, and you leave. The entire process—from application to leaving— took me about six weeks. I stalled a bit because I wanted to spend some time with my family.
What are the requirements for the visa process?
You have to submit an online application within 3 months of receiving your endorsement. You must submit your passport and your National Identity Number (NIN). You also have to go for your biometrics, pay for your Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and take a tuberculosis test.
Ok. Were there any hassles in getting the visa?
Not at all, it was very fast. There aren’t many requirements, and I think it’s something that people have to know. The day I went for my biometrics, I went with so many documents, but I found they weren’t needed. There’s no complexity in the visa process. The complexity is in applying for the Tech Nation endorsement.
What are the benefits of the global talent visa?
The global talent visa, in my opinion, is the best type of visa to get. It fast-tracks the receipt of your ILR and British passport. Unlike a tier one visa, the Global Talent visa doesn’t restrict immigrants to specific jobs or a salary cap; you can earn your worth.
Another great benefit of the visa is that it allows holders to bring in dependents. Married people can bring in their spouses and children.
There’s also the edge it gives immigrants in terms of getting a job; no, Tech Nation doesn’t get you a job, and the visa doesn’t come with a job. But it helps you skip hurdles that make getting one difficult. You don’t have to be sponsored by any company to get a job; this is usually a big obstacle here in the UK because a company has to pay some fees to sponsor immigrants. That factor makes it difficult to get sponsorship jobs here, but as a global talent visa holder, you’re not mandated to find sponsorship. You can apply anywhere and work anywhere.
What were you doing in Nigeria, and what do you do now?
I was a growth marketer in Nigeria. Now, I work as a growth marketer with one of the top fintechs here in the UK. Outside of work, I run a non-profit community called GrowthXsplendid, where I help people find their way into the non-code side of tech and also into growth marketing.
That’s impressive.
Thank you.
So, what’s the work culture like in the UK?
That’s a dicey question because work culture isn’t defined in a specific way; it really depends on where you work. There’s a good work-life balance at my current workplace. Compared to Nigeria, there’s so much respect for your work hours and for holidays. You would hardly get work messages outside of work hours and during holidays.
Communication and politeness are also valued, and there’s a high level of professionalism here. The balance between work and life makes socialising a lot more possible, and that’s something I like.
Are there a variety of activities?
Yes. There are always activities to do, especially pubs after work. I go to the office once a week; on the days when I go, we always visit a pub right after work.
There’s honestly always a social activity to do. Most of the companies I’ve worked at prioritise social activities. They range from going to a pub to events and games, to inviting someone to speak to us at the office.
So, from personal experience, I don’t think there’s one way to describe the work culture in the UK. I’ve had the good and the bad. I’m currently in the good, and I appreciate that.
Love that for you. What was it like settling into your life in the UK?
Settling in was a roller coaster. I came during the cold, and I went to Scotland first. To top it off, the city I went to—Aberdeen—is one of the coldest in the entire country. Dealing with the cold was very tough for me. Unlike Nigeria, the UK has structures and systems that work; it took me a bit of time to understand and adjust to them.
Settling in was generally a roller coaster. But it wasn’t so tough; it took me about 2-3 weeks to get settled.
When you come to the UK, you shouldn’t try to do things on your own because you won’t know everything. You have to reach out to someone who was already here. If you have family here, it’d be less harsh on you. In my case, I had family; they showed me how the trains and bus systems work, how to get my General Practitioner (GP), and other such things. Getting the hang of these things can be tough, and the knowledge that you’re alone in a new country can make it tougher. That’s why I quickly built a community.
Even with family, it was tough at first, and I had moments where I regretted leaving the good life I had built in Nigeria. But I snapped out of it, built a community, and everything has been a breeze since then.
That’s good to hear. What’s your favourite thing about the UK?
The structure is my favourite thing. The UK is full of opportunities, and the structure allows you to see them. Nigeria also has opportunities, but lacks the structure that makes UK opportunities so visible. Structure and opportunities are the top two things for me.
That makes sense. What’s your least favourite thing?
It’s the cold. I know the UK is not as cold as Canada, but the cold is a lot. There’s also the occasional loneliness and the fact that I’m far from family and friends.
On a scale of one to ten, how do you rate life in the UK?
I’ll give it a solid eight. There’s still a lot I’m building and figuring out, but I’m in a place where I can grow and become the person I’ve always envisaged. In my short time in the UK, I’ve been able to achieve some of my goals thanks to the clear opportunities here. You can be whatever you want to be in the UK. Your dreams are attainable here if you put in the work. There’s structure to support those dreams.
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