As questions continue around the future of the H-1B visa programme in the United States, many highly skilled professionals are quietly exploring another option.
According to Indian-origin immigration lawyer Yash Dubal, a growing number of Indian engineers and researchers living in the US are looking at the United Kingdom’s Global Talent Visa while still keeping their long-term American plans alive. The main reason is simple: years-long green card backlogs and continued uncertainty around the US immigration system.
Yash Dubal on rising UK interest
Speaking to The American Bazaar, Yash Dubal, CEO and director of London-based A Y & J Solicitors, said his firm has seen more enquiries from Indian professionals working in the US on H-1B visas.
Dubal said many of these applicants are engineers and researchers in their thirties. Most have spouses on H-4 visas and children born in the United States. While they have built their lives in America, many have spent years waiting for permanent residency.
He explained that the UK’s Global Talent Visa has become attractive because it offers a much faster path to settlement. Unlike the Skilled Worker visa, it is tied to the individual and not an employer. Applicants do not need a job offer, employer sponsorship, or a minimum salary. They can change jobs, work independently, provide consultancy services, or start a business.
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Dubal told the publication, “The April 2026 Visa Bulletin set the EB-2 India date at July 2014, which means a fourteen-year wait for a green card. The UK Global Talent Visa gets you to settlement in three.”
Why are H-1B holders exploring the UK?
The Global Talent Visa was introduced in 2020 as part of Britain’s post-Brexit immigration system. It is available to professionals in fields such as digital technology, engineering, research, academia, science, humanities and the arts. Applicants must first receive an endorsement from an approved UK body before applying.
According to Dubal, many professionals underestimate their chances of qualifying. He said Indian engineers who approach his firm are often closer to meeting the requirements than they realise.
He also stressed that most people are not walking away from their US plans. Instead, families are creating a second pathway in case immigration uncertainty continues.
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“Indian H-1B holders are not abandoning the US plan. They are putting a UK plan alongside it, as a hedge,” Dubal told The American Bazaar.
Dubal added that political debates around the H-1B programme have encouraged more people to consider alternatives. In his view, many professionals no longer see immigration uncertainty in the US as a short-term issue and are making plans accordingly while continuing to pursue their American goals.
