People who want to start a business in the UK will be able to
apply for a new “Start-up” visa, the Home Secretary has
announced.
The new route, announced during London Tech Week, will widen the
applicant pool of talented entrepreneurs and make the visa
process faster and smoother for entrepreneurs coming to the UK.
It will replace a visa route which was exclusively for graduates,
opening it up to a wider pool of talented business founders.
It will require applicants to have acquired an endorsement from a
university or approved business sponsor, including accelerators.
Entrepreneurs play a key role in creating jobs and driving
economic growth in the UK and the changes announced today will
ensure the UK remains a world-leading destination for the best
global talent.
The visa route has been designed following advice from the
Migration Advisory Committee and feedback from the tech sector
and other stakeholders.
The Home Secretary, , said:
“The UK can be proud that we are a leading nation when it comes
to tech and innovation, but we want to do more to attract
businesses to the UK and our migration system plays a key part in
that.
“That’s why I am pleased to announce a new visa for people
wanting to start a business in the UK. This will help to ensure
we continue to attract the best global talent and maintain the
UK’s position as a world-leading destination for innovation and
entrepreneurs.”
This initiative builds on other recent reforms to the visa system
– including doubling the number of visas available on the
Exceptional Talent route to 2,000 per year – and shows the
Government’s commitment to making the UK a dynamic, open,
globally-trading nation.
The expanded route will launch in Spring 2019, further details
will be announced in due course.
