Immigration Minister and Minister for
Digital and the Creative Industries have today (Thursday 13
June) co-chaired a discussion with tech entrepreneurs and
industry professionals on how the new immigration system
can support the UK’s growing tech sector.
It come a few weeks after the Home Office launched
new Start-up and Innovator visas
to help attract leading international talent to the UK.
Leaving the EU means the UK has an opportunity to reshape
its immigration system and the Home Office is engaging
widely on its new proposals, set out in a government white
paper, to make sure the plans work for business and
communities across the UK.
Immigration Minister said:
We have the most successful tech sector in Europe and our
capital is home to thousands of start-ups and I want to
make sure that Britain remains a top destination for tech
talent.
It’s why our new immigration system will balance
delivering on the referendum result and ending free
movement with attracting skilled people from around the
world so that our economy continues to prosper.
The roundtable discussion, held at the Barbican Centre and
in partnership with Tech Nation, is part of this year-long
engagement programme and over 90 similar such events have
been held across the UK so far.
Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries MP said:
The UK continues to attract talent from all around the
world. This is thanks to our world-leading academic
institutions, strong access to finance and long standing
reputation for innovation.
Making sure we have the talent and skills so the tech
sector can continue its incredible growth, is a priority
of our modern Industrial Strategy.
We are determined to ensure the tech sector has access to
the talent that it needs.
The government recently announced new Start-up and
Innovator visas to enhance the UK’s visa offering to
leading international talent. The Start-up visa route is
open to those starting a business for the first time in the
UK, while the Innovator visa route is for more experienced
business people who have funds to invest in their business.
Matt Jeffs-Watts, Head of Visas at Tech Nation, commented:
The view from today’s meeting was that the UK tech sector
is an incredibly attractive place to work with its
unparalleled connectivity, access to exceptional talent,
and significant levels of innovation and investment.
It is evidenced by the overwhelming enthusiasm from Tier
1 Exceptional Talent applicants wishing to enter the UK
tech sector. It is this level of talent and skill that
will help the UK maintain its position at the forefront
of the global digital economy.
The government’s future immigration proposals are designed
to ensure businesses can attract the talent they need,
rather than being based on where someone comes from. The
annual cap on the number of visas issued for skilled
workers will be removed, outdated schemes such as the
resident labour market test will be abolished and there
will be a wider skills threshold to include people with
qualifications equivalent of A-levels.
The new immigration and borders system will be implemented
in a phased approach from 2021 and full details are
available in the government’s white paper.
