June 17, 2019

On 13 June 2019, Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes and Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries Margot James held a roundtable discussion with technology companies and start-ups on the future immigration system and how it can support the UK’s growing tech sector.

The discussion follows the Home Office’s launch of new “Start-up” and “Innovator” visas to help attract leading international talent to the UK. The Government says that 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”.

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.

The Government says that its 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, out-dated 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. To read the Government’s press release in full, click here.