Tech worker visa rules to be relaxed

Nick Elvin

The Government is to relax the rules on the granting of visas for tech workers, with the aim of making it easier for firms to attract top international talent.

Four new qualifying criteria will be added to the Tech Nation Visa Scheme (Tier 1, Exceptional Tech Talent), which is available to those from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland who have been endorsed as an internationally recognised leader or emerging leader in the digital technology field.

Tech City UK, one of the bodies appointed by the Home Office to review applications from individuals wishing to enter the country under the Exceptional Talent Visa route, has used feedback from the digital business community to assess the barriers firms face when attracting overseas talent.

The scheme will now consider applications from individuals that demonstrate ‘exceptional promise’, a criterion that aims to open the route to a broader base of aspiring talent from outside the EU.

There will also be additional help for scale-ups. Tech City UK has included a specific provision to help companies to get the talent they need to scale quickly. Whether it’s expertise in taking a company to IPO or scaling a product internationally, or individuals with very specific technical knowledge, such as data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, developers operations or cyber security, the scheme will provide a scale-up fast-track route that will enable rapidly growing companies to access the right talent at the right time.

Groups of up to five will now be able to apply for consideration, allowing UK digital businesses to attract high calibre and high performing teams that have a proven track record of creativity, collaboration and commercial vision.

There will also be a fast-track applications procedure for digital businesses in the seven cities under the Tech North remit (Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland). Like Tech City UK, Tech North will now also provide a visa support service to offer guidance and advice to companies wanting to hire someone from overseas.

The new criteria and application process will go live on November 12.

Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech City UK, said: “Fast-growing digital technology businesses play a central role in ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of digital innovation and economic growth on the world stage.

“Based on the feedback from the tech community, the new Tech Nation Visa Scheme will prove to be a vital tool for companies that want to secure the high calibre people they need to quickly scale their product, service and operations.”

The changes have been welcomed by Farida Gibbs, CEO and founder of tech staffing specialist Gibbs S3. However she believes that much more needs to be done to help avoid a tech skills crisis in the UK as Tech City has only received 19 applications and approved 20, out of a capacity of 200 per year.

“We’re delighted with this move from the Government, as a sustained supply of skilled digital workers is vital for the British tech industry to remain at the forefront of the global economy,” she said. “This will help boost innovation and productivity for small and big business alike, but there is still a lot further to go.

“With only 19 applications received and 17 approved it is clear that this visa programme is not going to be a panacea. As a nation we should be investing in education, to improve digital skills across the country, offering more apprenticeships and supporting coding academies in all areas of the UK.

“Recent research predicted that the UK will need at least 2.3 million more digitally-skilled employees by 2020, dramatically worsening the existing tech skills crisis, so it really is time to act now.”