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UK: High-Skilled Tech Visa Proposed
February 20, 2017
The UK Government has been called on to create a six-month visa for high-skilled talent in the technology sector, in order to guarantee that the UK retains access to overseas talent following Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU).
The Coalition for a Digital Policy (Coadec) has proposed that the new visa, which would work in the same manner as the current Tier 2 visa scheme and the Tech Nation visa scheme, would prevent a shortfall in skilled workers in the technology sector.
The Coadec suggest that the scheme should be trialled initially with countries where the required skills are in high demand and at the same standard as the UK – namely Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Monaco, and Taiwan. There will be requirements regarding the institutions that potential workers have studied at, and the qualifications they have earned.
The technology sector leads the way in the UK’s domestic output, accounting for 16% compared to 10% for manufacturing and 6% for construction. It has been estimated that 2.8 million skilled tech workers will be required in the UK by 2020 in order to keep up with the growing potential in the sector.
We will continue to monitor this situation and will provide updates in due course. For further advice on UK immigration, please email us at [email protected].
