Exceptional talent in Tech industry can now apply for UK visas in groups

12 November 2015 | Jonathan Martin

From today, 12 November 2015, technology businesses in the UK can recruit teams of exceptional talent from outside the EU in groups of five.  This forms part of the Tech Nation Visa Scheme, an evolution of the current Tier 1 Exceptional Talent scheme, introduced by Tech City to help attract high calibre tech talent to the UK.

In addition to the group application, Tech City (the body who endorse exceptional talent in the digital industry) have included further qualifying criteria to allow non-EU Tech individuals to enter the UK.   Exceptionally talented individuals in various industries can get endorsed by prestigious bodies and then apply for visas to work in the UK.  Tech City will help companies get the talent they need to grow quickly by fast-tracking applications to ease expansion.  That will be the case whether the expertise is needed to take the company to Initial Public Offering (IPO), focusing on a particular product to take it to the international market, or specific individuals are needed with specific talents in this field.  They will consider applications from individuals who demonstrate “exceptional promise”.  This will enable companies to recruit highly skilled individuals from all over the world to fill specific talent gaps, and lowers the threshold for applicants in the early stages of their careers.

North of England fast-track

170 000 people now work in digital technology across the North of England and to support the further development of this talent pool applications will be fast tracked for the following cities: Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Sheffield and Sunderland.

UK: “The Tech nation on the global stage”

Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, noted: “The Digital technology sector is a core building block of the Government’s plans to support an internationally competitive Northern Powerhouse as well as the UK’s leadership in digital innovation.  This new Visa Scheme will support fast growth digital businesses in their quest to bring the best and brightest to British shores as we continue to stake our claim as a Tech Nation on the global stage.”

All of these changes are aimed at cutting down processing times for applications, prioritising skill shortages, and helping technology companies to grow.

How can we help?

Abbiss Cadres offers a unique blend of skills to enable global businesses to tackle complex talent management issues such as immigration and global mobility.

Our expert team can advise on:

  • Which is the best entry route into the UK.
  • Market appropriate compensation and benefits packages and contractual terms.

As well as assisting with:

  • Visa applications.
  • The physical move and relocation of your people to the UK.

Our unique service model incorporates all the expertise needed to help you manage the complexities of your employment and people issues.  As well as global mobility and immigration expertise our team includes employment, tax, compensation and benefits, pensions and communication specialists.

If you have any questions or to discuss how we can help you, please get in touch.

Further reading

To read more on other routes available to incoming migrants, read our article here.

Disclaimer

Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this article.

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Disclaimer

Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this article. For further legal information click here.

The author

Jonathan Martin
Senior Consultant
Business Immigration
Global Mobility
D: +44 (0) 207 036 8397
T: +44 (0) 203 051 5711
F: +44 (0) 203 051 5712

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