Jackie Penlington, senior associate at Stevens & Bolton LLP, argues the government needs to do more to help the UK tech sector.
The government recently announced plans to double the quota of “exceptional talent” visas to 2,000 per year, which is welcome news for the tech sector. However, is there more that could be done to boost the industry, in immigration terms?
The Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa route was established for exceptionally talented individuals and covers the fields of digital technology, science, engineering, the arts and humanities. Applicants must be endorsed by an ‘oversight body’ which, in the digital technology sector, is Tech City UK. As part of the endorsement process for these visas, applicants must demonstrate that they are either an established world leader in their field or have the potential to become one....