What are the visa options for people hoping to work in the UK’s tech ecosystem and how can this process be optimised?
One of the UK’s main work visa routes is the Skilled Worker visa, which requires an employer to apply for a sponsor licence to sponsor skilled roles where there are genuine vacancies.
In December, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced reforms that increase the earnings threshold from £26,200 to £38,700 – a sum greater than the UK national average salary.
This has prompted backlash from the tech sector. Earlier this month, lobby group Startup Coalition and think tank The Entrepreneurs Network sent an open letter to Cleverly warning of the damage the changes will cause.
Vanessa Ganguin, an immigration lawyer and managing partner at Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law, says the UK tech sector mainly uses the same points-based sponsored work visa routes that most sectors use. But there are two further bespoke immigration routes for tech workers – the Innovator Founder visa and the Global Talent visa.
“The Global Talent visa is designed for recognised people at the top of their game or with exceptional promise,” Ganguin tells UKTN. “It is open to leaders and potential leaders in several disciplines, including digital technology.
“It is an attractive route as it does not require sponsorship, is generally cheaper than other routes, and for those considered leaders in their field, settlement can be obtained in three years, rather than the usual five years.”
Usually, this visa requires endorsement by an endorsing body – for digital technology, it’s Tech Nation – but since May 2021, an applicant can skip the endorsement stage if they have won an award from any of the Home Office’s eligible prize lists.
“The new Innovator Founder visa replaced other similar visas for founding teams to come to the UK to launch a business that one of the government’s appointed endorsing bodies approves as being innovative, viable and scalable,” adds Ganguin.
There are other routes aside from the Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder and Global Talent visas. Tech companies already established abroad can apply for an Expansion Worker sponsor licence to set up a branch in the UK – but this route involves significant red tape.
A Service Supplier visa allows entry on a contract to provide services for a UK company, and a Senior or Specialist Worker visa allows personnel to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at their employer’s UK branch.
Graduates from a list of around 40 top universities in other countries in the past five years can apply to come and work in the UK without having to be sponsored on the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa – but this list is weighted heavily to universities from the global north, especially North America.
“There are no African higher education institutions on the HPI list, so it has come under criticism for being restrictive,” says Ganguin. “Like the Graduate visa, those with HPI visas can work in the UK for up to two years if awarded a Bachelor’s degree or above, and up to three years if awarded a PhD.”
What are the best UK immigration options for recruiting Tech Workers?
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