The British government has brought forward a number of changes to the Immigration Rules, which will provide skilled business people access to two new visa routes to set up businesses in the UK.
The Start-up visa route will be open to those starting a business for the first time in the UK, while the Innovator visa route will be for more experienced skilled business people who have funds to invest in
their business.
Both routes will see endorsing bodies and business experts – rather than the Home Office – assessing applicants’ business ideas. This will make sure that the routes are focussed on only the most innovative, viable and scalable businesses.
Alongside these new routes, the Home Office is also bringing forward reforms to the Tier 1 (Investor) route. The reformed route will better protect the UK from illegally obtained funds, whilst ensuring that genuine investors have access to a viable visa route.
Applicants will be required to prove that they have had control of the required £2 million for at least two years, rather than 90 days, or provide evidence of the source of those funds.
“My priority is making sure that talented skilled business people continue to see the UK as an attractive destination to develop their businesses,” explained Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes. “This will help create more jobs across the country and ensure our economy continues to thrive.”
The Home Office will also extend the salary exemption in the Tier 2 (General) visa so that the NHS and schools can continue to attract and hire experienced teachers, nurses and paramedics from overseas. The salary exemption applies to all nurses and paramedics, medical radiographers and secondary school teachers whose subjects are in maths, physics, chemistry, computer science and Mandarin.
A two-year scheme, which will allow up to 20 nurses from Jamaica to come to the UK to gain vital experience in NHS hospitals as part of an exchange scheme, has also been announced.
Article published 12th March 2019