LONDON: Britain is keen to attract more skilled professionals from around the world, including India, with its new Scale-up Visa that gives high-growth businesses the opportunity to sponsor talented workers to boost their scale-up ambitions. According to official Home Office statistics, Indians have consistently ranked as the top nationality for skilled worker visas granted under the Tier 2 Visa category for the past few years and are likely to benefit from this new route as well.
Companies, including small businesses and those in the tech and financial services sectors, that have achieved growth of 20 percent or more in either employment or turnover year-on-year for at least three years and employed a minimum of 10 people at the start of those three years will be eligible to sponsor.
“Through our Scale-up Visa, we’re enabling businesses to focus on their growth and innovation by giving them more freedom to bring in the diverse skills and experience they need, making them more attractive on an international stage,” said Kevin Foster, Minister for Safe and Legal Migration. “By supporting our high-growth tech, financial services and small businesses, we are ensuring the UK remains a global hub for emerging technologies and innovation while enhancing productivity across the economy – creating jobs, growth and prosperity across Britain,” he said.
Unlike other sponsored visas, the UK Home Office said its Scale-up Visa launched this week allows businesses to employ high-skilled individuals who will receive two years’ leave to remain in the UK without requiring further sponsorship or permission beyond the first six months. The new visa route is intended as giving businesses in the UK greater flexibility to hire in-demand talent to progress to the next level and boost the UK’s global talent pool.
Irene Graham OBE, CEO of the ScaleUp Institute, welcomed the launch of the new visa as something it has been recommending as a much-needed “fast track service” to enable local growth companies to access the talent they need more quickly. “Scale-ups add over GBP 1 trillion a year and more than 3 million jobs to the UK economy, and are present in every community, hiring people from at home and abroad, as they drive growth into their local areas and beyond. The visa should help with the skills demands,” said Graham. “We look forward to continuing to work with the government as this service evolves to ensure it fully addresses scaling business needs and works effectively,” she added.
The Home Office said it recognises that scaling up is an important phase for high-growth businesses to continue growing and drive international competitiveness. By bringing in sought-after expertise and skills, enterprises can boost their innovation and productivity and in turn keep contributing to the UK’s economy, it said. Eligible businesses are expected to attract a lot more scientists, engineers, programmers, software developers, research and development professionals, economists, architects, technicians, financial and investment advisers with the new visa that falls within the country’s wider points-based immigration system.
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