UPDATED 06:36 EDT / NOVEMBER 28 2016

NEWS

More skilled tech workers moving over the pond with UK’s special tech visas

Since the Brexit referendum this year, the U.K. has seen a sharp rise in applications for special tech visas, especially from U.S. citizens.

According to The Telegraph, the visa, created to entice skilled tech workers over to the UK, was aimed at non-European Union workers in the tech industry. The government organization Tech City UK said the majority of applications came from citizens of the U.S., India and Nigeria, with some 72 percent of the applicants male.

Gerard Grech, Tech City’s chief executive, said that the possibility of a curtailment of EU migrants to the U.K. could have a negative impact on the country’s number of talented tech workers. The tech immigration visa, however, got off to a very slow start with only a handful of applicants since it was created in 2013. In 2015 the government relaxed the rules of the visa, making it possible for teams of people to apply at the same time.

It was also reported that the bar was set too high, with applicants only being accepted if they had already proven themselves in the industry. That was also revised in 2015 and now the visa is more widely available to people who show “exceptional promise.” At the same time, digital businesses outside of the capital of London were given visa support and the ability to fast-track applications.

According to Tech City UK, the changes have resulted in a much higher number of applicants, with this month setting a record.

“It’s an encouraging set of results. It’s one of those situations where we’re in ongoing conversations with the Government, and we’re keeping an eye on it,” Grech told the The Telegraph. “We’ll have more conversations when we get closer to the limit. They know that tech talent is a growing part of the economy. They also understand that tech talent is a scarce resource.”

Applicants for the visa will first have to wait eight weeks for endorsement by Tech City UK, after which the visa application can move forward. The various skills required to be endorsed are vast, according to Tech City UK’s application guidelines, and the visa can be for up to five years.

Photo credit: Kat via Flickr

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