Over 230 tech entrepreneurs have written to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to continue welcoming skilled immigrants to the U.K.
The government’s Migration Advisory Committee is currently reviewing the Tier 2 visa system, which is the main visa route for skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area. The committee is expected to report back to the government in mid-December and publish its recommendations in January.
As it stands, immigrants have to have a degree-level qualification, they have to be sponsored by an accredited company, the company has to reach a salary threshold, and the job has to be advertised for 28 days in the U.K. first. Proposals include restricting the roles to skills shortages and introducing a skills levy for employers who hire from outside the European Economic Area.
The letter, which was organized by The Coalition for a Digital Economy and signed by the likes of Lastminute.com founder Martha Lane Fox and the founders of Citymapper, DeepMind, SwiftKey, and Unruly, argued that Britain has become a global tech hub thanks to the global nature of employment in the U.K.
It said: “The UK has become a global tech hub thanks in large part to startup founders, investors and employees from across the globe, including many of us who were not born in Britain but choose to invest our time and talents here.
“Further restrictions on skilled migration could restrict the growth of our businesses and hurt UK’s digital economy.”
Guy Levin, executive director of Coadec, said, “The government has a strong record supporting digital entrepreneurship, so it doesn’t make sense that are considering changes that would make it tougher for startups and scale-ups to thrive.
“Any changes to the immigration system must make it easier, not harder, for digital entrepreneurs to come to the U.K. to start their business, and for growing startups to hire top international talent.”
This story originally appeared on Tech City News. Copyright 2015
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.
