Policy 2: Reintroduce the Tier 1 General visa – or an equivalent

In collaboration with The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), we have produced a manifesto to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business. It features 21 policies across three key policy areas: access to talent, access to investment, and regulation. Over December, we’ll be sharing one policy every day. To read the full manifesto, click here.

If and when we leave the European Union, ending free movement will deprive startups of a vital source of high-skilled labour. This makes reforms of other visa categories even more necessary.

The Government has called for the introduction of a points based system, but it’s rarely acknowledged that the current system is the remnants of one. In 2015, the government stopped accepting applications for the Tier 1 (General) visa, which had been introduced in 2008 to replace the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP).

The Tier 1 (General) visa allowed highly skilled migrants from around the world to come to the UK to live and work for any employer, including working for themselves, with the initial visa lasting for two years. This meant that the best and the brightest could to the UK with the freedom for the individual of not being tied to a specific employer, while early-stage businesses could employ them without the costs and bureaucracy of needing to go through a sponsorship route.

If we are to compete internationally, the next government should bring back the Tier 1 (General) visa, or create a similar path.