Policy 4: Extend the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa to European citizens
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.
Tier 5 is a successful suite of visas that support youth mobility. The Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa currently allows those aged 18 to 30 from specific countries to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years, which includes the freedom for them to start their own business. This should be extended to citizens of EU countries and it should also be considered in future trade deals, if we leave the European Union.
The Tier 5 visas allow young people to get experience of the job market, but migrants’ connections can also benefit UK businesses to scale up by helping support expansion and growth into new markets; strengthening client relationships in existing markets abroad by being able to use their language and cultural awareness; and helping with business activities using local connections within the UK.
Migrants are able to bring to the workplace culturally unique and complementary skills, as well as knowledge of processes and ideas. They have been known to innovate, up-skill colleagues, improve processes and secure new work.
If there isn’t the political appetite to extend this scheme to the whole of the EU, the UK could discriminate, picking countries where there is a perceived special relationship, while allowing citizens of other EU countries to use the Tier 5 Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa. The number of visas allocated to each scheme would need to be significantly increased.
In addition, to make the visa system easier for migrants, all Tier 5 visa holders should be able to switch from Tier 5 to Tier 2 (assuming they find a sponsor) as well as other visa routes without the added unnecessary bureaucracy of having to leave the country and apply from their home country.