New Entrepreneurial Visa Route Announced

In a move announced by the Home Secretary yesterday, foreign nationals who want to start a business in the UK will be able to apply for a "start-up" visa. This is intended to widen the pool of talented entrepreneurs in the UK, and make the visa process faster and smoother for them. Applicants will be required to have received an endorsement from a university or approved business sponsor. This new route will replace the entrepreneur visa route which is currently open exclusively to graduates.

This is one of a number of immigration related changes the Home Office has announced recently which, it appears, are designed to strengthen the UK's global position and the availability of talent in the wake of Brexit. Earlier this year the number of visas available under the "exceptional talent" route was doubled to 2,000 per year. Today it has been announced that doctors and nurses who are not EU nationals will be excluded from the government's visa cap.