The UK government is reviewing its entrepreneur visa program to attract higher quality immigrant entrepreneurs and better support the growing technology industry. Recommendations include requiring third party endorsements of applications, assessing work experience over business plans, and lowering investment thresholds for innovative tech sectors. A new "tech nation" visa may also be introduced to allow startups in major UK tech regions to secure needed high-skilled foreign workers. The goal is to reform the program so it selects fewer but higher quality applicants who will create jobs and sustainable businesses in the UK.

1. GROWING UK TECH INDUSTRY IN SUPPORT OF UK ENTREPRENEUR VISA PROGRAM
After much debate and discussion in recent years in respect of curbing the ever increasing UK
Immigration, the UK Government is closely monitoring current immigration policies with a
view to build an immigration system which is fair to both migrants and citizens of UK.
The Government is now revisiting all the immigration policies and is looking to amend,
strengthen or abolish any type of visa to secure that balance and to attract the non EU
immigrants to the country. No visa category is untouched. Following the recent abolishment
of Tier 1 Post Study Visa, under which international students were able to seek employment
with British firm, the Government is now reviewing the UK Entrepreneur Visa program to
determine ways of separating the real, genuine entrepreneur migrants from the not so
serious investors who are using the loops in the system to enter UK under the scope of the
business visa issued under UK Entrepreneur program.
The UK Entrepreneur program was created to allow no-EU business persons an opportunity
to establish a new business in the UK, alternatively to invest a minimum £200,000 into an
existing company to secure job creation for British or EEA nationals, or persons with settled
status in the UK. Currently under continues scrutiny by the Migration Advisory Committee,
the UK Government is considering strengthening the program so that it achieves the right
objective – i.e. job creation and business sustainability. It plans to do so by conducting much
more thorough review of investors applications, their business and marketing proposal and
the type of business that they are wishing to set up in the UK. The success of the application
will be tried against many new factors and proposals, which the UK Government plans to
implement, and will depend on the quality of business brought in to the country.
Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommends a third party endorsement, which would
allow industry experts (such as UK Trade & Investment) to endorse applications for a limited
number of visa and to conduct ‘the genuine entrepreneur test’ where investor does not have
the endorsement of a third party. For example, UKTI could work with Business Angels
Association, a business network providing interesting funding solution, to explore the
potential of approving such third party funding for successful approval of UK Entrepreneur
application. Alternatively, less emphasises could be placed on assessing the authenticity of
business plan but more evidence of investor’s entrepreneurial record, work experience, skills
and qualification directly relevant to proposed business venture can be requested. Investors
could also be asked to report on the progress of their business to demonstrate relevant
activities to grow the business.
Following the Committees’ recommendations and much discussion with the UK Government
in respect of the types of business that UK wants and needs established, it may be so that the
investment threshold can be lowered to reflect low start-up funding requirements in some
innovative sectors – specifically concerning UK’s fast growing technology industry.
In support of the fast evolving technology industry, the Government is prepared and eager to
introduce new ‘tech nation’ visa scheme, which willallow start-up companies active in specific
UK regions ( Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sunderland) to secure

2. the high calibre non-EU workers with ‘exceptional promise’ they need for the advancement
of their products, services and operations.
Overall the MAC feels that these reforms could benefit both UK residents and the country
itself in the way that it would only attract and encourage fewer but higher-quality applicants
to apply. With refusal rates (currently at 48%), it is anticipate that the investors will eagerly
embrace news on Government’s new proposals and changes to Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa
category and its new look for 2016.