UK Immigration: Businesses need International Talent

Today Quill founder Ed Bussey, argues that UK businesses need international talent in order to excel in their fields and has commented that ‘Great businesses need great talent to go the distance’. Bussey, founder of Technology compnay Quill, has said that his own company has a team of 20 and is currently running 17 vacancies as they continue to grow at a rate of over 100% year on year. The gap in the employment market for such fields is a growing issue as some argue that the UK education system does not produce the volume of programmers, engineers and mathematicians to satisfy the demands of Britain’s tech sector.

Quill founder Ed Bussey: Immigration Policies are hitting Small Businesses particularly hard

Hundreds of fast growth companies like Quill, who want to bring talent to the UK from outside of the EU must apply for a specialist Tier 2 sponsor licence. Once the licence is obtained, they then must issue Certificates of Sponsorship to their non-EU employees. However as there is currently a cap of 20,700 Certificate of Sponsorship, companies are finding it difficult to employ trained individuals for their businesses. Interestingly in 2013 just 10,179 such visas were granted, well below the 20,700 cap.

The immigration policies are hitting small businesses particularly hard because they don’t have  the specialist HR and legal teams – or budget – that are needed to take on the administrative burden. This is a problem as these are the firms in the UK that have the most potential in terms of growth and producing jobs in the UK.

Quill founder Ed Bussey commented on the opportunity that the UK has:

“there is a game-changing opportunity at hand for Britain, if we can tune the immigration system to the needs of our entrepreneurs and fast-growth businesses: we can become a hub for the international technology and digital talent that other competing economies are turning away.”

UK Universities Attract International Students

Ed Bussey, fears that tech companies like his can’t afford to wait around for UK education to catch up:

“In the short term, the urgent requirement is to remove the barriers entrepreneurs face in accessing talent from across the world. To help us build the worlds’ best companies out of the UK, we need to be able to pull in the world’s best talent. That means grasping the immigration nettle intelligently – ensuring it meets todays’ needs of our most promising, fast growth companies.”

Non-EU students make up 32% of Britain’s engineering and technology undergraduates and 22% of computer science undergraduates. Universities around the UK like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and UCL attract international students. Yet due to the abolition of the Post Study Work visa, it has made it much more difficult for international students to remain in the UK to find employment. The limit on Graduate Entrepreneur visas stands at a paltry 1,900, and just 129 were granted in 2012.

According to the Department for Education over 60% of young people in the UK aspire to a career in business, compared to just 17% in maths or science. Chinese students make up 58% of all international entrants studying maths, followed by 56% in media studies, 47% in business and management studies and 39% in engineering. The figures have shown that international and EU students make up 74% of all students who started taught masters degrees in 2012-13.

Successful UK Points Based Applications & Appeals

Our team of experienced and professionally qualified immigration solicitors and barristers will be able to guide you through the process of making a Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 4 or Tier 5 application step by step and limit the possibility of failure by complying with the strict letter of law.

We also undertake a great deal of appeal work before the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal and have a successful track record of successful results for our clients. We have the experience and the knowledge required to take your case forward successfully. If you have had a points based visa refused, contact us to discuss your case so that we can provide you with a case assessment.

Contact us so that we can review your case and provide you with an assessment.

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