TheCable

The United Kingdom is launching a new visa system to make it easier for workers in science, research, and technology to migrate to the country.

The government said the decision to launch the new fast-track tech visa scheme is aimed at recruiting skilled and talented workers, as well as to build an “agile” post-Brexit economy.

Businesses, which are considered to be innovative and high-growth UK “scale-ups”, will be able to recruit highly-skilled migrants through the new visa programme.

Speaking at the budget presentation on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak, the country’s chancellor of the Exchequer, told lawmakers that he hoped to make Britain the best place in the world for high-growth, innovative companies.

“I’m announcing ambitious visa reform aimed at highly skilled migrants,” he said.

“This includes a new unsponsored points-based visa to attract the best and most promising international talent in science, research, and technology.”

Sunak said the scheme also included new, improved visa processes for scale-ups and entrepreneurs, and radically simplified bureaucracy for high-skilled visa applications.

The UK ceased to be a full member of the European Union in January 2021, following the Brexit vote on June 23, 2016.