Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the oral answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 27 March (HL Deb, col 355), and in the light of the call by the Coalition for a Digital Economy in its report <i>Global Britain: From local startups to international markets</i>, published in February, to allow the highly skilled into the country through a minimum six-month visa to enter the UK and seek work, whether they intend to take steps to provide visas more quickly for such workers who are invited to work in the UK; and if so, what are those steps, and what is the proposed timescale for the implementation of any necessary changes to the visa application process.

The current Points Based System already provides for ways in which highly skilled migrants from outside the European Economic Area can work in the UK. The Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route allows leading digital technology talent endorsed by Tech City UK to enter the UK without needing a job offer from a sponsoring employer.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive – and ensuring our new relationship with the EU works for employees and employers will be important in the months ahead.

For individual skilled migrant workers invited by an employer to work in the UK, their visas are routinely processed within three weeks, with premium services available for applicants who need faster decisions. Some jobs in digital technology, as identified by the independent Migration Advisory Committee, are recognised shortage occupations and are exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test.