Budget 2021: New visas to attract highly skilled migrants and entrepreneurs

Published 3 March 2021

As part of the Government’s plans to rebuild the UK economy, the Chancellor announced today further measures to modernise the UK’s immigration system. New measures will be implemented to attract and retain the most highly skilled individuals to drive innovation and support jobs by:

• Creating a new Elite Points Based visa;

• Reforming the existing Global Talent visa to make it easier for holders of international prizes, scholarship holders and programmes for early promise to automatically qualify;

• Making it easier to qualify for the Innovator visa for those with the requisite skills and experience to establish an innovative business;

• Creating a new Global Business Mobility visa to help overseas businesses to establish a presence or transfer staff to the UK;

• Supporting small businesses who are using the visa regime for the first time;

• Expanding the Global Entrepreneur Programme to market the UK’s visa offering and developing an overseas talent network.

To date, the Government has implemented a number of changes significantly shifting the immigration landscape following the end of Free Movement. These new measures will build on the UK’s increasingly global outlook and make the UK a leading destination for the most talented individuals and innovative entrepreneurs from around the world.