Great post, but I think that Startup Chile was the first accelerator program to guarantee a Visa, though whether that counts as a top-tier program is subject to debate. Whatever the case, it's great to see the UK leading the US here.
It's a pity the UK immigration system as a whole isn't so forward looking. Our prime minister's recent drive to appease the right has meant a target to cut net migration to 5 figures by 2015. Result? Thousands of people graduating from UK universities no longer have the right to stay for any length of time. Skilled workers from outside the EU find it virtually impossible to move here.
This is a step in the right direction, but for every foreigner accepted into an accelerator like this there's thousands of skilled and willing people being kicked out and turned away.
Employment is completely field specific, but visa rules aren't. I don't know of anyone from my graduating class of mechanical engineers who's still unemployed 6 months after we graduated. The current system denys capable people with valuable skills the ability to seek employment in the UK. We have a shortage of engineers as it is.
I have heard a lot of complaints from UK nationals not being able to bring over non-EU partners if you earn under £18,600 a year. That can be tough if you are moving from your partners country and wages are not high.
Interesting, I was actually looking for something like this late last year. Instead I've decided to leave the UK and join the totalsend.com team here in Cape Town which was a great move.
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[ 5.4 ms ] story [ 23.9 ms ] threadThis is a step in the right direction, but for every foreigner accepted into an accelerator like this there's thousands of skilled and willing people being kicked out and turned away.