The Israeli boss of a London FinTech start-up says the government’s plan to extend visa routes to non-graduates “conveys strength and vision” amid the difficult backdrop of Brexit.
Shachar Bialick is the CEO of Curve, which is aiming to revolutionise how people see, save and use money.
Announced during London Tech Week, the new route is an attempt to attract more foreign would-be entrepreneurs to the UK as a degree is no longer a necessity. It will require applicants to have acquired an endorsement from a university or approved business sponsor such as an accelerator.
“It is refreshing to see this decision being made in light of Brexit and recent US migration policy,” Bialick told BusinessCloud.
“It conveys strength and vision from the British people who welcome diversity and immigration, seeing it as a means to fulfil the oh-so-needed growth in such difficult times where growth is mostly flat.
“The decision of opening such visas to non-graduates communicates to the world openly that the UK sees the value that every person can bring, regardless of their background or education, and presents an opportunity for many bright minds to travel here, grow the economy, and further cement the UK as an innovation hub in Europe”.
Bialick, a former member of Israel’s Special Forces, wants to push the payments industry the same way Netflix and Spotify have done for film and music, allowing people to combine all spending into one MasterCard and one mobile app.
He is an example of someone who has chosen to base his business, which was founded in 2015, in the UK.
The government said the new visa route has been designed following advice from the Migration Advisory Committee and feedback from the tech sector and other stakeholders.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The UK can be proud that we are a leading nation when it comes to tech and innovation, but we want to do more to attract businesses to the UK and our migration system plays a key part in that.
“The new visa will help to ensure we continue to attract the best global talent and maintain the UK’s position as a world-leading destination for innovation and entrepreneurs.”