The coalition government is to create a new enterprise visa, to allow more UK businesses to be set up by overseas entrepreneurs.
David Cameron yesterday announced that foreign businessmen and women with great business ideas and serious investment behind them will be eligible to set up in Britain using the new visa.
Speaking to a business audience in east London, Cameron said: “If you have a great business idea, and you receive serious investment from a leading investor, you are welcome to set up your business in our country. We want you, we will make it easy for you, we will put the red carpet out for you.”
The prime minister also unveiled a change in copyright laws to attract more high-tech companies to the UK, as part of a wider aim to transform an area of east London into a high-tech hub to rival Silicon Valley.
Commenting on the plans, Ben White, co-founder of Notion Capital, said: “The announcement that the government intends to build a UK rival to Silicon Valley in east London is incredibly positive news and shows a genuine commitment to driving the UK economy forwards.
“The new ‘entrepreneur visas’ will undoubtedly do their part in bringing in foreign investment and entrepreneurs, which will add greatly to the mix of businesses and culture of the proposed east London Tech City. But it is important that we don’t neglect the home-grown entrepreneurs that our economic growth depends upon.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2010