Theresa May’s adviser Kathryn Parsons calls for tech visa to keep talent

Tech guru Kathryn Parsons has called for the introduction of a French-style “tech visa” to help attract and keep talent in the face of Brexit and safeguard London’s status as the technology capital of Europe.

The founder of tech training firm Decoded said she would use her high-profile positions on Prime Minister Theresa May’s and Mayor Sadiq Khan’s business councils to promote the idea.

In June, French president Emmanuel Macron launched the French tech visa, a fast-track four-year residence permit for entrepreneurs and their families. The visa makes it easier for fast-growing companies to hire foreign talent and set up shop in France. Parsons wants the UK to go even further and grant anyone with a degree or PhD in science, technology, engineering and mathematics a 10-year visa.