Greece has launched two new visa programmes to attract highly-skilled professionals capable of transforming the country into a business and technology hub.
Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis said the two new programmes would introduce TalentVisa and TechVisa to boost the country’s supply of skilled staff, seriously lagging demand in the country’s high-tech sectors.
The new incentives will be incorporated in a migration bill making penalties for migrant traffickers stricter, Mr. Kairidis told state radio ERA over the weekend.
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By attracting international talent, the minister said, “Greece hopes to better foster an environment boosting growth and innovation.”
The Tech Visa will be valid for one year, allowing skilled professionals to work, change employers or become self-employed during that period without requiring further authorization for their stay. Likewise, the Talent Visa will be open to third-country university graduates from the last five years.
With these new visa programmes, Greece joins the ranks of countries like the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and others, that already offer similar visas to boost their standings as hubs of innovation and technology.
The Greek government’s initiative, Kairidis said, reflects its commitment to transforming the country into a dynamic and thriving center for high-tech industries and research.
“It is one thing to fight illegal migration,” he said, “ and an other, to encourage legal arrivals that better serve Greek society, especially in highly specialized fields and talent.”