Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK plans to relax immigration rules to attract more elite scientists  

BRITAIN will relax its immigration rules to attract more elite scientists after Brexit by seeking to fast-track visas, prime minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday (7).

"To ensure we continue to lead the way in the advancement of knowledge, we have to not only support the talent that we already have here, but also ensure our immigration system attracts the very best minds from around the world," he said.


The fast-track immigration route, which the government hopes to launch later this year, would be designed to attract elite researchers and specialists in science, engineering and technology, Johnson's office said.

It could abolish the cap on numbers eligible for the current Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visas, ensure dependents of successful applicants can access the British labour market and remove the requirement of having a job offer before arriving.

Other options for the new system, which will be created after talks with leading institutions and universities, could also expand the pool of research institutes and colleges that can endorse candidates and accelerate their path to settlement.

Business groups and universities backed the move, and called for the reforms to go further to help Britain address its skills shortages, particularly in technology.

Leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have warned the sector could be badly damaged if divorce from the European Union goes ahead without a deal, shattering research links and deterring the brightest from studying in Britain.

In the 2018-19 academic year, the number of EU students enrolling in Britain's leading universities fell by 3 per cent, with the biggest drop hitting postgraduate research courses.

Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU, has advocated an Australian-style, points-based immigration system to give the government more control to attract talent needed to fill gaps in the workforce.

"We want Britain to be the most prosperous economy in Europe with an immigration system that attracts the brightest and best global talent," Home Secretary Priti Patel said.

The Russell Group of 24 leading British universities, which also includes Imperial College London and the London School of Economics, welcomed the move and said it would bolster the country's position as a world leader in research.

"Our universities strive to recruit the most talented staff and students, wherever they are from," the Russell Group's senior policy analyst Hollie Chandler said.

"The government’s announcement today will help them do so."

The government said it would also provide additional funding for scientists and researchers who had sought EU funding ahead of Britain's exit from the bloc which Johnson has vowed will take place by October 31.

(Reuters)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less