UK Announces Unlimited Visa Offer Ahead of EU Exit

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On Friday, Britain will officially leave the European Union. As a consequence, EU citizens—including researchers and scientists—will lose the automatic right to live and work in the UK. To compensate, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a new fast-track visa to entice the world’s top scientists, researchers and mathematicians slated to take effect February 20, 2020.

“As we leave the EU I want to send a message that the UK is open to the most talented minds in the world, and stand ready to support them to turn their ideas into reality,” Johnson said in a press release about the new visa program.

The “Global Talent” route will not cap the number of researchers welcomed into the UK. It replaces the former Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route and, for the first time, gives the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) the ability to endorse applicants.

Global Talent will fast-track an individual to the visa application stage if they are apart of UK-based research projects that have received prestigious grants and awards, including from the European Space Agency and the Japan Science and Technology Agency. The scheme will also double the number of eligible fellowships while providing an accelerated path to settlement and ensuring dependents have full access to the nation’s job market.

On Monday, Johnson also announced an investment of £300 million over the next five years to fund “experimental and imaginative mathematical sciences research.” At £60 million a year, the investment is focused on using maths to solve real-world technological problems, such as traffic, crime, air travel, artificial intelligence, green energy and more.

“Leaving the EU gives us new freedom to strengthen research and build the foundations for the new industries of tomorrow,” Andrea Leadsom, UK Business and Energy Secretary, said. “By attracting more leading international scientists and providing major investment in mathematics, we can make the UK a global science superpower and level up our country.”

Lastly, Johnson expressed the UK’s intent to reduce bureaucracy, including unnecessary paperwork, arduous funding applications and research selection processes, to “free up and support the best researchers to focus on groundbreaking, ambitious and meaningful research that goes on to cure diseases or improve our transport networks.”

Toward this effort, UKRI has already simplified the process to apply for funding, removing the unnecessary requirement to precisely forecast the long-term benefits of projects with unpredictable results. A planed assessment strategy will also tell the UK where to focus scientific funding, with emphasis on regions of strength.

“Universities are globally connected and this announcement signals that the UK remains open to talent from around the world,” said Julia Buckingham, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London. “Our universities carry out life-changing research and our knowledge base, economy, and wider society will benefit from the international staff we can attract through this visa route.”