UK may waive visa fees for global talent
Kyiv • UNN
To attract global talent, scientists, academics, and experts, the UK plans to waive visa fees.
The government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering the idea of abolishing part of the visa fees for leading specialists to attract more scientists, academics, and digital technology experts to the country. This was reported by the Financial Times, writes UNN.
Details
This refers to people who studied at the top five universities in the world or received prestigious awards. We are discussing the idea of reducing costs to zero
According to British media, the discussion is being led by the "Global Talent Taskforce," chaired by Starmer's business adviser Varun Chandra and Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance. The idea emerged as the Donald Trump administration in the US announced a sharp increase in the cost of applying for an H-1B work visa.
Another British government official noted that the current system is a "bureaucratic nightmare."
This is not about weakening our resolve to reduce net migration, but about attracting the brightest and best to Britain
Currently, a talent visa in the UK costs £766, with a separate healthcare surcharge of £1035 per year for each applicant. This program has been in effect since 2020 and offers an accelerated path to permanent residency for specialists in science, digital technologies, culture, and medicine.