We assist with UK immigration.
High UK visa costs are restricting the migration of talented academics from around the world to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What’s the problem?
Leading international researchers are struggling to accept UK-based jobs because of associated fees: this is according to the head of the Wellcome Trust, Dr John-Arne Røttingen. Payable upfront with the issuing of the visa, these fees include (but are not limited to) a hefty immigration health surcharge. They consequently make cheaper alternatives like Japan and the U.S. more attractive. Australia, too, has become an option. Nicknamed a “tax on talent”, the problem restricts innovation and economic growth in the UK. If fewer talented people make discoveries here, the country misses out on the benefits those ideas and inventions can bring.
Just how expensive are they?
It is no surprise what a negative impact these costs have, when one considers just how high they can get. Researchers in need of a UK visa can pay up to 17 times the international average. For families, this quickly adds up to £20,000 or more. Even academics already based in the UK, like Dr Melissa Toups (a genomics expert formerly at Bournemouth University), have left because costs are so high. As a result, Nobel laureates Professors Andre Geim and Venki Ramakrishnan have also criticised the situation. The Royal Society too has weighed in on the matter, noting a steep post-Brexit rise in fees. These make the UK much more expensive than continental alternatives France or Germany, according to the Society’s secretary Professor Alison Noble.
What happens next?
Across the board, the hope is that the government significantly lowers these costs. If it does, the UK has a better chance at housing prestigious innovations and seeing economic growth.
If you need legal advice on migration to the UK or from the UK to Australia, visit the links below – Taylor Hampton has lawyers specialising in visas, immigration, and work permits. Our Head of Immigration is Leena Chouhan, and Greg Veal offers advice on emigration to Australia. To find out more, head to our Meet the Team section or follow the links below.