UK to expand research visa route

Britain said on Thursday it was expanding a ‘Global Talent’ visa route used to bring in scientists, researchers and engineers, opening it up to more than 100 of the country’s most innovative companies including AstraZeneca and Jaguar Land Rover.

The government said making it easier to bring researchers to the country would help the clean energy, life sciences and AI sectors, as part of its drive to try to reindustrialise Britain.

Some sectors had complained that high visa costs and an inflexible immigration system were putting Britain at a competitive disadvantage.

Research-intensive businesses can now use the visa pathway, which was previously mainly used by universities and research institutes.

The government also said it planned to broaden another scheme which provides visas for companies working on critical technologies like quantum and engineering biology.