魅影直播

Speaking at the , Switzerland, today (22 January), Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP announced that the government plans to 鈥榮ecure world鈥檚 top talent in key growth sectors鈥� including life sciences.

Responding, 魅影直播 Executive Director of International Policy & UK Competitiveness, Claire Machin said:

鈥淭he Chancellor is right to recognise that the UK needs to focus on attracting the brightest minds to drive innovation and growth in critical growth sectors like life sciences.

鈥淢aking the UK a more attractive destination for life science investment means having highly skilled people. High visa costs and long processing times can be a frustrating barrier to securing talent, so it's particularly positive that the Chancellor is reviewing the UK's visa routes.鈥�

Background

A recent analysis by the revealed that UK visa costs are up to 17 times higher than those of other leading science nations, including Australia, Canada, and the US. This is a huge increase from 2021, when costs were already ten times higher than the international average.

High visa costs, coupled with slow processing times, are making the UK increasingly uncompetitive in the race for global talent. By reducing visa costs and improving processing efficiency, the government can send a clear signal that the UK is open and ready to welcome the talent that powers ground breaking research and innovation.