The UK government on Monday announced a hike in the number of fast-track visas available to scientists and researchers working on innovative projects from around the world, including Bangladesh.
UK home secretary Priti Patel said the number of eligible fellowships which can offer an accelerated endorsement for visas for scientists wanting to conduct research in the UK will double from 62 to over 120. The minister said the plan builds on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s outline for a wider pool of world-leading scientists and researchers to be able to benefit from a fast-track process to obtain entry into the UK.
“The UK is already a world leader in science, with some of the most exciting and innovative research being undertaken here in this country. We want to make sure the UK continues to be at the forefront of innovation, so we need an immigration system that attracts the sharpest minds from around the globe,” said Patel.
“As part of this ambitious plan, we are taking decisive action to boost the number of top scientists and elite researchers who can benefit from fast-tracked entry into the UK,” she said.
In line with the current process, qualified scientists who receive such fellowships will only need to provide a letter from the relevant funding organisation, which will see them fast-tracked to the UK Home Office visa application stage where immigration checks will be carried out. The UK government says this will ensure that world-leading scientists can come to the country as soon as possible to begin their innovative work.
“We want the UK to be a global science superpower, and continuing to attract the world’s top scientists and researchers to join us in the race to solve the great challenges of the future – from clean energy and advanced storage to solving antibiotic resistance – is an important part of realising that ambition,” said UK business secretary Andrea Leadsom.
The revised list of fellowships will be added to the existing Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa route, which is the beginning of a wider package of measures to welcome the brightest and best researchers to the UK, the government said, adding that new changes are set to be implemented by early 2020.
Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020 and experts have called for a progressive new post-Brexit system that remains open to worldwide talent.