The UK government is considering lowering the financial requirements for the global talent visa amid an extreme increase in cost from the US.
Figures at Number 10 and the Treasury have even floated the idea of abolishing the associated fees altogether, according to reporting from the Financial Times.
The global talent visa is a scheme to allow high potential individuals in areas such as academia, research, the arts and technology to live and work in the UK.
The visa type has been the route to the UK for many of the countries tech workers and is seen by many in the industry as instrumental to the success of British tech.
Earlier this year the Home Office published a white paper of proposals to reduce net migration to the UK, including increasing the threshold of eligibility for legal visa routes, prompting a backlash from the tech industry.
However, the prime minister could go the other way and ease requirements in an effort to encourage the world’s brightest talent to come to the UK, which is currently attempting to rapidly scale its supply of AI and digitally skilled workers.
This comes amid the announcement of harsh immigration policies in the US, notably a dramatic rise in the cost of the equivalent H-1B visa to $100,000. The UK global talent visa currently costs £766.