The UK will expand its Global Talent visa fast-track route as part of its efforts to encourage researchers and tech workers to live and work in the country.
From the start of June, the Global Talent visa will be expanded with the addition of 13 Association for Innovation, Research and Technology Organisation (AIRTO) members to UKRI’s list of approved host organisations.
Organisations including IBM will now be able to host global scientists, engineers and tech specialists that can access accelerated endorsement to live in the country.
In total, the Global Talent Visa will be expanded to 100 businesses by July to encourage the fulfilment of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
Alongside this announcement, UKRI has revealed that 10 new international researchers have been approved for support under the Global Talent Fund, a scheme launched last summer that provides funding from a pot of £54m to attract international talent.
“It’s no coincidence that the world’s top researchers – driving groundbreaking innovations in AI, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and clean energy – are choosing to come to the UK to advance their work,” said Science Minister Lord Vallance.
“Britain is home to an outstanding science and research community, and boosted by our participation in Horizon Europe, we’re able to drive forward the kinds of research with international partners that will change lives and create opportunities here in the UK and all over the world.”
Among the new cohort of researchers is Prof Bryony DuPont, joining Strathclyde from Oregon State University and Dr Ivana Bukvin, joining the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge from Stanford University.
