Announcement of visas for ‘exceptionally talented’ scientists

Announcement of visas for ‘exceptionally talented’ scientists welcomed by REC Pharmaceutical & Scientific.

The announcement that 1,000 visas will be made available this year for ‘exceptionally talented’ non-EU migrants in the science and arts fields was today welcomed by the REC Pharmaceutical & Scientific sector.

These workers, who must offer ‘real value’ to the UK, will come under a new category in Tier 1 of the immigration system. The Home Office has stated that competent bodies will be appointed to administer the scheme and assess whether applicants qualify.

The 1,000 person allowance, and the success of this new route, will be monitored continuously over the next year by the Home Office.

Commenting on the changes, Lawrence Levy, Chair of REC Pharmaceutical & Scientific, said:

“Britain clearly benefits from allowing world-class scientists to work here, and as such this announcement is welcome news. Scientists of this calibre are being sought by every industrialised country, and the need to keep Britain globally competitive in attracting the best talent is paramount.”

“It is also good news that the government plans to monitor the limit of one thousand visas. There is no way to know exactly how much demand this scheme will generate, particularly as scientists will be competing with artists for these places. It would be folly to deny a leading heart disease specialist, for example, the right to work in Britain because he applied for visa number 1,001.

“REC Pharmaceutical & Scientific members help clients across the country find the best scientific talent, and are keen to assist the government both in monitoring the level of take-up of this new route and in assessing the suitability of whichever ‘competent body’ they choose to run the scheme.”