The UK government is exploring measures to attract the world’s top science and technology talent, including a potential waiver of visa fees, according to a report by the Financial Times on Monday.
The initiative is part of the UK’s Global Talent Taskforce, backed by a £54 million Global Talent Fund launched earlier this year. The taskforce aims to draw international experts, including Indians, at a time when the United States has tightened H-1B visa rules for global tech workers.
A government official told the newspaper, “We’re kicking around the idea of cutting (visa) costs to zero,” adding that the focus would be on individuals who have attended the world’s top five universities or have received prestigious awards.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s new rule imposing a $100,000 one-time application fee for all H-1B visa applicants, a visa heavily used by American tech companies, with Indians among the largest beneficiaries.
The UK operates a Global Talent Visa system, which has been criticized for being bureaucratic. In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched the taskforce in June, chaired by the Prime Minister’s business adviser Varun Chandra and Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the £54 million fund will support world-class researchers and their teams over five years, covering relocation and research costs. The program is designed to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation and growth sectors.
“The launch of the taskforce and fund signals that the UK seeks to continue its global leadership in growth-driving sectors,” DSIT said. The taskforce also aims to support entrepreneurs, investors, top-tier managerial and engineering talent, and high-calibre creatives to relocate and build networks in the UK.
Jonathan Reynolds, former Business and Trade Secretary, said, “Competition for elite global talent is high. This initiative positions the UK as the first choice for the world’s brightest minds, boosting innovation, business, and the economy.”
The British government has emphasized that the plan aligns with its Immigration White Paper, aiming to fast-track “brightest and best talent” into high-growth and strategic industries while controlling overall migration numbers.
Meanwhile, the far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK party held a press conference in London on Monday, pledging to abolish the route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if elected. Party leader Nigel Farage criticized the current system, claiming over half of new ILR recipients are not working, and proposed replacing it with a five-year renewable work visa with a higher salary threshold.
Downing Street dismissed the proposal as “unrealistic, unworkable and unfunded,” stating, “They don’t want to tackle the issues facing the country, they want to foster division.”
