The UK government is considering a proposal to eliminate some visa fees for the world’s top talent, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. Stamer’s Global Talent Task Force is working on proposals to attract the world’s best scientists, academics and digital experts to boost the economy.
A British official said top talent was those who had graduated from the world’s top five schools or received prestigious awards. The“Global talent visa”, introduced in 2020, costs # 766, with spouses and children paying the same. A medical surcharge of £ 1,035 a year is usually levied on each applicant. The official said the possibility of cutting costs to zero was being explored.
The report mentioned that these reform discussions had begun before the US announced a significant increase in the fees for H-1b visa applications, but people involved in the discussions said that, the US decision“Sets the stage” for those who want to reform the high-end visa system. The new H-1B visa rules will add to a dramatic change in the global pattern of talent flows since Donald Trump launched his assault on universities earlier this year.
Rising tuition fees and political unrest have led to a surge in applications from American students to universities in Europe and Asia, CBS reported Thursday. The figures show a 14 per cent increase in the number of US students applying to study in the UK this year. In contrast, the number of visitors to the United States on student visas fell to a four-year low in August, down 19 percent from a year earlier, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.