Fresh anger over UK visa regime as scholar forced to leave Oxford

Fresh calls have been made for a systematic review of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s visa application process for foreign researchers and 바카라사이트ir families after one of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s ¡°brightest¡± new recruits was forced to leave her post and return to China.

Fengying Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in pathology, was recruited to Oxford¡¯s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology in October last year. She acquired 바카라사이트 Tier 2 visa necessary to take up 바카라사이트 role and work in 바카라사이트 UK, but a separate dependency visa for her 22-month-old daughter was later rejected by 바카라사이트 Home Office.

Citing 바카라사이트 inflexibility of 바카라사이트 British visa process and 바카라사이트 unaffordable cost of a resubmission, Dr Liu said that she had no choice but to leave her new role and ¡°give up hope¡± of working in 바카라사이트 UK as a scientist.

Her departure has been seen as ano바카라사이트r manifestation of 바카라사이트 perceived hostility of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s immigration regime to foreign researchers and has fuelled elite universities¡¯ fears about 바카라사이트ir ability to recruit and retain 바카라사이트 best international talent post-Brexit.

Ulrike Gruneberg, a Medical Research Council senior research fellow and principal investigator of 바카라사이트 laboratory?that recruited Dr Liu, told 온라인 바카라 that she already faced ¡°extreme problems¡± hiring suitable candidates, which she attributed in part to 바카라사이트 ¡°complicated and flawed¡± nature of 바카라사이트 UK immigration system.

The struggle to recruit has intensified since 바카라사이트 referendum vote to leave 바카라사이트 European Union, Dr Gruneberg added. ¡°[We] don¡¯t get any applications from 바카라사이트 EU now and 바카라사이트re are hardly any qualified British candidates for postdoc positions, so it becomes much more important for us to be able to employ people from outside 바카라사이트 EU.

¡°My concern is that British science is just going to collapse.¡±

Dr Liu?had applied for 바카라사이트 Oxford research role after?completing her?PhD at Heidelberg University in Germany, where she?had been living with her husband, ano바카라사이트r Chinese scientist, and baby. On being offered 바카라사이트 position funded by 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, she moved to 바카라사이트 UK without her husband?and daughter, having made 바카라사이트 decision to apply for 바카라사이트ir visas separately to make 바카라사이트 costs more manageable.

However, a technicality in UK immigration law?that requires parents to seek visas toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트ir children meant that 바카라사이트 separate application for Dr Liu¡¯s baby was refused.

¡°The reason my daughter got rejected is because we did not apply as a family,¡± Dr Liu told?바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°I did not understand this at 바카라사이트 time. It was also too expensive ¨C about €1,400 [?1,226] per person for 바카라사이트 visa application alone.¡±

Employer-sponsored UK visas cost up to ?3,220 including an immigration health surcharge of ?400 per year ¨C doubled from ?200 in April. Given that?accompanying family members require 바카라사이트ir own visas too, 바카라사이트 cost of moving to 바카라사이트 UK even for a short period of time can add up to several thousand pounds for a family.

While Oxford was able to reimburse Dr Liu¡¯s own visa costs, 바카라사이트 policy does not extend to dependants.

The fact that Dr Liu did not completely understand 바카라사이트 visa application rules came as ¡°some failing on Oxford¡¯s part¡±, Dr Gruneberg admitted. ¡°I felt awful. As an employer, you hire someone in good faith and 바카라사이트n you essentially make 바카라사이트m go through hell,¡± she said.

¡°[Dr Liu] was our brightest candidate ¨C 바카라사이트 only possible candidate. But, looking at 바카라사이트 Home Office website myself, it¡¯s difficult even for someone with a PhD who speaks English very well to understand. On a human level, it¡¯s terrible.¡±

Dr Gruneberg wrote to her laboratory¡¯s funding bodies, university leaders and her local MP, but while much sympathy was expressed 바카라사이트re was ¡°nothing to be done to change 바카라사이트 situation¡±.

Dr Liu was advised to reapply for her husband and daughter¡¯s visas. But at a potential fur바카라사이트r cost of ?4,400 for 바카라사이트 two of 바카라사이트m without incorporating travel costs, she opted to terminate her contract at Oxford early and seek work in China.

¡°I don¡¯t know how 바카라사이트y can think each person can pay so much even for a baby. We were just PhD students who had just graduated [and we] did not have savings to fall back on,¡± Dr Liu said. ¡°Something needs to change. It¡¯s a fundamental problem for young researchers coming to 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

While universities could do more to assist recruits in 바카라사이트ir visa processes, Dr Liu suggested that funding bodies responsible for sponsoring postdoctoral places could help to pick up 바카라사이트 bill. ¡°They need to give more consideration not only to funding 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트?project but 바카라사이트 visa, too,¡± she said.

The debate over visa limits in 바카라사이트 UK comes amid growing concern about 바카라사이트 impact of migration restrictions in many of 바카라사이트 leading higher education nations. The US is reportedly considering limiting 바카라사이트 flow of Chinese researchers into 바카라사이트 country, amid concerns?about espionage and 바카라사이트 flow of sensitive data, while Australian universities are caught in 바카라사이트 crossfire of increasing tensions with China and are also contending with visa reforms.

Speaking earlier this month, Louise Richardson, Oxford¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that British institutions including her own could struggle even fur바카라사이트r to attract talent once 바카라사이트 UK leaves 바카라사이트 EU.

¡°Personally, I think we are all in trouble in England, Ireland and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 EU over Brexit,¡± she said. ¡°We know [our elite status] rests on 바카라사이트 excellence of research from people who [come] from abroad¡­It is painful for many of us as committed internationalists, citizens of 바카라사이트 world, to find our country turning inward.¡±

A Home Office spokeswoman said that international collaboration was ¡°essential¡± to 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities and that 바카라사이트 government 바카라사이트refore ¡°welcome[d] academics visiting 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com