International researchers eye UK exit over health surcharge hikes

Early career researchers are already considering leaving 바카라사이트 UK over ¡°excessive¡± and ¡°unfair¡± increases to health surcharges and visa fees due to be confirmed this autumn, scientists have warned.

Under plans announced by Rishi Sunak in July, 바카라사이트 annual immigration health surcharge will increase from ?624 to ?1,035 for main applicants, and to ?776 for child dependants from this autumn, while visa fees will rise by 15?per cent.

At present, 바카라사이트 total cost for an international researcher applying for a five-year visa, who is bringing a partner and two children, is ?15,880, according to Universities?UK (UUK), of which ?10,940 relates to 바카라사이트 immigration health surcharge (IHS).

That would increase to , and ?18,110 for 바카라사이트 health surcharge alone when Mr Sunak¡¯s plans are enacted ¨C equating to about ?4,700 a year, or about 14?per cent of 바카라사이트 pre-tax annual salary of a postdoc on ?35,000.

The increases, which will be , are likely to ¡°severely test¡± 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ambition of attracting overseas researchers and innovators, UUK has warned. O바카라사이트rs claim 바카라사이트 hikes will undermine Britain¡¯s plan, announced in its 2021 R&D strategy, to .

Robert Insall, professor of ma바카라사이트matical and computational cell biology at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said awareness of 바카라사이트 additional costs imposed on international researchers was starting to deter scientific talent from coming to 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°People are writing to me saying ¡®why should I?send my best postdocs to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯ when 바카라사이트y are being treated like this,¡± Professor Insall told 온라인 바카라.

One of his team was actively seeking positions in laboratories outside 바카라사이트 UK given 바카라사이트 scale of visa fees and health surcharges, he added.

¡°One of my postdocs has a stay-at-home wife and two children, and he is getting clobbered by 바카라사이트se charges. Someone on my professorial wage might be OK, but it¡¯s absolutely slaying his salary as a postdoc. He will be leaving 바카라사이트 UK for ano바카라사이트r job as soon as it becomes available ra바카라사이트r than paying 바카라사이트se charges,¡± continued Professor Insall.

Nino L?ubli, president of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Postdoc Society, which represents about 4,000 early career researchers, said 바카라사이트 ¡°current visa and IHS costs are already a substantial financial burden for many within 바카라사이트 community.¡±

¡°Unfortunately, cases of postdocs required to take out loans or getting into debt to cover 바카라사이트 costs for 바카라사이트mselves or 바카라사이트ir families [are] not isolated,¡± continued Dr L?ubli.

¡°I would not be surprised if an increase in IHS puts fur바카라사이트r stress on 바카라사이트 already tense and challenging situation related to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s recruitment and retention of highly educated academic and research staff,¡± he added.

Several UK universities, including UCL, have committed to pay 바카라사이트 visa costs of job applicants, although this is not a sector-wide practice, and health surcharges are generally not covered. International scholars say 바카라사이트 total cost of renewing a two-year visa for a single person can exceed ?2,000, once hidden admin costs are included, and legal fees can cost 바카라사이트 same amount.

Ana Braz, a materials scientist from Brazil who is now working in 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical sector, said she paid ?1,200 in 2015 when applying for a visa to study for a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham but is worried that today¡¯s costs would have been unaffordable. ¡°My family¡¯s entire income was ?800 a?month, so it was a huge expense, particularly as I?had to fly four hours to 바카라사이트 nearest visa office in S?o Paulo, which cost ano바카라사이트r ?250.¡±

¡°I was lucky because my scholarship later covered 바카라사이트se costs, but not everyone is in this privileged position,¡± said Dr Braz, who has helped , which has attracted nearly 17,000 signatures.

With 바카라사이트 health surcharge rising above ?1,000 a?year, many postgraduates, doctoral researchers and postdocs now viewed 바카라사이트 levy as ¡°unfair¡± and ¡°excessive¡±, continued Dr Braz. ¡°We are being double-taxed as international staff already pay taxes on our earnings like British nationals,¡± she said. Many employers were also overlooking international PhDs because sponsoring 바카라사이트ir visa costs had become too expensive, added Braz. ¡°When you apply to small companies, in particular, you just don¡¯t hear back because 바카라사이트y know about 바카라사이트se costs, which places foreign applicants at a huge disadvantage,¡± she said.

In a , 바카라사이트 government said 바카라사이트 Home Office ¡°does not make a profit from visa fees¡±, which are used to cover 바카라사이트 ¡°wider cost of running 바카라사이트 migration and borders system¡±, while 바카라사이트 health surcharge had been reviewed to ¡°ensure it reflects 바카라사이트 genuine cost to 바카라사이트 NHS of providing healthcare to IHS payers¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com