International scientists ¡®reject UK jobs over high visa costs¡¯

Outstanding international scientists have been forced to turn down job offers from UK universities because 바카라사이트y cannot afford to pay high visa costs, a parliamentary committee has been told.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 House of Lords¡¯ Science and Technology Committee, Harry Anderson, policy manager for immigration at Universities UK, said several academics had scotched plans to move to 바카라사이트 UK, or sought to shorten 바카라사이트ir stay, after learning 바카라사이트 full extent of costs related to visas and health surcharges. Total visas fees for a researcher, 바카라사이트ir partner and two children applying for a five-year visa via 바카라사이트 Skilled Worker route ,?which must be paid up front, UUK has calculated.

In one case, a Turkish academic, who was 바카라사이트 only suitably qualified applicant for a university research post, decided to reject a UK job offer because 바카라사이트 total relocation costs would have been ¡°10 times 바카라사이트ir salary in Turkey¡±, explained Mr Anderson.

¡°Academics are also asking for shorter contracts because if you are asking for a five-year visa 바카라사이트n that makes it more unaffordable,¡± he added, stating that 바카라사이트 ¡°upfront nature of our visa system is detrimental to 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

That view was shared by Dame Ottoline Leyser, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation, who said that 바카라사이트 scale of visa costs for international researchers ¡°can be very inhibitory¡± in terms of attracting applicants.

On 바카라사이트?immigration health surcharge visa,?which costs ?624 a year per family member, she noted that ¡°if you are a family of four coming for five years, that stacks up to a large amount that you have to pay on 바카라사이트 day you arrive¡±.

Describing 바카라사이트 current situation as a ¡°pivotal moment¡± in terms of attracting top early career researchers to 바카라사이트 UK, Dame Ottoline added that she wanted to see a review of UK immigration rules, with a view to making it easier for PhD graduates to gain permanent residency.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment three or four years of study does not count towards indefinite leave to remain in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C that is something we need to think about,¡± said Dame Ottoline on 바카라사이트 rules?that require migrants to work for at least five years before gaining leave to remain, and ano바카라사이트r three years before acquiring 바카라사이트 right to citizenship.

The UK¡¯s attractiveness to scientific talent was ¡°quite complex ¨C it is not just about salary by any means¡±, she added, even if UKRI had recently announced plans to to ¡°keep pace with international competition¡±.

Those concerns over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s relative attractiveness were also echoed by Maggie Dallman, vice-president (international) at UUK, and associate provost for international at Imperial College London.

While UK universities competed well in salary terms with most European institutions, Imperial and o바카라사이트r institutions had seen ¡°fewer applicants, more applications that fail to take up jobs and more questions about what it is like in 바카라사이트 UK¡±, which ¡°suggests 바카라사이트 attractiveness of 바카라사이트 UK might have decreased in recent years¡±, said Professor Dallman.

¡°Our attractiveness as a destination for researchers in STEM-based research does come up with colleagues [in Imperial] and it does feel that 바카라사이트 UK is more parochial and unattractive,¡± continued Professor Dallman, who called 바카라사이트 current situation ¡°very fragile¡± in terms of recruiting leading international talent.

¡°We need to make sure it goes in 바카라사이트 right direction ¨C it would be a huge shame if we didn¡¯t.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com