Science and Technology Committee calls out migration red tape | Computer Weekly

"The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee's second report into the UK's failure to retain and scale science and technology firms has described the government's visa policies for global talent as "counter-productive". With the Trump administration's $100,000 fee for high-skilled workers' H1-B visa, the committee has urged the government to 'roll out the red carpet' for talented scientists and entrepreneurs who want to come to the UK, rather than red tape."

"Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, said the UK has a visa cost system, which is, on average, 17 times more expensive than in any other country. "It is insane," he told the committee. "Again, it keeps going back to the lack of joined-up stuff across government. DSIT (the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) will say, 'We want global talent', and the Home Office will say, 'We will try to put you off'.""

"The committee's second report of the session, Bleeding to death: The science and technology growth emergency, highlights a continued failure of the UK to support a thriving science and technology ecosystem. The report warns that the UK has seen a procession of promising science and technology companies moving overseas rather than scaling here. Its inability to retain the economic benefits of its R&D endeavour is a fatal flaw in any growth strategy."

The UK's visa policies are costly and counter-productive for attracting global science and technology talent. A $100,000 H1-B fee in the US has prompted calls to welcome talented scientists and entrepreneurs to the UK rather than impose red tape. Visa fees in the UK are on average 17 times higher than in other countries, deterring applicants. Fragmented government policy creates mixed signals between departments that want global talent and those that impose barriers. Risk-averse and inflexible government procurement excludes SMEs from contracts. A shortage of large UK technology firms reduces subcontracting opportunities, causing promising startups to move overseas instead of scaling domestically. The inability to retain the economic benefits of R&D investment undermines national growth strategies.

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