Government STEM visa policy is ‘act of self harm’ says Lords committee
8 Feb 2025
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has described current Government visa policy as an ‘act of national self-harm’ that undermines efforts to attract STEM talent to the UK.
Peers warned that Masters and PhD students, early-career researchers and others are seeking residencies in rival countries, leaving the UK potentially deficient in fields such as AI.
This would leave the country unable to compete with global leaders such as the United States, limiting opportunities to encourage economic growth, they said.
Writing to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Science Minister Peter Kyle, outgoing chair of the cross-party committee Baroness Brown of Cambridge, said that UK visa costs had surged by nearly 60 per cent.
This meant overall prices now surpassed those of any comparable country, she stated.
In particular Brown cited the requirement for applicants to pay the full Immigration Health Surcharge up-front for the duration of a visa.
This could result in an initial bill running into tens of thousands of pounds, her letter stated.
The baroness, an engineer by profession with leadership roles in industry and academia, warned: “This is a huge deterrent to postdoctoral researchers.”
Acknowledging the Government was elected on a pledge to reduce overall immigration, Brown pointed out that Global Talent visas designed for exceptional researchers accounted for just 4,000 people annually.
The committee was told that applicants to postgraduate taught courses at Cranfield University alone had plunged 47 per cent in two years.
Peers also demanded a review of the ban against international students bringing dependents, calling for consideration of exemptions.
Businesses and charities have complained of additional visa costs, with Cancer Research UK saying it faced an additional £0.7 million bill, at the expense of vital research.
