In response to the confirmation by the Home Office that foreign researchers will be granted discounts of up to 20 per cent in the minimum salary required under the Skilled Worker visa route, Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer of London Higher said:
“The reduction in the salary threshold for international workers with relevant PhDs coming to the UK through the skilled worker visa route is welcome news for the economy at a time when we are serious about increasing our national productivity and growth.
The new salary threshold of £38,700 for skilled workers before the discount for PhDs was prohibitive to our ambition to becoming a science superpower and particularly disruptive to the growth of London’s regional economy which is powered by more high-level skills than anywhere else in the country.
While the new reduction to £34,830 for relevant PhDs – reducing to £30,960 for PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – certainly aligns with the government’s plan to transform Canary Wharf into a national life sciences hub and would enable London’s university sector to maintain its global competitiveness, the cumulative impact of increased visa costs and health surcharges, together with negative rhetoric around immigration to the UK, may still pose significant barriers to the UK accessing the highly-skilled individuals it needs.”
