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# Scientist Shortage: Are UK Immigration Policies to Blame?

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Daisy M

There has been a lot of focus on immigration the last couple of weeks, and while it’s always been a topic of debate for as long as I can remember, it’s been heightened with President Trump, Elon Musk and many other influences of power having strong opinions and opening this topic for debate and change.

These topics aren’t always straightforward, especially when it comes to civilians fleeing from war, which is also currently still happening in both Russia and the Middle East. There is also the other side, where people who could pose a physical threat to others enter the UK undetected. The problem is much bigger than simply preventing people from coming in; it is also just letting every single individual without the proper steps avoid situations like an increase in crime, monitor the level of citizens in the UK, and so forth.

But all that being said, with strict rules and regulations being introduced into the UK due to what’s happening around the world, it’s brought to attention that we are potentially stumping our own growth and evolving as a country.

## Introduction

In a letter to the Home Secretary, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee expressed serious concerns regarding the UK’s present immigration and visa regulations for talent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They contend that the UK’s present visa regulations make it more difficult to draw in and keep highly qualified workers in the scientific and technological sectors. The committee emphasises that the UK government must modify its immigration policy in order to compete in the global talent competition, calling the current approach “an act of national self-harm.”

So while the UK is trying to get more control of immigration, they have tightened the reins so much that they are doing it to their own detriment, which has been highlighted clearly by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, but it’s not just these parts of the UK that this is affecting but areas such as the NHS and government jobs that are constantly understaffed have clearly stated these pushbacks on immigration correlate clearly with a staffing shortage.

## Key Points In The Letter Included

### High Up-Front Visa Costs

Applicants can face upfront costs of up to £10,000 and that’s without the additional help of this. This is a key issue that leaves people who are highly skilled workers, especially in the early stages of their careers but from a poor background, in a tricky predicament, as we are making it near impossible for people to have the means to pay to go through the legal process to come over.

While this is a significant issue in attracting and retaining skilled workers, it’s also putting people who have just lost everything in a position to flee from danger to come in legally and, in a sense, forces them to find a way to come in illegally as they can’t afford the application process alone.

### Other Countries Visa Costs

Due to the cost in the UK, this persuades and pushes highly skilled workers in this field to other locations that are more affordable and still provide the same level of opportunities. The cost of UK visas is higher than any comparable country and since 2021, it has increased by 58%, which is insane to do such a jump in price.

While this has been for obvious reasons, it’s affecting our own country in a negative way and stumping our evolution and potential future within STEM and other skilled areas.

### Immigration Health Surcharge

The immigration health surcharge, if you aren’t familiar, is a fee that you have to pay when applying to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months. This surplus gives you access to the NHS and the UK’s public healthcare system.

While this cost was introduced to ensure that migrants are contributing to the cost and service of the NHS, which provides free healthcare, this is an additional cost on top of the up to 10,000 they could be paying, putting them in a more troubling position. It also appears a little contradictory, as skilled workers will be paying tax to the UK government, and through charging them an initial fee, it’s essentially charging them an extra fee to use our services and more than a British citizen would.

### Global Talent Visa

While seen as positive addition, this route is critised for it’s high cost and limited eligibility criteria, making it almost impossible for anyone to meet the criteria of this visa type. Many individuals who are early into their STEM career simply cannot meet the stated requirements and have to already be at a very specific stage and struggle to find another suitable visa type where they would be able to meet said requirements.

There’s no option that fits for this candidate financially and with criteria so it’s a huge gap in the types of visa’s that attract younger individuals with great potential that could positively impact the UK.

### Impact On Universities

Immigration policies like the current ban on dependents for postgraduate taught courses are significantly affecting the number of international students we are attracting to the UK. With that being said, a range of courses are being impacted, including those within STEM, which in turn rely on international student fees to support their roles within the university. This has a serious impact on students decisions when choosing which university to attend so when it comes to choosing a country that allows you to bring your family to the country while you study, therefore, the UK is deterring young talent from the country.

This is very interesting, as with student fee’s constantly on the rise, it’s encouraging teenagers in the UK to opt out of education to go straight into work, which encourages attracting international students, which is just as important.

The committee suggests looking into alternate ways to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and evaluating visa prices to make sure the UK stays competitive with other nations. They also recommend establishing a new pathway tailored to high-potential early-career researchers or defining and broadening eligibility for the Global Talent visa. In order to keep the UK attractive to scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and tech specialists—all of whom are essential to our future—we hope the UK government will give careful consideration to these great recommendations.

## Final Thoughts

Overall the government is able to make a few adjustments to their requirements for high-skilled workers; this could include a new visa type, such as a young high-skilled worker visa, or alternatively, reducing the price. The list goes on; if this happens to be relevant to your situation, I could recommend reaching out to companies such as Immigration Lawyers London or other UK visa specialists in order to find a solution to your visa issues.

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