Top US scientists could be enticed to the UK under proposals to fast-track visa applications and cut administration charges, challenging attempts by Donald Trump to retain homegrown talent.
It is understood Keir Starmer’s “global talent taskforce” is examining plans to cut visa application fees and make it easier for foreign academics and digital experts to relocate to the UK.
Treasury officials are also believed to be involved in discussions about how to lure top talent to the UK with a package of measures to increase economic growth.
The move follows the US president’s decision to inrease fees for skilled foreign workers applying for H-1B visas to $100,000 (£74,096) and a message from the White House to tech companies and US universities that they should employ US nationals in senior posts.
While UK visa fees are modest compared with the US at less than £1,000, big companies have complained to Treasury ministers that they are a deterrent, along with complex paperwork and long processing delays, to the most qualified experts relocating to the UK.
Britain’s global talent visa, introduced in 2020, costs each individual £766, with partners and children also paying the fee. In addition, there is a £1,035 fee applied to each person to cover health costs.
The government is considering “cutting costs to zero”, according to an anonymous official who spoke to the Financial Times.
The visa is aimed at eminent people in science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture.
Plans by Rachel Reeves to apply inheritance tax to the global wealth of non-domiciled UK residents could also be modified or scrapped as part of a wider package of inducements.
The chancellor’s recent changes to the non-dom tax system have come under fire from some wealthy individuals who have blamed the new rules for their decision to quit Britain.
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In the year ending June 2023, there was a 76% rise in the number of global talent visas granted, pushing the total to 3,901.
The global talent taskforce is chaired by Varun Chandra, Starmer’s business adviser, and Patrick Vallance, the science minister.
The Home Office, which manages UK visas, said successful applicants were “leaders, or have the potential to be leaders, in their field, as determined by an endorsing body”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our global talent routes attract and retain high-skilled talent, particularly in science, research and technology, to maintain the UK’s status as a leading international hub for emerging talent and innovation.”