UK visa rules to be relaxed to help attract top AI talent
Visa rules for highly skilled Artificial Intelligence (AI) workers from overseas could be relaxed as part of the government’s plan to ramp up AI adoption across the UK and boost economic growth.
The AI Opportunities Action Plan published this week sets out 50 recommendations on how the government should harness the technology and position the UK as a world leader in AI. Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to the plan, confirming that the government are happy to endorse it and take the recommendations forward.
Immigration recommendations
The 21st recommendation set out in the report suggests that the UK government should ‘explore how the existing immigration system can be used to attract graduates from universities producing some of the world’s top AI talent’.
It goes on to explain that some of the world’s leading AI institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University in the US are not currently included on the UK government’s Global Universities List, making their graduates ineligible for the High Potential Individual visa.
As such, the report recommends that the government should take steps to develop new immigration pathways, and strengthen existing ones, to support these promising graduates. It should also explore how best to address wider barriers like the cost and complexity of visas which create obstacles for start-ups and deter overseas talent from relocating to the UK.
In its response, the government stated that it ‘partially agrees’ with recommendation 21, and that the Industrial Strategy will set out how the UK will attract highly skilled AI workers from abroad.
It argues that the UK already offers ‘internationally competitive’ visas that can support a range of individual needs, including for talent to join UK-based organisations or to start their own business.
Top work visa routes for AI talent
Talented AI professionals and graduates from institutions not on the HPI eligibility lists can enter the UK through other visa routes, including:
- The Skilled Worker route – The most commonly used immigration route for foreign nationals seeking to work in the UK, a Skilled Worker visa may be granted if you have a confirmed job offer with a licensed UK sponsor.
- The Innovator Founder route – This unsponsored visa is for foreign nationals who wish to come to the UK to set up and run an innovative business. The business idea must be something that’s different from anything else on the market, and you must have your idea assessed by an approved endorsing body.
- The Global Talent route – An unsponsored immigration route designed to attract the best and brightest talent from around the world. A Global Talent visa allows you to live and work in the UK if you are a leader or potential leader in the fields of academia or research, arts and culture or digital technology.
- The Scale-up Worker route – This visa allows talented professionals to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business (sometimes called a ‘scale-up business’). Your UK employer must meet specific eligibility criteria in order to sponsor Scale-up Workers.
- The Government Authorised Exchange route – A temporary visa for workers coming to the UK for work experience, job shadowing or training, to take part in an overseas government language programme, or undertake research or a fellowship through an approved exchange scheme.
Recruiting overseas talent for your business
The government’s acceptance of these recommendations mean it could soon become easier for employers to bring in highly sought-after AI talent from anywhere in the world.
If you have any questions around immigration options for recruiting overseas talent for your business, our team are on hand to help. To discuss your requirements with a qualified immigration advisor, please contact us today.
