Budget 2021: Science And Innovation To Benefit From A Modernised Immigration System

The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented his Budget to Parliament on 3 March 2021. Whilst the emphasis was, understandably, on supporting the UK out of the pandemic, the Chancellor also announced a number of immigration measures with a focus on attracting highly skilled workers in academia, science, research and technology to boost the UK's economy. At a time when UK businesses are still grappling with the impact of freedom of movement for EU nationals ending post-Brexit, the announcement underlines the Government's pledge to attract the best talent from across the globe.

The key proposals can be summarised as follows:

• The introduction of a new 'elite' points-based visa by March 2022 for highly skilled scientists, researchers, academics and those working in the technology sector. Individuals with a job offer from a pre-approved UK 'scale-up' business will be able to use a fast-track process which will circumvent the time-consuming sponsorship process.