Lords urge UK to act now on visas in global fight for US STEM talent
7 May 2025
UK immigration laws leave the country in danger of missing out on a “massive opportunity” to benefit from the departure of leading US-based scientists and researchers, warns the House of Lords.
Chair of the Lords’ science and technology committee Lord Mair has urged the government there was now increasing global competition for STEM talent due to US funding policies.
“Without changes to immigration policy for STEM talent, we will miss a real opportunity to drive economic growth in the UK and to build up our research base in science and technology,” warned Mair in a letter to key ministers.
While acknowledging the government’s impending publication of its immigration white paper with proposed reforms, the peer said that existing barriers were “harming the national interest … in stark contrast to other nations”.
The EU plus individual member states France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands have already developed fast track schemes, said Mair. This week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and French president Emmanuel Macron launched a €500 million project.
Canada and Australia have also been active in recruiting talent, particularly from the US with Canada’s Tech Talent strategy fast-tracking 3,000 visas for displaced US researchers.
“We understand that the government was elected on a pledge to reduce overall immigration numbers––but the Global Talent visa accounts for only around 4,000 people a year, less than 1% of the overall figures in 2024,” wrote Mair.
Without changes to immigration policy for STEM talent, we will miss a real opportunity to drive economic growth in the UK and to build up our research base in science and technology
Lord Mair, chair, House of Lordsscience and technology committee
Increasing the proportion of STEM experts receiving visas would not conflict with the aim of reducing overall migration, he continued, noting that visas granted for science, research and engineering plunged by a third in the second half of 2024, compared with the same period in the previous year.
The science and technology committee previously raised the matter in January. Since then, the situation had become more urgent, it claimed, on account of the recent actions of the Trump administration in America.
Mair cited the proposed 40% cut to the National Institutes of Health’s $47.4 billion budget and “substantial” terminations of National Science Foundation grants on political grounds.
The committee’s letter quoted supporting evidence from Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse and genomics expert professor Sir John Bell calling for swift action on recruiting overseas talent.
“We urge the Government to act on its recommendations with a sensible visa policy and flexible funding for universities and research institutions to support critical research programmes,” added Mair.
“The opportunity to strengthen the UK’s scientific and technological capacity needs to be taken urgently.
Pic: thisisengineering
