On January 27, 2020, the UK announced the launch of the 'Global Talent Visa' to replace the previous Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa. Furthermore, a new Australian-style points-based immigration system will be implemented in the UK two years earlier.
1. Reasons for the Introduction of the 'Global Talent Visa'
Currently, there are 211,000 EU researchers among UK's total number of research personnel, which may lead to issues such as shortages of scientists and loss of researchers after the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, 2020. In response, the UK government decided to launch the 'Global Talent Visa' in February of this year, aiming not only to retain as many EU talent as possible but also to issue a call for talent globally. The previous quota of 2,000 for the 'Exceptional Talent Visa' will be eliminated, as it inhibited top scientists from remaining in the UK. It is worth noting that about 211,000 workers in the UK scientific community are employed, half of whom come from the EU. Its cancellation will not only benefit international students in the UK but will also attract more outstanding talent, contributing greatly to the UK as a whole.
2. Stringent Requirements for the 'Global Talent Visa'
The issuance of this visa has extremely stringent standards. First, a designated validating body recognized by the UK must confirm the applicant's outstanding contributions in a particular field (currently, there are only five such institutions across the UK that qualify). Second, the UK provides 2,000 spots each year. Next, after paying a high application fee of approximately £8,000, applicants must also wait a long time for review. Therefore, even if the conditions for lending are met, the difficulty in obtaining it remains significant. Thus, for prospective students heading to the UK and those already studying in the UK, they need to work harder to achieve excellent results, ensuring greater opportunities to stay and work in the UK after graduation and ultimately obtain the Exceptional Talent Visa to realize the value of their study abroad experience.
3. Significance of the 'Global Talent Visa'
The significance of the 'Global Talent Visa' lies in its ability to attract the world’s top scientists, mathematicians, researchers, and technical talents to settle in the UK. It is managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), rather than the relatively bureaucratic Home Office, and has no cap on the number of applicants. This is intended to simplify the visa process and facilitate rapid visa processing for global elite talent. As UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated, “The UK has a glorious history of scientific discovery. In order to continue to lead in this field and effectively face future challenges, we need to continue to invest in talent. Upon leaving the European Union, the UK will remain open to the world's top talents and will always support them in turning their ideas into reality.”
4. A New Points-based Immigration System
According to official reports from the UK, the new immigration system will officially come into effect on January 1, 2021. At that time, the UK government will completely terminate the free movement of EU citizens, treating immigrants from EU and non-EU countries equally. The Australian visa points are primarily based on the applicant's age, English proficiency, education, and occupational skills, which means that the more skills and work experience an applicant has, the higher their score will be, and thus, the greater their likelihood of obtaining a visa. Conversely, the opposite holds true. This indicates that the number of immigrants from the EU will decrease by 80-90%. Under the new immigration law, EU immigrants will lose the preferential treatment they previously enjoyed, and citizens from both EU and non-EU countries will return to the same starting line.