UK Government to simplify visa rules for these jobs: UK visa requirements for foreign AI workers to be simplified. “How to recruit graduates from colleges that produce some of the best AI talent in the world using the current immigration system” is one of the recommendations made in the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which was unveiled on Monday.
In an effort to accelerate the sector and spur economic growth, the UK is anticipated to loosen its visa requirements for overseas AI specialists.
“How the existing immigration system can be used to attract graduates from universities producing some of the world’s top AI talent” is one of the recommendations made in the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which was unveiled on Monday.
Tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford wrote the proposal, which reads: “The High Potential Individual visa eligibility list does not currently include graduates from some top AI universities, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and (from 2020) Carnegie Mellon University in the US.
“To assist these graduates, the government should take action to create new pathways and improve those that already exist.
“It should also investigate the most effective ways to tackle broader obstacles, such as the expense and intricacy of visas, which pose challenges for startups and discourage foreign talent from relocating to the UK.”
Sir Keir Starmer pledged to “remove the blockages that hold you back” during his Monday presentation to AI startups, vowing to implement the 50 suggestions in Mr. Clifford’s study.
“This is a government that supports the builders,” the prime minister continued. Therefore, if you need greater access to power while deciding where to establish your data centres, we will expedite the planning permit process.”
In order to make sure that any future regulations are “proportionate and grounded in the science,” he also promised that the government would “test and understand” the technology beforehand.
Under pressure to reduce legal immigration to the UK by 300,000 annually, the former Conservative government imposed a number of new visa limitations last year.
They included raising the pay threshold for skilled workers to £38,700 and prohibiting many foreign workers from bringing family members to the UK.
The protracted bureaucracy and expense of hiring from abroad are among the issues that AI sector leaders are worried about.
When determining the salary level for the skilled worker visa, one of the measures under consideration is the inclusion of stock options, which are provided as part of an employee’s compensation package.
Since the stringent new regulations went into effect, almost 400,000 fewer foreign nationals have sought for UK work or study visas, according to data from the Home Office.
According to preliminary data, the number of visa applications received between April and December 2024 was 547,000, compared to 942,500 over the same time in 2023.
“The Government’s new action plan rightly recognises the need to seize the opportunities that AI offers to boost investment, productivity, and growth across the UK through partnership with business and coordinated action across departments,” stated John Dickie, chief executive of BusinessLDN, which represents company leaders in the capital.
“To keep the UK ahead of the curve, we must expedite planning permission and grid connections for critical infrastructure, like data centres; retrain and retrain workers to have the digital skills required for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs; and make sure our immigration system is responsive to the needs of AI start-ups.”
“The economy will shift gears, public services will be improved, and the UK will remain at the forefront of AI innovation if this vision is realised.”