Why the Government needs to do more to attract international researchers

The Government has ambitions for the UK to be a leading science nation, and as part of this wants to add 380,000 more researchers and technicians to the workforce. This can’t be achieved by boosting domestic talent alone. We have to put ourselves in position to recruit from a global pool.

International researchers help train homegrown ones, and they tend to bring vital connections from their previous experience abroad. That makes it easier for their research teams in the UK to instigate international collaborations, strengthening UK research and boosting our reputation on the global stage. Tellingly, more than 60% of the Cancer Research UK-funded research published in the last 5 years involved international collaboration, and evidence shows this makes research more impactful.  

The public sees the benefit, too. Our polling has shown that 73% support the UK Government making it easier for researchers to come to the UK for work.  

What’s stopping international researchers coming to the UK?

The UK’s immigration costs are either fronted by individuals – who often can’t afford to pay them – or by research organisations, which have a limited amount of funding available for lifesaving cancer research. 

Despite its ambition to make the UK a leading science nation, over the past year, the Government has made changes to immigration rules that risk making the situation even worse.

In the face of these difficulties, the government has highlighted the Global Talent Visa (GTV) as the key to attracting and retaining international researchers.

The GTV was introduced in 2020 as a dedicated route for researchers. This was a positive step in attracting the talent we need to deliver world class cancer research, as it doesn’t have a minimum salary requirement and gives the best and brightest the freedom to change jobs and bring dependents.  

But there are still challenges: 

The GTV is not insulated from the cost increases: These researchers still face the increasing upfront visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge. 

There’s not enough awareness of it: For the GTV to attract great researchers from around the world, the Government needs to do more to advertise and explain it. Currently, researchers and research organisations aren’t clear who meets the definition of ‘global talent’. 

Some adjustments may also be needed to the GTV application process and eligibility requirements to make it accessible to all the researchers and roles we need. 

How can we attract more talent?

Simply put, the UK can’t be a leading science nation if it can’t attract leading researchers. The Government must change course to ensure it doesn’t put its own targets out of reach. 

With a UK General Election likely this year, we have set out our recommendations for the next Government in Longer, better lives: our manifesto for cancer research and care. Crucially, it includes a plan to make the immigration system is more affordable, straightforward and accessible for researchers – ensuring the UK is more welcoming to international talent. 

And this week we’ve published a further paper with more detail on how the UK Government can act on issues that impact cancer researchers. It’s a roadmap for attracting international talent, creating an equal and diverse workforce, and making careers more supportive. We know that people are at the heart of cancer research, so to beat cancer sooner, we need to enable bright minds to thrive. To find out more about how the UK can address these issues, read our report on Strengthening the UK research workforce to beat cancer.  

As one of the UK’s leading research bodies, we will also continue to investigate the impact of these recent visa changes on our research community, and share our insights to increase Government awareness of the consequences for research.