Recommendation 146

Wellcome go on to say that “for the Global Talent visa to be a globally competitive offer for researchers, and particularly for those early on in their careers, this must be revisited as a priority”.343 They also point out that: UK [visa] charges are more than five times higher than the average for leading science nations. If the Government is serious about attracting research talent to the UK it should substantially reduce these charges so 334 Q210 335 Q178 336 Q25 337 Q252 338 For example: Q24 & Q25 339 Wellcome, The UK’s role in global research: How the UK can live up to its place in the world (October 2020), p 6 340 Wellcome, Priorities for the 2020 Spending Review (September 2020), p 5 341 Q178 342 Wellcome, The UK’s role in global research: How the UK can live up to its place in the world (October 2020), p 6 343 Wellcome, The UK’s role in global research: How the UK can live up to its place in the world (October 2020), p 6 Universities and Scotland 55 that they are in line with other competitor countries, and account for any effective cross-subsidy of [the Department of Health and Social Care] to effectively reduce or remove the Immigration Health Surcharge as needed.344