Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Priti Patel's fast-track visa scheme for scientists attracted zero applicants in first six months

Priti Patel's fast-track visa scheme for scientists attracted zero applicants in first six months

The Home Office says that there have been thousands of applications for other immigration schemes, but none from people who have won prestigious awards.
A fast-track visa scheme launched by the home secretary Priti Patel in May to entice Nobel laureates and similarly prestigious prize-winners to the UK has resulted in no applications in six months, it has been revealed.

There are more than 70 prizes that could make an applicant eligible for this immigration route, including the Nobel Prizes, the Fields Medal for mathematics, and computer science's Turing Award.

In the arts, the route is open to people who have won one of numerous awards including an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA or Golden Globe, alongside other prizes in music, fashion, theatre, and architecture.

"Winners of these awards have reached the pinnacle of their career and they have so much to offer the UK," said Ms Patel at the time of the launch.

"These important changes will give them the freedom to come and work in our world leading arts, sciences, music, and film industries as we build back better," she added.

The fast-track Global Talent route was meant to offer potential immigrants to the UK the ability to simply cite their prestigious award as evidence of their achievements, rather than having to apply to an endorsing body alongside their visa application.

"This is exactly what our new point-based immigration system was designed for - attracting the best and brightest based on the skills and talent they have, not where they've come from," Ms Patel said.

But despite this, according to a freedom of information request reported by New Scientist magazine, "no one working in science, engineering, the humanities or medicine has actually applied for a visa through this route".

A spokesperson for the Home Office told Sky News the scheme had received applications but did not explain which sector the applicant had worked in nor when the application was made.

"The Prestigious Prizes' route makes it easier for those at the pinnacle of their career to bring their unrivalled expertise to the UK and contribute to our world-leading sectors including science, engineering, humanities and medicine," they said.

"It is just one option under our Global Talent route, through which we have received thousands of applications since its launch in February 2020 and this continues to rise," the spokesperson added, referencing the date when Britain left the European Union.

"We have received applications through the Prestigious Prizes pathway, however due to the exclusivity of the prizes which qualify under the Prestigious Prize pathway, we did not expect a high volume of applications in comparison with the 'endorsement' pathway or other immigration routes."

The shadow science minister Chi Onwurah told the magazine: "It's clear this is just another gimmick from a government that over-spins and under-delivers.

"It is not surprising that the government has failed so comprehensively to attract scientists from abroad, given their lack of consistent support for scientists here."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×