Royal Society immigration white paper response

Responding to publication of the Government's immigration white paper, Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said:

“Today’s white paper talks of making it simpler and easier for top scientific talent to come to the UK but our visa system remains one of the most expensive in the world and that is holding the UK back. Simpler and easier is good news but it is not enough – the costs have to come down if we want to attract the best talent.

“There is a lot of detail that still needs to be explored about the impact of any changes, in what is a complex system. We will be talking to the Government to find out exactly what their plans will mean in practice.”