UK visa fast-track

摘要

Research Councils UK (RCUK) is piloting a scheme to streamline the entry of researchers into Britain under the 'Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent)' visa. It has teamed up with the Royal Society, the British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering to guarantee endorsement for researchers who are awarded specific RCUK fellowships and grants, a process that usually takes nine weeks. Rosie Beales, senior policy manager at the RCUK, says that the agency will assess the pilot schemes success in the next six months. Representatives of UK universities and scientific organizations have warned that complicated visa procedures have made Britain an unattractive destination for scholars (see Nature 506,14-15; 2014).