Extending the pathway to UK citizenship to more than 10 years could deter many international researchers from settling in?the country, given the additional cost of visa and NHS fees, ministers have been warned.

Under the proposed changes outlined in the government¡¯s immigration White Paper, the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK for those on a skilled worker visa ¨C a route taken by many early career researchers ¨C will double from five years to 10 years.

That would potentially double the already substantial cost of settlement for many academics: last year?by the Royal Society found a family of four on a five-year skilled worker visa would pay ?24,129 in visa and healthcare costs for a PhD-level role (?29,368 for a non-PhD role).

For international researchers who arrive as PhD students the costs will be even higher as time spent as a doctoral student does not count towards ILR, after which immigrants no longer pay NHS surcharge fees of up to ?1,035 a year. Migrants can apply for UK citizenship 12 months after gaining ILR.

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Sanam Arora, chair of the?, which champions the interests of about 130,000 Indian students at UK universities, said the ¡°financial and emotional toll of continued visa fees and NHS surcharges for over a decade is a serious consideration, especially for those at the start of their adult lives¡±.

¡°The proposed extension of the settlement pathway to 10 years has raised concerns ¨C particularly for international PhD students who spend four to five years contributing deeply to the UK¡¯s research ecosystem,¡± said Arora.

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She added that it was vital that reforms be made to the Graduate Talent Visa ¨C which enables fast-track settlement within five years, and sometimes three years ¨C to allow more early career researchers to apply using this shorter route, potentially easing the financial burden on overseas university staff.

¡°We are see promising signals ¨C the government has shown clear intent to prioritise global talent, particularly in STEM, AI, and innovation ¨C and we¡¯re hopeful this extends to doctoral graduates in the social sciences, arts and humanities, whose work is just as critical to the UK¡¯s leadership on issues like public policy, democracy, ethics and international engagement,¡± said Arora.

Although the Graduate Talent Visa might offer an alternative to the more costly skilled worker visa route, it has?faced some criticism?over the restrictive nature of those who can apply for it. Only academic staff ¡°responsible for leading or directing...individual or group research projects¡±, those named on certain research grants and fellowships or those endorsed by ¡°eminent individuals¡± in their field??prompting some immigration experts to recommend?applying to the skilled worker visa?to avoid the risk of visa refusal.

James Walker, director of the World of Work Institute at the Henley Business School at the University of Reading, said visa costs are ¡°already a barrier for early career researchers coming to the UK, especially for those with young families¡± as junior researchers are ¡°unlikely to have large levels of savings and, even where they obtain loans from their university, they need to make payments prior to arrival¡±.

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Introducing a 10-year route to settlement could cause more researchers ¨C particularly high-achieving ones ¨C to consider leaving the UK, continued Walker, noting how ¡°many European countries have been active in incentivising academics returning via substantive tax breaks¡±.

The loss of research income as a result of the government¡¯s proposed levy on international students ¨C which could cost some institutions?as much as ?20 million a year?¨C could also make UK universities less appealing for early career academics if discretionary departmental funding was diminished, added Costas Milas, professor of finance at the University of Liverpool.

¡°It is not a secret that international teaching income supports our research activities, whether in terms of MSc or PhD scholarships or research funding for academic staff to present, for instance, their work in high-quality domestic and foreign conferences,¡± said Milas.

Alison Noble, foreign secretary of the Royal Society, which has campaigned to lower visa-related costs for international researchers, said ¡°attracting, and retaining, talented early career researchers from overseas to complement homegrown talent is fundamental to maintaining the UK¡¯s strengths as a leading science nation ¨C not to mention our health, prosperity and resilience to global threats¡±.

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¡°This is a critical moment for global talent. We need to remove barriers, like the upfront costs and complexity of our visa system, and build on assets like the Global Talent visa as a route to settlement,¡± continued Noble who said this would ¡°help make it clear that the UK is a welcoming place to pursue new ideas, innovations and careers¡±.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com