UK work visa restrictions expected to be relaxed for AI experts
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UK visa restrictions are expected to be relaxed for foreign experts in Artificial Intelligence in a bid to ramp up the industry and boost economic growth. The Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, released on Monday, suggests exploring “how the existing immigration system can be used to attract graduates from universities producing some of the world’s top AI talent”.
The proposal, written by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, states: “Graduates from some leading AI institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and (since 2020) Carnegie Mellon University in the US, are not currently included in the High Potential Individual visa eligibility list.
“Government should take steps to develop new pathways, and strengthen existing ones, to support these graduates. “It should also explore how best to address wider barriers like the cost and complexity of visas which create obstacles for startups and deter overseas talent from re-locating to the UK.”.
In a pitch to AI companies on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer promised to "remove the blockages that hold you back" as he vowed to adopt the 50 recommendations in Mr Clifford’s report. The Prime Minister added: "This is a Government that backs the builders. So if you're looking at where to build your data centres, we will speed up planning permission if you need better access to power.".
