More than 100 innovative research companies can now support the world's brightest researchers to come and work in the UK through the Global Talent visa.
Global names like AstraZeneca and JLR, as well as fast-growing innovators, will benefit from a bigger pool of leading scientists and engineers.
Move cements Britain as top destination for the world's best talent, enabling innovative businesses to scale and stay in the UK, and laying the foundations for skilled jobs and economic growth in every postcode.
An expansion of the Global Talent visa announced today (Thursday 6 August) will give more than 100 of the UK's most innovative companies the ability to support some of the world's best scientists and engineers to come to live and work in the UK, unlocking a wave of international talent.
The move will help secure the arrival of some of the world's best and brightest to drive breakthroughs in clean energy, life sciences and AI, while helping key businesses to innovate, scale and stay in the UK, in one more step towards reindustrialising Britain.
For the first time, exceptional researchers coming to the UK to work on funded projects can be supported in their move by UK research intensive businesses thanks to the country's premier visa route for research talent.
This move isn't just about attracting the best researchers from around the world. Bringing in top talent from abroad will enable businesses to undertake cutting-edge R&D projects here in the UK - projects which support jobs for British workers.
Having already helped over 12,500 talented people from more than 130 countries build their research careers in Britain via the endorsed funder pathway, this expansion of the Global Talent visa route means some of the UK's most innovative companies can now host top researchers alongside higher education, academic and independent research institutes and bodies.
World-leading talent brings the ideas, skills and investment that spark entirely new industries, spin out British companies, and create thousands of skilled jobs for workers across the UK. Welcoming the brightest minds drives good growth and opportunity for people in every part of the country, bolstering this government's effort to make Britain better off.
The Global Talent visa recognises talented individuals at all career stages who have already proven themselves, including through a number of fast-track pathways - a leading academic appointment, a competitive fellowship, or being named on a funded research grant - so the UK can move quickly to welcome the world's best. This comes alongside a peer-review pathway for established or potential research leaders who do not hold an eligible appointment, fellowship or research grant.
Today's expansion means that talented research individuals can now be supported by over 100 commercial research businesses, alongside the already approved universities and research institutes. This will include global names like AstraZeneca and Jaguar Land Rover as well as fast-growing innovators, including Added Value Solutions (AVS), Denroy Plastics and Ffilm Cymru.
These are innovators at the forefront of developing sustainable technologies of the future like nuclear fusion, creating life changing medicines, putting Britain at the cutting edge of the car industry, and establishing the UK's leadership in the use of technology in creative industries.
Top international talent, whose expertise is recognised through a research grant, will be empowered to boost the UK's science and tech sector by switching to a new firm, or starting their own spin out. It means more world class researchers choosing Britain to unlock new discoveries in the technologies of the future, from life-saving medicines to quantum computing - supporting the skilled jobs and investment that fuels economic growth in every part of the country.
Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, said:
The UK is already a magnet for the world's most brilliant minds - and the discoveries they make here change lives and grow our economy.
By expanding the Global Talent visa to more than 100 businesses, we're making it easier than ever for our most innovative companies to recruit eligible researchers who will develop the medicines, technologies and industries of the future right here in the UK, underpinning our industrial strategy, creating skilled jobs and driving growth in the process.
UKRI International, Talent and Skills Champion, Professor Christopher Smith, said:
By providing a route for exceptional researchers to work in and contribute to the UK, the Global Talent visa is playing an important role in our mission to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth.
The expansion of the Global Talent visa to innovative businesses across the country will ensure these benefits are felt across more of the country and in a wide range of sectors, from medicines and AI to the creative and cultural economy.
The R&D companies covered by the expansion each fall into the eight high-growth sectors identified in the government's Modern Industrial Strategy - including advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, clean energy, life sciences and the creative industries - where access to global talent is critical.
Today's expansion to the Global Talent visa is in addition to the change made in April to simplify the visa's fast-track academic appointments route to cover all roles at approved UK institutions in academic, research or innovation leadership and development, and all PhD-level roles performing research and innovation as a primary function. These changes support our world-leading research base in attracting the best talent at all career stages, including researchers with high potential in the early stages of their career, to come to the UK.
In a further boost to innovative British businesses, the government is preparing to broaden the Future Technology Research and Innovation (FTRI) scheme. This is a UKRI-run scheme under the Government Authorised Exchange visa route that enables eligible UK companies, working on critical technologies, to host international researchers, scientists, interns and technical specialists for research, training and work placements of up to two years.
The forthcoming expansion will open FTRI to a wider range of R&D focused businesses, giving more companies in priority technology sectors - like AI, quantum and engineering biology - a way to tap into specialist international expertise. These could be early-career scientists gaining hands-on experience, to seasoned specialists collaborating on cutting-edge projects.
Faster, more flexible routes for early-career and experienced researchers are part of the wider government strategy to attract the world's best to UK shores. Through the £54 million Global Talent Fund, we are helping to bring new research group leaders to the UK - driving breakthroughs in clean energy, life sciences and advanced technologies. This has brought 18 leading researchers to the UK so far, each pursuing work key to the UK's Industrial Strategy.
This is in addition to launching the Global Talent Taskforce - a dedicated resource to identify and attract top international talent to lay down roots in the UK through a dedicated concierge service.
Oliver Buckley-Mellor, UK Competitiveness Senior Policy Manager at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said:
The UK's Global Talent visa is one of the most globally competitive routes of its kind, but its potential to boost British science and economic growth was not being fully realised.
By opening the endorsed funder route to research-intensive businesses, including several ABPI members, the government is helping to address a key gap in our global talent offer.
We were glad to work with UKRI on this expansion, which is a welcome first step that should be built on enable more exceptional global talent to come to the UK.
Jonathan Legh-Smith, Executive Director, UKQuantum, said:
Attracting world‑class international talent is critical to sustaining the UK's momentum in quantum. UKQuantum is delighted to have worked with UKRI to expand the Global Talent Visa scheme to the high‑growth quantum companies operating in the UK, strengthening the sector's ability to attract world‑class expertise.
Kate Barclay MBE, Skills Consultant, BioIndustry Association, said:
Our sector thrives on world‑class talent, and the UK's ability to compete globally depends on attracting and retaining the very best. By supporting our members to take part in this Global Talent visa expansion with UKRI, we are helping innovative life sciences and biotech companies directly access the specialist skills and international experience they need to scale.
This expansion is a vital, practical opportunity for BIA members to help shape a more agile, responsive immigration system that reflects the realities of a fast‑moving, high-growth industry.
Steve Brierley, CEO and founder of Riverlane, said:
Riverlane is a Cambridge-born company solving one of the hardest problems in computing today: making quantum computers reliable enough to be useful. Building the team to do that means competing for a small pool of world-class talent across borders.
The Global Talent visa gives us a fast, flexible route to bring the best people to the UK, and that speed matters when the field is moving as quickly as quantum is right now.
Notes
The expansion of the Global Talent visa has been delivered with UKRI's Visa Advisory Board, with the input of the following membership organisations: AIRTO, BioIndustry Association, BioNow, British Plastics Federation, Composites UK, Creative UK and UK Quantum.
This latest expansion to the Global Talent visa UKRI Endorsed Funder pathway builds on the initial expansion in May to cover the remaining Association for Innovation, Research and Technology Organisation members (including IBM).
- The full list of approved host research organisations, including the new businesses, is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukri-endorsement-employing-or-hosting-institutions-global-talent-visa/ukri-list-of-approved-research-organisations
- Details of eligibility criteria can be found here: Work in the UK as a researcher or academic leader (Global Talent visa): UK Research and Innovation endorsement - GOV.UK .
In April, the Home Office simplified the Global Talent visa's fast-track Academic Appointments route, making all R&I leadership roles and PhD-level research/innovation roles at approved UK institutions eligible for fast-track endorsement, a key commitment from the Immigration White Paper.
The Academic Appointments route provides fast-track endorsement for individuals who have accepted an eligible academic or research position at an approved UK higher education institution or research institute. It is administered by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society on behalf of the Home Office.
It is one of four endorsement pathways open to academics and researchers under the Global Talent visa, alongside Individual Fellowships (fast-track), Endorsed Funders (fast-track), and Peer Review.
Alongside the Global Talent visa and other talent mobility routes, ARIA continues to attract world-leading research talent to the UK, with 16 Programme Directors now in post and a further open call for a third cohort due to launch in August 2026.
Those interested in nominating their research intensive organisation to support those on the Global Talent visa can register their interest by completing this form: https://engagementhub.ukri.org/global-talent-visa/register-your-interest/start_preview .
- The government keeps the UK's visa and immigration offer, including the Global Talent visa route, under review to ensure the UK can access the high-skilled global talent to drive growth in priority sectors.
