The Borders of Science: Making UK visa work for short-term researcher mobility

Short-term researcher mobility enables international collaboration and increases the impact and reach of scientific discoveries and innovations. Making the UK a top global hub for conferences and other research-related visits supports government policy on attracting science and technology talent to the UK. It also comes with economic and soft power advantages which extend beyond science. This report analyses the UK’s visitor visa arrangements for international researchers. Drawing on data from UK and international sources and a series of stakeholder interviews, it finds barriers and inefficiencies with the current system which cast doubt on its effectiveness. The recommendations – summarised below – are aimed at improving the experience for hosts and visitors while maintaining UK border security.