Immigration and social security co-ordination (EU withdrawal) bill
Summary of contents
This briefing highlights the potential impact of the Bill on the UK's chemical sciences sector. It emphasises the importance of global collaboration in science and the UK's ability to attract top talent from around the world. The new points-based immigration system includes provisions for skilled scientists, but high visa costs could undermine the UK's ambitions, particularly affecting SMEs. The briefing recommends benchmarking visa fees against other leading science nations to keep the UK attractive for scientific talent.
Additionally, the briefing notes that the immigration bill and the future immigration system were developed before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has significantly altered international movement. The pandemic has already impacted the number of international students coming to the UK, and an unwelcoming immigration policy could exacerbate this decline. The RSC suggests reviewing the bill to account for the pandemic's impact and to continue attracting global talent to the UK for both work and study.