Boris eases visa rules to make UK a ‘science superpower’

BORIS Johnson last night pledged to turn Britain into a ‘science superpower’ as he relaxed visa rules for the world’s top brains.

In a marked policy shift, he scrapped a cap on leading figures from science, medicine, engineering and the arts who want to come here to work.

He has ordered officials to create a ‘fast track’ to bring in the best minds from overseas.

The policy was announced as the Prime Minister visited the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, which researches power from nuclear fusion.

Mr Johnson said: ‘Britain has a proud history of innovation, with home-grown inventions spanning from the humble bicycle to the lightbulb.

‘But to ensure we continue to lead the way in the advancement of knowledge, we have to not only support the talent that we already have here, but also ensure our immigration system attracts the very best minds from around the world.’

Under existing rules the number of migrants who can come under the ‘exceptional talent’ scheme is a capped at 2,000. To qualify, they need endorsement from an elite body such as the Royal Society for science and medicine.

Mr Johnson will axe the cap and expand the pool of universities which can endorse candidates. Successful ones will get an ‘accelerated’ path to settling in the UK and can bring their families – who will also be allowed to work. Securing a visa will not require a job offer.

Mr Johnson also pledged to provide more funding for science institutions which have lost out on EU funding.

‘A proud history of innovation’