Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2023 to Question 188517 on Visas: Africa, what mechanisms her Department has for identifying individuals coming to the UK for the purposes of scientific research.

The Home Office requires all those coming to the UK who need a visa to complete a visa application form which contains questions around an applicant’s intentions whilst in the UK. Applicants would use these questions to explain the purpose of their stay which would include scientific research, usually either via a sponsored work migration route or as a visitor.

Each case is then assessed on its merits by a trained entry clearance officer. However, the reasons for travel to the UK are not routinely collated as part of the Government’s regular migration statistics.