Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to exclude scientific research occupations from the cap on tier 2 visas.

The Government is committed to developing a future borders and immigration system that will cater for all sectors of the UK, including for those who make a very valuable contribution to our scientific community

As part of his Spring Statement on 13 March, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that PhD level occupations, which includes scientists and researchers, will be exempt from the Tier 2 (General) cap. In addition, he announced that those same occupations will be exempt from our rules on absences from the UK, ensuring that they can take part in research activities overseas without impacting adversely on settlement applications where absences from the UK are taken into account. The Government intends to give effect to this change later this year

The Migration Advisory Committee recommended retaining the minimum salary threshold at £30,000. However, we have been clear that we want to engage with businesses and employers as to what salary threshold should be set. Currently, graduate entry jobs are already subject to a lower salary threshold and we will continue with that approach – and we are considering whether some occupations, such as those recognised on the Shortage Occupation List, should be subject to a lower salary threshold.

We have launched engagement over 2019 with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including the science and research sectors, and we will be listening to their views on the key proposals in the White Paper before taking final policy decisions on the future system, which will be implemented after 2021.