Talent in the life sciences sector series: Talent without borders - Immigration solutions to close the talent gap (Part 4/5)

This article is the fourth in our Spotlight on: Talent in the life sciences sector series.

Following our article on Talent trends and solutions for the life sciences sector, published as part of our Biotech Review of the Year - Issue 12 publication earlier this year, we have produced a five part article series which explores the reasons for the continued shortage of talent within the life sciences sector and strategies for addressing this challenge.

There are a number of routes to entry which may be utilised to bring skilled professionals into the UK from overseas. UK employers should consider a three-pronged approach

This fourth article details how successful management of a sustainable talent pipeline will rely to a certain extent on the sector’s ability to tap into the global talent pool. There are a number of routes to entry which may be utilised to bring skilled professionals into the UK from overseas. UK employers should consider a three-pronged approach:

1. international recruitment to fill in-demand roles;
2. improving the international agility of the existing workforce; and
3. taking advantage of the growing numbers of international students coming to the UK seeking to obtain qualifications in relevant higher education

In 2023/24, 23% of the total UK higher education student population consisted of overseas students. The vast majority of which were from outside the EU. After the US, the UK is the second most popular destination for international students. Overseas students are also more likely to study full-time and/or continue to complete postgraduate courses. With computer science courses being the second most popular undergraduate subject studied by overseas students in 2023/24, international students may play a key role in meeting demands for skills such as computational science, robotics and process engineering which are considered to be priority areas for the sector. The student visa route is a most popular route of entry, with many then opting to remain in the UK upon completion of their qualification, under a graduate visa.¹

Other visa routes to entry are also being utilised to attract talent to the UK. Since its introduction in February 2020, 12,243 Global Talent visas have been granted to those with talent or promise in the fields of science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture.² A skilled worker visa still remains a common and popular route to entry with over 60,000 issued in the year ending March 2025, despite grants reducing by 23% on the previous year. Over 181,900 graduates have switched visa permitting them to work post-study and over 103,000 skilled worker extensions have also been granted in the year ending May 2025, 31% and 19% more than the previous year respectively.³

A flexible approach to immigration

Globally, countries are competing to be the desired destination for top talent from across the world. Like the UK, the US offers various temporary and permanent pathways to attract professionals working in STEM fields. Some are suitable for those with ‘extraordinary ability’ including in the field of science or for ‘outstanding professors or researchers’ within their academic field. Others are suitable for skilled workers with a minimum of 2 years training or experience (including in STEM fields), or for students with bachelor's, master’s or PhD qualifications in a STEM field from a US university who wish to extend their stay in order to find work. Having a pre-existing relationship with a company that does business both in the US and abroad can also be a route to entry. This flexible approach to immigration may explain why overseas workers make up a growing share of the STEM workforce in the US. For example, in 2019 over 23% of STEM workers were immigrants, an increase of almost 45% since 2000.⁶

Rather than focussing on variety, other countries are attempting to attract and retain talent by making immigration routes simpler, quicker and more beneficial. For example, in February 2023 Japan announced a ‘J-skip’ visa, to enable those with specific income and work experience or academic qualifications to skip the point based system to be granted Highly Skilled Professional status automatically. Introduced from April 2023, this visa offers additional benefits, with these individuals qualifying for permanent residence after just one year and any accompanying spouse being able to apply for a visa enabling them to work full-time. Japan has also introduced a ‘J-Find’ or Future Creation Individual Visa which enables graduates from prestigious overseas universities to come to Japan to job search, for up to two years.⁷ This is unlike the US, for example, where a number of entry routes require the applicant to have already secured a job. 

European Talent

Companies situated within EU countries and Switzerland, such as the life science hubs of Switzerland or Germany, continue to benefit from the free movement of workers between EEA states and Switzerland. In addition, companies situated within the Schengen Area (comprised of 29 European countries), may choose to take advantage of the Schengen visa, particularly if they wish to encourage international mobility of their existing workforce who may need to undertake business trips within the area. A Schengen visa is suitable for nationals of third countries wishing to make short trips of up to 90 days within a 180 day period and enables them to enter and travel freely within the Schengen Area for limited business purposes without having to re-apply for a new visa for each country or entry.

Barriers to immigration

As discussed in article 2 in this series, there are clear challenges to global mobility. Net migration hit a record level of 906,000 in the year ending June 2023, dropping down to just 178,000 by June 2024.⁸ There is growing concern that an increasing number of restrictions to immigration may be starving the UK of top overseas talent. 

In May 2025, the UK Government published a white paper called Restoring control over the immigration system⁹ which set out 8 proposals to reduce legal immigration effectively making it more difficult for individuals to move to and settle in the UK. Many of the reforms are still at proposal stage and will require changes to the immigration rules, subject to consultation and with input from the Migration Advisory Committee. In light of the proposed reforms, however, employers will need to reassess hiring strategies and be mindful of higher costs and longer sponsorship commitments. Although there is no reintroduction of the resident labour market test, the clear intention is that companies must first maximise the use of the domestic workforce, before seeking skills from overseas. There is no overall timetable for the white paper proposals but there has already been a major round of changes to the Immigration Rules which took effect on 22 July 2025. This included an initial reduction to the list of eligible skilled worker jobs list with an increase to the minimum skill level for sponsorship for most roles to degree level, and an increase to the minimum salary thresholds for skilled workers.

Other proposals include:

• Shortening the skilled worker eligible jobs list by increasing the minimum skill level for sponsorship back to degree level, and increasing the minimum salary thresholds for skilled workers;
• Elevated English language requirements;
• Higher sponsorship costs, with the immigration skills charge increasing by 32%;
• Reducing the standard length of the Graduate visa from 2 years to 18 months;
• A longer path to settlement and citizenship, with the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain proposed to double from five to ten years;
• A review of the Global Talent and High Potential visa routes to attract the most talented individuals to the UK, for example expanding the number of qualifying overseas universities to potentially increase the number of international graduates who would be eligible for a visa under the unsponsored High Potential Individual route and allow them to come to the UK for two years and work without restriction; and
• Introduction of compliance rules to make it hard for universities to retain a licence to sponsor student visas. 

For further details about the immigration white paper we explore the reforms in a separate article here. If you have any questions or require immigration support or advice, please reach out to Manon Rattle, Lizzie Field, or another member of the Immigration & Employment team. We would be happy to help. 

The fifth and final article in our series will explore the various practical, legal and regulatory considerations that employers should hold in mind when navigating and implementing strategies to combat the talent and skills gaps they may be facing.