The British government is facilitating, from Wednesday 5 May, the granting of work visas to award-winning scientists, artists or musicians, through a new skills-based immigration policy introduced after Brexit.
The winners of prizes such as the Nobel prizes, the Turing prize for computer scientists, the Grammys, the Oscars or the Golden Globes will be able to live and work more easily in the United Kingdom according to this reform introduced by the Home Office.
The winners of certain prizes in the fields of dance, fashion, architecture and social sciences are also concerned. Their procedures for obtaining a work visa will be simplified and accelerated.
New “points” immigration system
It fits into a new immigration system “Dotted” set up by the government after Brexit and which aims to attract “Better [talents] in the country according to the skills they can bring, rather than their nationality ”, said the Ministry of the Interior in a statement.
“The winners of these awards are at the peak of their careers and they have a lot to offer the UK, said the Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel, quoted in this press release. These important changes will give them the freedom to come and work in our industries of excellence in the arts, sciences, music and film. “
The control of immigration, in particular from poor countries of the European Union, was among the key themes of the Brexit referendum campaign in 2016. Since 1er January, European Union workers no longer enjoy full freedom of movement in the UK but are treated like non-EU citizens.
The new points system favors bright brains at the expense of low-skilled workers. To obtain a visa, skills, knowledge of English and financial resources are taken into account.