Visa Costs Delay Cancer Research in the UK

Strategic Insights -

Soaring international visa costs are deterring top researchers from accepting job offers in the UK, with many studies being delayed or shelved due to the financial burden. Cancer Research UK, one of the country's largest private research funders, has experienced a significant increase in immigration costs, which have risen by 126% since 2019. The charity's analysis shows that the amount it has paid in visa fees and other surcharges has nearly doubled since 2022-23, from £477,244 to £872,044 this year. This money could have been used to train 40 PhD students, according to Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cancer Research UK's immigration costs have risen by 126% since 2019, with the charity paying up to 17 times higher than comparable countries such as France, Australia, and the US.
  • The charity's annual spending on immigration costs has nearly doubled since 2022-23, from £477,244 to £872,044 this year, which could have trained 40 PhD students.
  • High visa fees have led to the rejection of 12 job offers by international candidates at Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute in 2024, with researchers needing to pay £6,694 for a five-year skilled worker visa and £5,941 for a five-year global talent visa.
  • Scientists with a family of four would need to cover costs of more than £20,000, making it unaffordable for many to bring their families to the UK.
  • Cancer Research UK has had to mothball a study in Scotland examining how to encourage a patient's T-cells to attack colon cancer cells, and delay a study in Manchester attempting to create liquid biopsies for early lung cancer detection.
  • The government's Global Talent Fund will invest £59m in attracting top researchers and their teams, including those in high-priority sectors such as life sciences.

Statistics:

  • 126% increase in Cancer Research UK's immigration costs since 2019
  • £477,244 to £872,044 increase in charity's annual spending on immigration costs since 2022-23
  • 12 job offers rejected by international candidates at Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute in 2024
  • £6,694 fee for a five-year skilled worker visa
  • £5,941 fee for a five-year global talent visa
  • £20,000+ cost for scientists with a family of four to bring their families to the UK
  • 40 PhD students that could be trained with the money saved on visa fees
  • £54m investment in the Global Talent Fund
  • £115m wider investment aimed at securing the world's best scientific and research talent for the UK

Sources:

  • The Observer
  • Cancer Research UK
  • British Future
  • Government spokesperson
  • Professor Seva Makeev, Cancer Research UK's National Biomarker Centre
  • Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK
  • Dr Ed Roberts, group leader at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute