UK mulls over plans to scrap visa fees for top talent, FT says

UK considers abolishing fees for its Global Talent Visa. [https://invezz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UK-visa.webp] The UK government is weighing a plan to scrap visa fees for global top talent seeking to live and work in the country. The potential move reported by Financial Times is potentially aimed at making Britain far more welcoming for elite professionals in fields like technology, science, and the arts. Right now, top minds from overseas must pay hundreds of pounds in application and health surcharge fees just to work and live in the UK. Scrapping these costs would be a bold statement in the global race for talent, at a moment when fierce competition internationally means every skilled worker is a prized catch. UK’S POSSIBLE AMBITIONS BEHIND THE FEE SCRAP The real motivation here seems to be bigger than just boosting immigration numbers, as it’s about future-proofing Britain’s economy. UK businesses and universities have made no secret of their struggles to recruit world-leading experts, from programmers to biochemists, as post-Brexit rules and rising living costs have begun to bite. Visa charges for the country’s coveted Global Talent Visa, can…