The UK government has been urged to remove barriers in the visa process for researchers to capitalise on new US restrictions imposed by Donald Trump.

A?$100,000 (?74,000) fee for applicants to the H-1B visa programme?was announced by the US president over the weekend ¨C making a vital visa route?used by skilled foreign workers in the US inaccessible to many.

The UK is reportedly considering removing fees for its global talent visa in response. The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) warned that high visa costs are already a significant barrier but it is not the only change that needs to be made.

In a new report, CaSE highlights the significant barriers presented by the current system, including concerns raised by professionals who handle visa and immigration issues at UK research institutions.

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It warns that information about the visa route is often ambiguous over who is eligible and is hard to navigate. According to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which contributed to the report, the language around ¡°exceptional talent¡± can be intimidating for talented applicants, although many institutions also receive a large number of low-quality applications.

¡°These examples point to a wider issue of confusion and unclear messaging about who is eligible, resulting in missed opportunities and cost inefficiencies,¡± says the report.

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Visa policy is also increasingly complex and can put a significant strain on organisations, according to CaSE.

The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), a research organisation that specialises in molecular plant-microbe interactions, said visa support now demands a full-time employee in human resources (HR) as well as external support costing more than ?16,000 per year in legal fees.

¡°The UK visa system is becoming increasingly complex, unclear, and time-consuming ¨C especially for research institutes like TSL, which depend on international talent.

¡°Policy changes are poorly communicated, portals outdated and guidance inconsistent, requiring our HR to spend extensive time interpreting information.¡±

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TSL said that without a fair and functional visa system, the UK risks reaching a ¡°breaking point in our ability to attract global talent and sustain world-leading research¡±.

Alicia Greated, executive director of CaSE, said UK research faces ¡°major challenges¡± under the current system. She wants to see the government take action that will improve things for skilled workers and those that employ them.

Greated welcomed reports that the Labour administration was considering reducing visa fees?for highly skilled researchers, adding: ¡°If these changes happen, they will put the UK in a strong position to compete on the global skills market, especially given the changes in the opposite direction in the US.¡±

However, she said that the removal of indefinite leave to remain from individuals already settled in the UK ¨C as Reform UK?is advocating ¨C would be extremely damaging to UK R&D and the wider economy, as well as individuals and their families.

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¡°Policy proposals like this also have a negative impact on the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for the world¡¯s brightest and best researchers because people may worry their right to be in the country could be taken away.¡±

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com