Boris Johnson Announces Huge Overhaul Of Immigration Rules

8 August 2019, 20:21 | Updated: 8 August 2019, 20:26

Boris Johnson has announced the world’s top scientists will be encouraged to move to the UK under a shake-up of immigration rules announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday.

Announcing a new policy via a Facebook Live broadcast, Mr Johnson said: "We are today announcing here on Facebook Live that we are changing the rules on immigration so as to make the UK even more open, even more welcoming to scientists from around the world."

He added: "I want this country to be the greatest place for science, the greatest place to start a business and to invest, the greatest place to bring up your kids and send them to school, the greatest place to live. That is the mission."

Some of the measures announced by the Prime Minister will include:

-Abolishing the cap on numbers under the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visas

-Expanding the pool of UK research institutes and universities able to endorse candidates

-Creating criteria that confer automatic endorsement, subject to immigration checks

-Ensuring dependents have full access to the labour market

-Removing the need to hold an offer of employment before arriving

-Accelerated path to settlement

Dr Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "This is a positive signal on immigration, as business needs the new Government to demonstrate its openness to the world.