The expansion, announced on Thursday 6 August, gives more than 100 of the UK’s most innovative companies the ability to support some of the world’s best scientists and engineers to come to live and work in the UK.
Which companies can now support applicants
The companies include global names such as AstraZeneca and Jaguar Land Rover as well as fast-growing innovators including Added Value Solutions, Denroy Plastics and Ffilm Cymru. Each falls into one of the eight high-growth sectors in the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
The move builds on the existing endorsed funder pathway, which has already helped over 12,500 people from more than 130 countries. Researchers can now be supported by these commercial businesses alongside universities and research institutes.
Changes made in April
The August expansion sits alongside the April change that simplified the fast-track academic appointments route to cover all roles at approved UK institutions in academic, research or innovation leadership and development, and all PhD-level roles performing research and innovation as a primary function.
Future Technology Research and Innovation scheme
The government is preparing to broaden the Future Technology Research and Innovation scheme, a UKRI-run scheme under the Government Authorised Exchange visa route that enables eligible UK companies working on critical technologies to host international researchers.
This is general information drawn from the gov.uk announcement.