Home Office to offer easier visa application process to Oscar winners

The move is part of changes to the immigration system in the Government’s bid to attract the ‘best and brightest’ from around the world to the UK.

(PA)

By Flora Thompson, PA Home Affairs Correspondent

May 04 2021 03:50 PM

Winners at the Oscars, Grammys and those awarded a Nobel Prize will be among those able to get visas to live and work in the UK more easily under immigration reforms.

The Home Office announced the decision to “fast track” the process for those winning prestigious awards in the arts – also including at the Golden Globes, Baftas, Brit Awards and the Mobos – as well as for sciences, engineering and technology.

The move is part of changes to the immigration system in the Government’s bid to attract the “best and brightest” from around the world to the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the move (Aaron Chown/PA)

At present, the visa application process known as the “Global Talent route” means such people have to receive an endorsement from one of six bodies.

From Wednesday, the new system will allow people who hold a qualifying prize to make a single visa application.

Those eligible will include winners of a whole host of Oscar and Tony categories and those who scoop up best international male or female at the Brit awards, the best international act at the Mobos or the lifetime achievement award at the Grammys.

Winners of best film actress, actor or director at the Baftas would also qualify as well as anyone picking up the Nobel Prize for literature, some sciences and medicine or the Turing Award.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Winners of these awards have reached the pinnacle of their career and they have so much to offer the UK.

“These important changes will give them the freedom to come and work in our world leading arts, sciences, music, and film industries as we build back better.

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“This is exactly what our new point-based immigration system was designed for – attracting the best and brightest based on the skills and talent they have, not where they’ve come from.”

The list of qualifying prizes will be kept under review.