Under É«ºÐÖ±²¥ Office proposals, the points system for Tier 2 (skilled work) visas will be overhauled to prioritise PhD-level occupations with domestic shortages, including research and higher education teaching positions.

The changes, which, subject to parliamentary approval, will be introduced on 6 April, will mean that applicants with PhDs or equivalent-level job offers will be prioritised over applicants for lower-level jobs, even if they command much higher salaries.

But unlike sportspeople, ministers of religion and people earning more than ?150,000 a year, academics will not be exempt from the overall annual cap of 20,700 Tier 2 entries.

This means that universities will have to apply to the UK Border Agency for permission to recruit each non-European Union applicant.

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Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said the new rules represented an important victory for campaigners who had long argued that the UK¡¯s international standing in science and engineering was dependent on its ability to attract global talent.

¡°For a long time now, the visa-allocation system has rewarded wealthy investors and Premier League footballers, and discriminated against top scientists and engineers: it is great to see this finally being addressed,¡± he said.

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¡°While we still disagree that a cap on scientists and engineers is something the government should have at all, these proposals should mean that the UK can continue to work with the globalised world of research.¡±

Paul Marshall, executive director of the 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities, said he ¡°strongly welcomed¡± the revisions, but added that they should only be regarded as a first step.

¡°Alongside the US, British universities the global leaders in academic research. To continue to succeed, our universities need to be able to continue to recruit in all disciplines from a global talent pool building upon our deep and longstanding collaborations with foreign organisations, our overseas campuses and international research leaders from philosophy, to history to business to law and medicine,¡± he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com