Highly skilled professionals in fields such as AI, finance, and academia regularly face bureaucratic obstacles to career moves, leading many to seek opportunities in other, more welcoming nations. This not only stifles innovation but also weakens the competitiveness of economies reliant on global expertise. We look at the key trends for 2025 and the potential solutions and actions that could be taken.
The rise of offshore campuses by UK universities
UK universities face significant visa hurdles for international students and are increasingly establishing satellite campuses in Asia and the Middle East. Institutions such as Nottingham and Heriot-Watt have expanded operations abroad, allowing them to tap into international markets without the complexities of UK immigration policies.
The University of Oxford says 46 per cent of its students and 48 percent of academic staff come from countries outside the United Kingdom. While the University of Cambridge does not have an overseas campus, it does have a global presence and offers a number of international programmes across Africa and Asia-Pacific, in particular Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore.
The University of Nottingham was the first UK university to open a branch campus overseas with the opening of its Malaysia Campus in 2000, followed by the China Campus in Ningbo in 2004. Heriot-Watt has campuses in Malaysia and Dubai, while the University of Newcastle has a campus in Singapore and Malaysia and co-chairs the
UK University Overseas Campus Network, (UUOCN) of which 18 UK universities are members.
In its most recent report, Professor Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor and President of Newcastle University, argues on behalf of UUOCN that overseas campuses can help the UK build its reputation as a science, innovation and education superpower.
“We urgently need the government to use its influence and diplomatic resources to help remove and prevent barriers-to-trade being placed in front of UK university overseas campus operations,” he says.
Ann Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Mauve, the global mobility services company, says UK universities are taking a strategic leap by expanding international hubs and campuses—a move that helps them stay financially stable, build global partnerships, and keep their influence strong despite stricter immigration policies.
“Universities operate 38 campuses across 18 countries, educating over 67,750 students abroad,” she says. While these campuses extend the UK’s academic reach, there is a downside: many international graduates trained to UK standards struggle to secure postgraduate visas for themselves and their families.
“This limits their chances of bringing their skills to the UK workforce and contributing to the economy,” she says. “At the same time, tougher immigration rules have actually fuelled the growth of these international hubs, leading to stronger global collaborations and more diverse research partnerships. By bringing top-tier education closer to students worldwide, these campuses don’t just expand the UK’s academic presence—they also strengthen global innovation and academic networks.”
The strategic dilemma for UK universities trying to maintain their UK influence
While offshore campuses enable UK universities to maintain global reach, they also pose strategic dilemmas. If more international students opt to study at these overseas branches, the financial and cultural benefits they bring to the UK may diminish.
It is a fine balance between overseas expansion, bringing academic excellence to new markets, and ensuring that the original institution has the right staff and research to maintain its reputation.
Emma Prodromou,
Global Business Expansion and Immigration Manager at Mauve Group, says the UK government has a tricky job—keeping its higher education sector strong while also managing immigration pressures.
“If the government want to attract more international students (which they do), they should also make it easier for those students to stay after graduation,” she says. “This would help build a strong talent pipeline in fast-growing fields like AI. But right now, restrictive visa policies—especially those that limit post-graduation work opportunities—could hurt the UK’s reputation as a top education hub. One big issue is not allowing dependents to join visa holders. If people can’t bring their families, they might think twice about staying.”
In order to stay competitive in innovation while managing immigration effectively, she says the UK needs to offer better pathways for international graduates—especially in high-demand fields like AI. Aligning visa policies with the AI Action Plan and introducing sector-specific visas for industries like cybersecurity and green tech would make the UK a more appealing place for top talent. By clarifying post-graduation work routes, international students would have an opportunity to build their careers here, which benefits both the workforce and the economy.
“Employers also need more support when it comes to sponsoring visas,” she says. “The process is complicated, and the record-keeping requirements can be complex. If the government made it easier for businesses to hire skilled international talent, it would strengthen the UK’s position in the global market.”
The UK’s AI Action Plan: ambition versus reality
The UK government has positioned itself as a leader in artificial intelligence, with its AI Action Plan emphasising investment, research, and regulation. However, industry experts argue that the lack of a clear talent pipeline—exacerbated by visa restrictions—threatens the plan’s effectiveness.
In addition, the UK government has sought to address AI talent shortages through initiatives such as the Global Talent Visa and AI scholarships. Yet these efforts remain insufficient against stiff global competition, particularly from the US and Canada, where tech hubs aggressively recruit international expertise with fewer barriers.
In the US, many US cities have universities that contribute to their status as tech hubs, including New York City (home to world-renowned universities like NYU and Columbia and Cornell Tech), Seattle (home to the University of Washington, a top public research university in the US) and Boston. Other top tech hubs in the US include San Francisco, which has access to world-class talent and billions of dollars in annual venture capital funding, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Chicago.
Under Biden, the US had 31 designated tech hubs across the US. These hubs involve public, private, and academic partners with the objective of developing emerging technologies, enable business start-ups and expansion, training the workforce of the future and attracting private sector investment.
Canada has many university tech hubs, including the University of Waterloo, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia. These universities are among the top 100 in the world for engineering and technology. The University of Waterloo is considered Canada's top technology university, home to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and Google’s Canadian engineering headquarters. McGill University is one of the world's top 100 universities in engineering and technology; Montreal is a major tech hub with many French companies, while Ottawa is home to Shopify and Canada's largest concentration of technology companies and employees.
Emma Prodromou argues that the UK risks losing ground to nations with more flexible immigration policies. It wants to be a global leader in AI, and its AI Action Plan is all about making that happen through investment, research, and skilled talent, but restrictive visa policies are making it harder to attract and keep the top AI minds the country needs.
“The UK’s visa options just aren’t cutting it for emerging fields like AI,” she explains. “The Global Talent Visa requires applicants to secure an endorsement from a recognised UK organisation ahead of arriving in the UK. The Skilled Worker Visa, which requires employer sponsorship, got even tougher in 2024, with a huge 48 per cent salary threshold increase—from £26,200 to £38,700—pricing out many recent graduates.”
The High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa, which is supposed to bring in top international graduates, excludes key institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology. Over half of the eligible universities are in the US, and there is only one from the entire Southern Hemisphere.
“That is a major missed opportunity for global talent diversity,” she says. “If the UK really wants to bring in the brightest minds in AI and beyond, it needs to rethink its visa system. The current options are either too restrictive or exclude top international talent. A better move would be to expand the HPI Visa to include more top universities worldwide and in the UK.”
On top of that, creating a Skilled Worker pathway specifically for graduate talent, with a salary threshold that actually reflects what graduates earn, would make a huge difference, she argues. By offering clearer, more accessible post-graduation work routes and sector-specific visas, the UK could build a strong talent pipeline and stay ahead in the race for AI innovation.
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The global war for talent- why the UK needs skilled professionals
Countries such as Germany, Canada, and Singapore are actively reforming their immigration policies to attract skilled professionals. These nations recognise that AI, cybersecurity, and biotech experts are critical to future economic growth. Yet the UK’s restrictive policies risk making it a less attractive destination, with top talent opting for more accessible markets.
“Countries like Germany, Canada, and Singapore are making it easier for skilled professionals—especially in AI, cybersecurity, and biotech—to live and work there,” Emma says. “They understand that attracting top talent in emerging fields is important for long-term economic growth and keeping their industries at the forefront of innovation.”
She says the UK could take a few lessons from these countries if it wants to stay ahead in AI and tech.
Take Canada, for example—their Express Entry system offers a fast and efficient immigration route for skilled workers, something the UK could use to meet the demands of its AI Action Plan. Singapore is another great example, with its fast-tracked work passes for tech professionals, keeping the country a major hub for innovation.
Then there is the EU’s Blue Card, which has recently become even more attractive. Lower salary thresholds, more flexible employment contracts, and a quick 30-day processing time make it one of the easiest ways for skilled workers to move to Europe. Blue Card holders can switch employers without having to reapply, and their partners and children can join them—with the added bonus that dependents can generally work too.
“These countries are proving that when you make it easier for top international talent to come and stay, your economy and tech sector thrive,” she says. “If the UK wants to keep its spot as a leader in innovation, it needs to take a similar approach.”
How geopolitical tensions affect the student market and migration
Global supply chains remain under strain due to geopolitical factors, including US-China tensions, the Russia-Ukraine war, and protectionist trade policies. The decoupling of Western economies from China in key sectors such as semiconductors and green technology further complicates international cooperation and investment flows.
Ann Ellis says that the flow of international students, partnerships, and academic collaborations for UK universities is definitely affected by a raft of political and economic factors. However, she is confident that universities have show that they can manage change and challenges and emerge stronger from them.
“If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that universities are incredibly adaptable,” she says. “Even when global supply chains were disrupted, they found new ways to deliver research collaborations and bring in global talent.”
In these situations, Mauve Group often steps in to help universities navigate international employment for faculty and researchers. This ensures that courses continue, and cutting-edge research moves forward—no matter the challenges. Rather than slowing progress, these obstacles can actually spark greater collaboration and innovation as universities rethink how they engage with global talent and tackle mobility issues.
“Geopolitical strains can also have financial consequences,” Ann explains. “Economic sanctions and trade policies can affect funding, which can be a big challenge for universities that rely on international partnerships and investments. Staying ahead of these shifts is crucial for keeping academic collaborations strong and sustainable.”
How technology will affect the future of international mobility and innovation
As visa barriers tighten in some regions, technology is reshaping global mobility. The rise of remote work, digital nomad visas, and decentralised talent networks presents new opportunities for skilled professionals. It is now possible to recruit the best people in the world without needing them to be physically present at head office.
However, unless major economies adapt their immigration policies to better accommodate international talent, innovation hubs may shift to more agile, forward-thinking nations. These nations offer more flexible working opportunities, including visas, or are cheaper places to establish a headquarters, or both.
“If the UK wants to stay ahead in innovation and tech, it needs to make it easier for top international talent to join the workforce,” Emma Prodromou says. “That means offering visa options that don’t just bring people in but also make them feel valued for their contributions. A more welcoming approach would go a long way in strengthening the UK’s reputation as a leader in education and technology.”
She argues that the UK’s visa system is not doing enough to attract talent in fast-growing fields like AI.
“Expanding the eligibility criteria for the Global Talent and Skilled Worker Visas would help bring in more top professionals,” she says. “The HPI Visa could also be more effective if it included both UK universities and a wider range of international universities, making it easier for highly skilled tech graduates to come and work in the UK. As it stands, many students educated to UK standards abroad are put off by restrictive visa policies, and that is a missed opportunity.”
India, for example, has several universities and cities that are tech hubs, including the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, and the cities of Chennai and Hyderabad.
Other places like Canada, Singapore, and the EU have already introduced fast-track visas to attract top talent—something the UK should consider, she says. On top of that, allowing visa holders to bring their families would make the UK a much more attractive destination. By taking these steps, the UK can strengthen its position as a global leader in education, tech, and innovation.
The UK is arguably at a crossroads when it comes to attracting new talent for AI and academic excellence. AI is reshaping the world, and the UK has the research power, academic status and international clout to lead the way, but only if it can attract and keep the brightest minds.
Right now, the visa system is tangled in red tape, pushing top talent elsewhere, and giving more innovative governments the opportunity to attract the world’s best. Canada, the US, and even smaller nations are enabling AI researchers and academics to travel, work and settle, while the UK risks shutting the door. If policymakers are serious about making the UK a global AI hub, they need to act fast: cut the bureaucracy, streamline the process, and make it clear that the UK is open for innovation. In the race for AI leadership, talent is everything—and time is running out.
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