Visa Advisory Board - apply to join

The need for a Visa Advisory Board stems from the Code of Practice for Endorsing Bodies. UKRI, as an Endorsing Body for the Global Talent visa, is accountable to the Home Office for actions and decisions taken and will be open and transparent in its role.

UKRI operates two Government Authorised Exchange schemes to support short-term researcher mobility and is accountable to the Home Office for monitoring and assurance of the appropriate usage of these routes. 

The Advisory Board will support UKRI in its operation of the endorsed funder route of the Global Talent visa and in its operation of the Science, Research, and Academia (SRA) and Future Technology Research and Innovation (FTRI) Government Authorised Exchange schemes, and in areas related to global mobility as agreed by the Chair.

The Board will provide advice, but not make any binding decisions.

The Board will: 

1. Consider and advise UKRI on the eligibility criteria for the Global Talent visa and the Government Authorised Exchange schemes operated by UKRI. 

2. Provide advice to and develop options for UKRI on the decision to accept or reject new funders under the Global Talent visa, considering the criteria set by the Home Office in collaboration with UKRI.   

3. Engage with analysis of application and usage data of the Global Talent visa and Government Authorised Exchange schemes and help identify areas for development. 

4. Provide advice to UKRI on risk mitigation and contribute to assurance of the delivery of the Global Talent and Government Authorised Exchange schemes. 

5. Provide advice to UKRI drawing on organisational understanding or personal experience of the Global Talent and Government Authorised Exchange schemes. 

6. Provide advice and options on other decisions as requested by UKRI.    

Person specifications: 

All Visa Advisory Board members are required to have the ability to contribute to the range of activities undertaken by the Board. We would therefore expect applicants to have experience in and/or understanding in one or more of the following:

1. Experience/expertise in public sector research
2. Experience in industry/private sector research
3. Experience/expertise in immigration and/or mobility
4. Experience of collaborating between academia and industry
5. Experiene in governance within complex organisations

Our ideal candidates should also possess the following personal skills:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills;
• Sound judgement, integrity, and high ethical standards;
• Ability to work collegiately as part of an Advisory Board;
• Ability to critically and objectively challenge and probe.

Please note, whilst other routes of the Global Talent visa endorse arts and technology applicants, the Visa Advisory Board does not cover these discplines. 

Our expectations of Board members are that they:

• develop and maintain a reasonable level of knowledge of the immigration system and global mobility within research,
• assess and make recommendations on GTV endorsed funder nominations,
• attend two Visa Advisory Board meetings a year, 
• engage with updates and information shared between meetings, including updates on usage of the Global Talent visa and Government Authorised Exchange schemes,
• consult and interact with the community that they represent and feedback to the Visa Advisory Board as appropriate to provide a route for communication,
• proactively communicate on matters related to global mobility, the Global Talent visa and Government Authorised Exchange schemes.

It is essential that the successful candidate can commit the required time and attention to the role and have the full support of their employing organisation to do so.

Visa Advisory Board members should also adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, linked here.

Meeting frequency, remuneration and membership

The Visa Advisory Board will meet two times per annum, dependant on business requirements, although the Chair reserves the right to request additional meetings as required. More frequent working groups or task-and-finish groups may be established, and in some cases, advice may be sought by correspondence.

Board members will be asked to serve for a term of three years, at which point they will be asked to step down. UKRI reserve the right to disband the board at their discretion.

Meetings will be predominantly held remotely (via Microsoft Teams) unless there is an agreed need for a meeting to be held in person. There will always be an option for members to attend meetings remotely.

Members will be reimbursed for all reasonable travel and subsistence (T&S) costs associated with membership, in accordance with the UKRI T&S policy.