Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the admission of foreign academics to the UK, the provision of evidence in cases where foreign academics are denied entry to the UK, and whether there has been a decline in the numbers of foreign academics visiting the UK.

This Government recognises the value that foreign academics bring to the country. There are a number of flexible routes that provide for a range of activities that are permitted to be undertaken in the UK.

The Immigration Rules set out the requirements of these routes. Academic visitors must satisfy the decision maker that they are genuine visitors who will leave the UK at the end of their visit, intend to undertake a permitted activity, will not undertake prohibited activities and have sufficient funds to cover the reasonable costs of the visit. Clear guidance is available online that explains the requirements and the evidence that an applicant may wish to provide in support of their application.

Due to the range of activities visitors to the UK can undertake whilst in the UK, the Home Office does not publish statistics of the sub-sets of visitors.