AI Minister Kanishka Narayan has renewed his push for greater access to visas for highly skilled engineers, asserting that such reforms are vital for the UK to cultivate and retain its burgeoning technology sector. Speaking in his first interview since joining Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s cabinet, Mr Narayan outlined his commitment to leveraging his position to advocate for both visa reform and streamlined planning processes for AI development.
The Minister highlighted a strategic ambition to position the UK as a premier partner for tech investors, facilitating business growth and job creation. He stressed the importance of preventing promising British tech companies from being developed and initially scaled in the UK, only to seek further support and ultimately relocate overseas. This sentiment underscores a broader government initiative to ensure that high-growth firms can "start, scale, and stay" within Britain.
Mr Narayan’s current advocacy builds upon earlier proposals unveiled this year, which included measures to reimburse visa fees and accelerate application processes specifically for AI specialists. The government has since implemented a visa reimbursement scheme, enabling eligible scale-ups in digital technology, life sciences, and clean energy to claim up to £25,000 annually in immigration costs when recruiting international talent through the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Scale-up visa routes.
The UK has a strong track record of producing globally recognised tech companies, from the semiconductor giant Arm to industry leaders such as Darktrace and Deliveroo. While welcoming foreign investment, Mr Narayan expressed a clear desire for the significant economic and strategic benefits, as well as the associated job creation, to remain firmly within the UK. He also voiced an aspiration for Britain to become a hub for AI chip manufacturing.
Official Home Office figures for the first quarter of 2026 indicate the Global Talent visa route has shown resilience, with applications seeing only a 2.4 per cent year-on-year decrease, and over 99 per cent of decisions resulting in a visa being granted. Furthermore, recent research from Boston Consulting Group’s Intelligent Cities Index ranked London highly among global technology hubs, with managing director Arturs Smilkstins noting that success hinges on a city's effective use of technology, AI, and digital services within its innovation ecosystem.