Swiss-UK Science Committee Eyes ‘Talent Visa Light’ to Boost Researcher Mobility

At the third meeting of the Swiss-British Joint Committee on Science and Innovation in London on 21 November, delegates agreed to explore a bespoke ‘talent visa light’ model that would allow short-term research exchanges of up to 180 days without counting against Switzerland’s or the UK’s regular work-permit quotas.

State Secretary Martina Hirayama, who led the Swiss delegation, said seamless mobility is essential as Bern negotiates its long-awaited association to Horizon Europe and as the UK re-joins the programme. The committee oversees collaborative projects worth CHF 80 million in quantum computing, life sciences and AI.



Officials stopped short of announcing binding policy but tasked a working group with drafting options by mid-2026. Industry body SwissInnovation wants Bern to replicate the UK’s Innovator Founder visa in reverse so that British spin-offs can base themselves at Swiss incubators with minimal red tape.

For mobility managers the immediate message is ‘status quo’: the bilateral Services Mobility Agreement (SMA) continues to allow up to 90 days of visa-free work per year. However, firms engaged in joint R&D ventures should watch the forthcoming proposals, which are expected to tackle spousal work rights and social-security coordination—two perennial pain points in cross-border assignments.