UK plans fast-track visa to attract scientists after Brexit

LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he plans to introduce a new fast-track visa to attract more of the world’s best scientists to the U.K.

Johnson said Thursday he wanted to “ensure our immigration system attracts the very best minds from around the world.”

Few details were announced. Johnson said the government would work with the scientific community on the new visa, “with a view to launching it later this year.”

Britain is facing its biggest immigration shakeup in decades after it leaves the EU, currently scheduled to happen on Oct. 31.

After Brexit, EU citizens will lose the automatic right to live and work in the U.K., and Britons to settle in the bloc’s 27 remaining nations.

That has sparked fears Britain may face shortages in key job areas.