20th Jan 2026 01:17
(Alliance News) - The UK will reimburse visa fees and fast-track applications for top international firms under plans to be announced by Rachel Reeves.
The chancellor will pitch the UK as a haven of "stability" in a volatile world as she seeks to woo business chiefs at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
In a speech at the gathering in the Swiss Alps, Reeves is expected to unveil incentives for global companies in artificial intelligence, life sciences and sustainable energy industries as part of her push for growth.
Under the proposals, visa fees will be reimbursed for "select trailblazers in deep tech sectors" and workers joining British companies in these "priority sectors", the Treasury said.
Meanwhile, companies seeking to grow their footprint in the UK will be offered fast-track processing for their sponsor licenses.
It comes as tensions simmer between Washington and European countries including the UK after US President Donald Trump's threats of a trade war over Greenland, a semi-autonomous region in the Kingdom of Denmark.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for calm and co-operation between allies amid the dispute over the mineral-rich territory, which Trump wants to take over because of its strategic Arctic location.
Reeves will lead a delegation including Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to the Swiss Alps, where she is expected to take part in a panel discussion including US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
Trump is also expected to attend the gathering later in the week.
Ahead of her visit, Reeves said: "In a volatile world Britain stands out. This government is making sure Britain is home to the stability, talent and capital that businesses and investors want and that drive greater growth.
"Some countries give you a platform, but Britain gives you momentum. My message at Davos this week is clear: choose Britain – it's the best place in the world to invest."
source: PA
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