President Trump’s upheaval of the US H-1B visa programme has left the UK with an ‘unprecedented opportunity’ to recruit some of the world’s most talented engineers, founders, and researchers.

In an open letter addressed to the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, tech policy campaigners at Startup Coalition said that Trump’s introduction of a $100,000 (£74,000) fee for skilled worker permits last week had created uncertainty across Silicon Valley, and that the UK should look to position itself as the tech industry’s new ‘destination of choice’.

“This is not a moment for quiet diplomacy or understated British reserve. This is a moment for bold, decisive action,” said the letter, signed by Dom Hallas, executive director of Startup Coalition.

“Every brilliant engineer who chooses Berlin over Birmingham, every innovative founder who picks Toronto over Manchester, represents not just a missed opportunity but a competitive advantage handed to our competitors.”

Figures from the Pew Research Centre earlier this year show that around 400,000 H-1B applications for high-skilled foreign workers were approved by the US last year, the number doubling over the last twenty-five years as tech has taken off.

The data shows that 65% of these approved applications were renewals, which Trump’s plans are not meant to impact, with the President’s press secretary clarifying that those who already hold H-1B visas will not be made to pay.

However, for the 35% of applicants trying to obtain an H-1B for the first time, amounting to 85,000 new visas handed out every year, the US Government’s one-off, $100,000 fee might be enough to deter even the most qualified candidates.

Trump’s move is especially concerning because of the outsized impact that foreign-born entrepreneurs play in the West’s tech industry. Analysis from Cruchbase shows that 44% of US unicorn founders are immigrants, with India by far leading the way – perhaps no surprise given that last year Indians received more than 70% of H-1B visas.

The UK is no exception, either. Data from the Entrepreneurs Network shows, for example, that 39% of the UK’s fastest-growing startups have at least one immigrant co-founder, despite under 15% of UK residents being born abroad.

Given the importance of foreign tech talent, Startup Coalition said that the UK Government should make the most of America’s new approach by introducing more ‘ambitious and targeted’ visa routes.

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The campaign group said this should include an immediate expansion of the Global Talent Fund, launched over the summer to attract ‘outstanding’ international research teams to UK universities.

According to the letter, this should be coupled with an expedited visa process for H-1B holders and applicants looking to relocate away from the US, and one-to-one Home Office support to help applicants navigate their transition.

“This uncertainty for global tech could be a transformative silver lining for the UK economy,” wrote Hallas.

“In the run-up to what will inevitably be challenging economic decisions ahead, the Government cannot afford to leave this generational opportunity to chance. 

“We urge you to work with the Chancellor and the newly appointed Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology…to announce an ambitious expansion of our talent attraction efforts.

“The UK has always been at its best when it embraces the world’s talent and gives them the platform to build extraordinary things. This is our moment to prove that this remains true.”