UK Excludes India From Relaxed Student Visa Rules

New Delhi: The UK government recently made changes to its immigration policy tabled in Parliament on Friday and the new list of 25 countries considered low risk to facilitate an easier visa application process to UK universities does not include India.

This has led to an outrage among Indian students.

Countries like China, Bahrain and Serbia have been added to the list already covering the US, Canada and New Zealand. The students from these countries will face reduced checks on educational, financial and English language skill requirements to study there. The changes will come into effect from July 6.

India, having been excluded from the list, will have its students face rigorous checks and documentary requirements for the similar courses. Indian-origin entrepreneur and President of the UK council for International Student Affairs, Lord Karan Bilimoria described this move as an insult to India, quoting this is as yet another example of Britain’s economically illiterate and hostile attitude to immigration. However, he welcomed the overall visa relaxation measures introduced by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK also expressed its disappointment at India’s exclusion from the list. “It is unfair that Indian students shall be treated differently from Chinese or other nationals on the list,” said the representative body for Indian students in the UK.

The latest data by Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal that India is among the top three countries from where overseas students come in to study at UK universities, after China and the US. While Indian students registered a rise of 30% to hit 15,171 Tier 4 visas last year, the numbers remain a far cry from around 30,000 six years ago.

In a meeting with UK’s minister for universities last week, Indian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha had raised the issue of smoother and greater student and faculty mobility between the two countries.

Sinha said it was unfortunate how in last six years, a steep drop in Indian student numbers was seen and that students choose countries like the US, or even France.

The UK Home Office said it has expanded the list of countries to make it easier for students to come and study in the country. A spokesperson said they welcome Indian students wanting to study in the UK. “We issue more visas to students from India,” the spokesperson said when asked why India has been omitted from the list.

The Home Office further said 90% of Indian students get visa, a figure up from 86% in 2014 and 83% in 2013. It also said the proportion of Indian students coming to the UK at a university has increased from around 50% in 2010 to 90% in 2016.