India dropped, China added in UK’s revised student visa rules
The UK government has caused outrage with its decision to exclude Indian students from a new list of countries considered “low risk” in order to facilitate an easier visa application process to UK universities.
By : migrator
Update: 2018-06-16 19:30 GMT
London
In changes to its immigration policy tabled in the Parliament on Friday, the UK Home Office announced a relaxation of the Tier 4 visa category for overseas students from around 25 countries. On a list already covering countries like the US, Canada and New Zealand, the Home Office has added on the likes of China, Bahrain and Serbia as countries from where students would face reduced checks on educational, financial and English language skill requirements to study at British universities.
The changes, which come into effect on July 6, aim to make it easier for international students to come to study in the UK. However, India has been left out of this new expanded list, which means such students applying for similar courses will continue to face rigorous checks and documentary requirements.
Lord Karan Bilimoria, Indian-origin entrepreneur and President of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), described the move as an “insult” to India and another example of Britain’s “economically illiterate and hostile attitude to immigration”.
Meanwhile, the UK Home Office said in order to make it easier for students to come and study in the UK’s world-leading education sector, it has expanded the list of countries from which students will be able to benefit from a streamlined application process. On being asked why India had been omitted from this expanded list, a spokesperson said, “We welcome Indian students who want to come to the UK to study at our world-leading educational institutions. We issue more visas to students from India than any other country except China and the USA.”
The Home Office stressed that 90 per cent of Indian students who apply for a UK visa get one, a figure up from 86 per cent in 2014 and 83 per cent the year before that.
Strict Norms
- Office of National Statistics (ONS) data says India is among top three countries from where overseas students come to study in UK after China and the US .
- While Indian students registered a hike of 30% to hit 15,171 Tier 4 visas last year, the numbers remain a far cry from around 30,000 six years ago .
- A Home office statement read, “Proportion of Indian students coming to study in the UK has increased from around 50% in 2010 to around 90% in 2016”.
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