How Will UK Visa Changes Impact Indians? Former Students Weigh In
As part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to control immigration numbers, the UK government on Thursday implemented an increase in the minimum income threshold required to sponsor a family member’s visa in the country as a ‘dependent’.
The move, which follows recent changes in the United Kingdom’s Work, Study and Graduate Route (post-study work) visas, has reignited apprehensions within the Indian diaspora because of tightening eligibility conditions and increased restrictions. Indians constitute the largest group granted study and work visas in the United Kingdom and people who have studied in the country say it is bound to have an adverse impact.
Sanam Arora, founder and chairperson of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, said, “The Graduate visa is a key requirement of Indian students, and a critical offer of the UK’s international higher education system.”
On the social implications of dependents being snubbed, Anahita Masters, an Alumni of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), said, “Restrictions on post-graduate research students bringing dependents is a huge setback to all students with dependents, particularly women.”
The minimum income required to bring dependents on a work visa jumped from 18,600 pounds (approximately ₹ 19 lakh) a year to 29,000 pounds (approximately ₹ 30 lakh, a 55 per cent rise), with a subsequent increase to 38,700 pounds (approximately ₹ 40 lakh) planned for early next year. Moreover, social care workers are not allowed to bring any dependents, irrespective of income level.
This is the newest addition to a slew of restrictive visa rules. Starting January this year, people on student visas can no longer bring dependents to the UK. Additionally, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been commissioned to review the Graduate route visa, which allows international students to stay in the UK for 2 years after graduating to find employment without requiring sponsorship. MAC is tasked with finding if the visa has any significant purpose, suggesting necessary changes, and potentially voting to discontinue it.
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