17 November 2015
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London will propose a post study work visa for Indian students on Tuesday morning. The visa will allow the students to stay and work in the UK for two years. Currently, the students get 3 months post-study to look for a job with a minimum salary of £20,800. The new visa also proposes no minimum salary for the commonwealth students.
This visa will be first trialled at Indian students as the number of Indian students have declined significantly since 2012-13 after changes in post-study visa. If successful, it will extend to other commonwealth students as well.
“Current restrictions on overseas students are putting off the brightest Indian minds from coming to study in the capital and it is crazy that we should be losing India’s top talent and global leaders of the future to countries like Australia and the United States,” Mr Johnson said ahead of a meeting on Tuesday with representatives from some of London’s leading universities.
Second proposal will be for all the students, regardless of their nationalities, students graduating in Science, Engineering, and Technology; to allow them to stay and work in the UK for two years. This is also a good news for many Indian students as STEM related subjects remain popular among students from India.
The UK is already facing a great deal of shortage of skilled professionals in Engineering and Medicine, so the new visa will also help fulfill the shortage of skilled professionals.
Professor David Gann, vice-president of Imperial College said "Indian students contribute immeasurably to the intellectual, cultural and economic vitality of London. When they come to the capital, great things happen - for the UK, India and the world. Almost every day I meet innovative Indian students who are helping solve global challenges and create new opportunities: from antibiotic resistance and climate change to fintech and personalised medicine. We should be clear: London's world-class universities' doors are wide open to India's brightest students".
London attracts more than 100,000 students every year, which contributes £3bn to the economy and supports 37,000 jobs. The constant decline in the number of Indians as well international students have been a worrying sign for the UK’s economy as well universities in the UK, which Johnson hopes to rectify with the new visa proposal.
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