Indians among fastest growing nationalities of foreign students in UK
There has been a
significant rise in the number of Indian students studying in the UK, according
to latest quarterly report on Migration
Statistics, published by the UK’s Office for
National Statistics last month. According to the report which covers the period
from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, 21,165 Indian students were granted Tier
4 (student) visas for the UK in the year ending March 2019, up from 15,161 for
the year ending March 2018, which is a 40% increase.
Indians now are among the fastest growing nationalities of foreign students in the UK along with Chinese, Americans and Saudis. According to the UK’s Future Border and Immigration System proposals set out in the Immigration White Paper (published on December 19, 2018), new post-Brexit immigration proposals will make it easier for Indian students to stay and work in the UK after completing studies in future. While students on undergraduate and postgraduate courses will have six months to remain in the UK after completing their studies to find a job, PhD students will get 12 months.
In 2018-19, the UK government offered 480 scholarships worth almost £4.7m to Indian students. “UK universities also contribute over £10 million annually towards scholarships and bursaries; so there are plenty of opportunities for students to gain financial support in their studies,” director of British Council in india, Jim Booth said