Indian students outraged over UK exclusion from relaxed visa norms

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. In changes to its immigration policy tabled in Parliament yesterday, the UK Home Office announced a relaxation of the Tier 4 visa category for overseas students from around 25 countries.

On a list covering nations such as the US, Canada and New Zealand, the home office has added 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 UK varsities.

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 Indian 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”.

“I consider this another kick in the teeth for India... This sends entirely the wrong message to India, to exclude it from these Tier 4 measures. The government has simply got it wrong,” said Bilimoria, while welcoming the overall visa relaxation measures introduced by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid. Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer and founding-chair of UK India Business Council (UKIBC), added, “It is completely hypocritical that this is announced at the same time that Britain is talking about doing a post-Brexit free trade agreement (FTA) with India. If this is the way they treat India, they can dream on about an FTA with India.” “India has always been one of Britain’s closest allies and an emerging global economic superpower. Excluding India from this list is myopically shortsighted and is damaging what has always been a special relationship between our countries," he said.