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The government on Friday told Parliament that as per new visa rules of the UK government, international students will not be able to switch out of the student route into work routes before their studies have been complete.
This became applicable from July 17, 2023, onwards, the government said, adding that the new visa rules will affect students from all nations.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in an oral response to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Ray in Lok Sabha that from January 1, 2024, onwards, international students will not be able to bring dependents unless they are on postgraduate courses, currently designated as research programmes.
France has indeed long been recognised as a premier destination for international students. Indian students with a Master’s degree or above and who have spent at least a semester studying in France are eligible for a 5-year short-stay Schengen visa. This is a special provision for Indian alumni to enable them to keep close links with France and their French counterparts.
In 2022, the number of Indian students (excluding dependents) who have gone to the UK for studies was 1,39,539, the minister further said.”The new visa rules will affect students from all the countries. The government of India remains closely engaged with British authorities on all issues relating to further strengthening of people to people ties and the movement of young Indian students and professionals,” Jaishankar said.
Ray had sought to know whether the government has taken note that UK has changed its visa rules for students from abroad, which would impact millions of Indian students who undertake part time work to meet their expenses abroad while studying.
The UK is second to the US as the favored destination for international students. The UK has some of the best ranked universities in the world, some of which appear in the world university rankings. Every year, over 600,000 international students come to the country to pursue a variety of academic programs ranging from bachelor’s degrees to PhDs.
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