By Uglobal Staff
The United Kingdom has announced a new visa route for young Indian professionals, thousands of whom will now have the option to work in the UK for up to two years.
The new visa route, known as the Young Professionals Scheme, is part of the Migration and Mobility Partnership signed between the two countries on May 4. The scheme allows young professionals from both countries to live and work in each other’s countries as well as facilitates the removal of Indian nationals from the UK who have overstayed their visas.
According to the agreement, thousands of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 will be able to utilize this new visa route. Indian professionals applying for visas under the scheme would also have to prove they have at least 2,530 British pounds in savings and that they can support themselves while they stay in the UK. They would need a degree or diploma that proves they’ve had at least three years of higher education. Young professionals would be able to stay in the country after they complete two years of work in the UK, provided their employer gives them a work contract.
The number of visas for young Indian professionals has been capped at up to 3,000 per year.
UK aims to attract Indian talent with new visa stream
British Home Secretary Priti Patel, who had signed the deal with her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was quoted saying in the statement: “The UK Government is committed to deliver an immigration system that offers clear opportunities to the brightest and best talent from India and around the world to come to the UK to study, work and live. This ground-breaking new partnership with India is an important milestone in delivering on that commitment.”
“It will give greater freedom and opportunity to thousands of young people in the UK and India wanting to experience each other’s cultures, whilst also ensuring that we can work together to protect the vast majority of Indian nationals who do play by the rules.”
The deal also has a whole chapter on “the prevention and combatting illegal migration”; however, it does not specify exactly how many Indians who have overstayed their visas will be deported following this agreement; however, some British media reports suggested that the figure could run into thousands.
The agreement also specifies that the latest visa route for young Indian professionals will be on top of other schemes announced for international students and highly skilled professionals from around the world.
In March, the UK announced that all international students who apply for their visas under the Graduate Route from July 1, 2021, would be eligible to stay in the country for at least two more years upon completion of their studies during which they could seek work experience. Also, earlier this year, the UK announced that a new visa stream to facilitate the hiring of highly-skilled workers in the British financial sector would be implemented from March 2021.
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