The reported reversal of the UK government’s stringent stance on the graduate visa route (GVR) scheme has sparked a significant surge in interest among Indian students for UK-based universities.
Platforms monitoring student immigration have noted a notable increase of nearly 20-25% in inquiries from prospective students over the past fortnight regarding studies in the UK. Vaibhav Gupta, co-founder of iSchoolConnect, stated, “We have seen a jump of 22% in the total number of queries since May 16. As opposed to 118 daily queries we were receiving since January this year, we are now observing it rise to about 146 queries per day.”
While it is too early to gauge a surge in actual applications, industry experts suggest that the uncertainty surrounding studying in the UK has diminished. Karunn Kandoi, Chief Experience Officer at ApplyBoard, remarked, “There is definitely a positive sentiment in the market.”
Earlier this year, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposal to restrict or potentially abolish the two-year post-study work visa scheme had caused concern among stakeholders. However, following backlash from the cabinet, industry, and universities, the government reconsidered its stance.
The University of East Anglia, for example, reported a 40% decrease in international student enrollment last week, impacting its finances. Since January, there has been a significant decline of up to 40% in applications by Indian students to UK universities, primarily due to revised visa rules implemented at the start of the year.
The proposed tightening of visa rules by Sunak is expected to face opposition. The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recently supported the GVR scheme, stating it is not being abused by foreign students. The UK remains the second-most preferred foreign destination for Indian students, with over 1.2 lakh students from India entering the UK in 2023, according to Project Atlas data.
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