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The majority share in the number of professional student visas issued by the UK was to Indian citizens again in 2019. Over 37,500 student visas were issued to Indian nationals, a 93% increase over 2018, while the number of Indians to get UK skilled work visa was more than 57,000.
The trend of increase in the number of UK visas received by Indians that was being seen from 2016, has continued in the year 2019 as well. As per the data released in the UK Immigration Statistics 2019 on 27 February 2020, a major share of the UK Tier-4 Student visas and UK Tier-2 WOrk visas were received by Indian students and professionals respectively.
The number of Indian students to receive UK Tier-4 visas in 2019 was more than 37,500. This is a 93% growth from 2018. On the other hand, over 57,000 Indian professionals received the UK Tier-2 skilled work visas in 2019, which was more than 50% of the total work visas issued by the UK.
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The data clearly suggests that the UK is being increasingly preferred as a study and work destination by Indians. However, the increase in popularity of the UK for Indians is not limited only to these two categories of travellers. There has been an overall growth of 8% in the total number of UK visas given to Indians in 2019 from the year before that. Over 510,000 visas to the UK were granted to Indian nationals in 2019.
This increasing interest of Indians in acquiring UK visas has been attributed to changes introduced by the country in its visa policy. These changes included establishing a new graduate route through which eligible students were allowed to stay in the UK for 2 years after completion of studies and introduction of a point-based immigration system.
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In 2018, an analysis of the number of UK visas received by Indian professionals and students had revealed a growth in percentage. In 2018, the skilled Indian professionals including doctors and software engineers received 54 per cent of Tier-2 skilled visa category granted by the UK Government. These statistics were shared by the Home Office. Indian nationals marked the largest increase in the grant of Tier 2 Visas.
The number of visas granted was being dominated by the Chinese students at 99,723 visas but marking a growth of only 13% from the previous year. The Indians had a growth of 35% as compared to 2017.
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The 2018 analysis reflected a continuing trend of increase in immigration to the UK from the non-European Union Nations such as India and China. The figures pointed out that 261,000 people came to the UK from non-EU countries such as India, which is considered to be the highest number since 2004. On the contrary, the net immigration rate from the EU countries was falling constantly to a level last seen in 2009.
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Different patterns for EU and non-EU migration have been seen since mid-2016 and that is when the EU referendum vote took place. Because of an increase in the number of people reaching the UK for work and study purposes, the non-EU net migration is at the highest level since 2004. The Office of the National Statistics (ONS) revealed that overall, net migration, emigration, and immigration figures have been stable since the end of 2016. The British Prime Minister Theresa May had taken an oath to level the playing field to the migrant workers shifting to the UK. The issue of immigration is considered to be a highly disputable one in Britain.
