Indian Student Group Launches 'Fair Visa, Fair Chance' Campaign to Save UK's Popular Graduate Route Visa

The "Fair Visa, Fair Chance" campaign was initiated by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, a prominent Indian student representative organization in the UK.

The campaign aims to support the post-study Graduate Route visa, which has been popular among Indian students since its launch three years ago.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been commissioned by the UK Home Secretary to review the visa and ensure it is "fit for purpose." NISAU UK is concerned that the review may reverse the progress made and negatively impact Indian students.

The MAC is expected to report on the matter next month.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is reviewing the Graduate Route visa at the request of UK Home Secretary James Cleverly to ensure it remains effective.

International students benefit from this visa by earning money to pay for their degrees and gaining work experience.

Lord Karan Bilimoria, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Students, emphasizes the importance of offering post-graduation work opportunities to compete with countries like the US, Canada, and Australia.

Removing the two-year post-graduation work visa could send negative messages and lead to a decline in international student applications.

The text discusses the concerns of the Indian Students' Association in the UK (NISAU) regarding the potential curtailment of the Graduate Route, which allows international students to work in the UK after completing their studies.

The association argues that such a move would be detrimental to the UK economy, as international students contribute approximately GBP 42 billion.

Since its relaunch in 2020-21, a total of 213,250 visas have been granted under this route, with Indians making up 43% of those granted leave to remain.

The NISAU chair, Sanam Arora, emphasizes the importance of the Graduate visa for Indian students and the UK's international higher education system.

A representative from NISAU UK spoke about the importance of the Graduate route, which allows international students to stay and work in the UK after graduation.

They mentioned that the route was crucial for university finances and that its absence could negatively impact both international and domestic students.

NISAU UK has been invited to present evidence to the Migration Advisory Committee and plans to share research and experiences from the India-UK Achievers Honours programme.

There has been a 4% decrease in applications from India to UK universities due to concerns about post-study work opportunities.

The Home Office has raised concerns about the increase in international post-graduate students attending universities with the lowest UCAS entry requirements, which has risen by over 250% between 2018 and 2022.

This trend challenges the government's goal of attracting the "brightest and the best" students.

In its annual report, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) stated that the Graduate Route, which allows international students to work in the UK after graduation, has been successful in increasing the number of international students in higher education.

However, if the objective is to attract talented students for high-skilled jobs, MAC is skeptical that the Graduate Route adds much value, as many may end up in low-wage jobs, and the Skilled Worker route was already available for this purpose.