London: Recent changes to the student visa
regime and the forthcoming closure of the post-study work visa
from April 2012 has reportedly led to drop in number of
Indians applying to study at British universities in the next
academic year.
The post-study work visa, which enables non-EU students
to work for two years in the UK after completing their
courses, has been popular among self-financing Indian
students, who try to recover the cost of their study by
working after their course is over.
The Home Office has announced that the post-study work
visa will be closed from April 2012 as part of the David
Cameron government's efforts to reduce immigration.
Recent changes to the student visa regime are also driven
by efforts to prevent its abuse.
According to Times Higher Education (THE), an
authoritative publication focused on the higher education
sector, British universities have been "hit by a downturn in
demand from Indian students".
Noting that changes to the student visa regime had
adversely affected international students, THE reported that
"a number of institutions are seeing declines of between 20
and 30 per cent in applicant numbers from the Indian
subcontinent".
THE reported in its latest issue said this is in addition
to Middlesex University and the University of Greenwich, two
institutions that have recruited heavily from the region and
are already known to have experienced a dip in demand from
India.
"The fall is thought partly to be due to negative media
coverage of UK visa policies, but is also being influenced by
the closure of the existing post-study work route in April
2012," it added.
PTI
First Published: Monday, November 21, 2011, 00:02