It seems that universities in the United Kingdom are trying to woo Indian students with inducements like “bring your family to the country”. If a recent report by Telegraph is any indication then the money is being paid to agents involved in marketing “graduate visas” to assist suitable Indian students to acquire visas for their spouses and children.
In fact, agents have started work on the same as well. Some agents are promising a “full-time job” for a spouse and a two-year “stay” in the country while others are asking relevant students to speed up as the UK might soon prohibit the entry of dependents to the country. It is to be noted that the British Council a few days back unleashed ‘The UK Quality Agent Framework’ to offer training and adopt a proper way of interacting with capable agents to help students make good decisions.
The latest development coincides with the UK government attracting unwanted publicity for its anti-immigrant image. The overall migration numbers in the country peaked at an estimated record of 504,000 in the year to June.
A graduate visa, which was formerly called the post-study visa, allows foreign students to reside in the UK for a minimum of two years after successfully finishing a course at a British university.
In recent times, the UK government had warned regarding the staggering number of dependents getting visas to enter the UK, from 44,000 to over 116,000 in only a year.
And Indians cornered 41 per cent of the total number of Graduate Route visas post its introduction in 2021, as per recent UK immigration statistics.
In the UK there are several senior ministers who want to restrict the number of dependents coming to the country and minimize international students opting for “low-quality” courses. However, experts have sent out warning over such a restrictive policy as it will hamper the financial prospects of UK universities, which lean heavily on foreign students for finance.
