Immigration White Paper: How Adversely UK's New Visa Rules Impact Indian Students?

UK'S Fresh Visa Rules: The United Kingdom’s latest Immigration White Paper has introduced a stringent framework across key focus areas of work, study and settlement routes, which is most likely to affect Indian nationals, who constitute large portion of international students and skilled visa applicants.

Settlement Period Altered, Higher English Language Requisite

The fresh rules will not only double the standard qualifying period for settlement from five to ten years, but now the English language requirements will be applicable to more applicants, including dependents. Meanwhile, improvement in language ability will be monitored throughout the visa duration in question.

Speaking from Downing Street, UK's PM Keir Starmer said, “Skill requirements raised to degree level; English language requirements across all routes – including for dependents; the time it takes to acquire settled status extended from five years to 10; and enforcement tougher than ever because fair rules must be followed."

The Graduate Route visa, which currently allows students to remain in the UK for two years after completing their degree, has now been reduced to 18 months.

Earlier in the day, Sanam Arora, chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) United Kingdom, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I understand that the Graduate route will be reduced from 24 months to 18 months after completion of studies. It is not yet clear how this impacts existing students and incoming ones for the September 2025 intake.”

NISAU called for immediate clarification to avoid confusion among international students, especially those from India who form the largest user group of the Graduate Route.

“Panic must not be allowed to set in among current and prospective students. Immediate clarity is needed on who is affected and how,” NISAU said.

In November 2024, the Ministry of Education told the Rajya Sabha that 136,921 Indian students were studying in the United Kingdom. In the 2022–23 academic year, Indian student enrolment rose by 39 per cent to 1,73,190. This made India one of the biggest source of non-European Union (EU) students in the UK.