The UK has always been attractive for talented young people across the globe including Indian students. Today, Indians form one of the largest groups of international students in the UK.

In fact, with a 96% student visa acceptance rate, over the past three years alone, about 1,65,000 Indians have acquired student visas for the UK. In the year ending March 2022, as many as 107,978 Indian students were issued study visas to the UK, marking a significant rise of 93% compared to the same period before that.
This comes as no surprise, as Indian students have always found the UK to be an attractive study destination. This can be attributed to the presence of renowned educational institutions, world-class infrastructure and faculty, or the quality of studying and living in the UK.

However, one of the most important factors for choosing the UK for higher education is the opportunity for students to pursue their dream career in the UK or be armed with globally recognised degrees.

 

THE GRADUATE ROUTE

In recent years, the two countries have worked together on key strategic initiatives for the mutual benefit of students across the UK and India.

The Graduate Route (GR) launched by the UK in July 2021 allows international students to stay in the UK for a maximum period of two years (three years for PhD students) to work or look for work.

Through this, the UK has opened a world of possibilities for international students including Indian applicants. The Graduate Route is providing an opportunity for talented international students to stay in the country and bring positive socio-economic impact.

HOW THE GRADUATE ROUTE OFFERS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

India and the UK are working closely to support student mobility and create better opportunities for Indian students to succeed in a global job market.

The launch of the Graduate Route or the announcement of the Graduate Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1) which allows graduates with a business idea to set up their businesses in the UK stands as a testament to the UK’s efforts for extending support to Indian students.

The Graduate Route gives the smart and brightest graduates the opportunity to pursue world-class UK education and post-study employment opportunities.

UK as a campus destination works on developing students into global leaders, employable anywhere in the world. This impacts the return on their investment, raising consideration for the UK among Indian students looking to pursue a higher education abroad.

Additionally, universities in the UK have been focussed on growing relationships with Indian academic institutions for promoting transnational education (TNE).

While the cooperation among the UK universities, institutions from India and various Indian state governments has increased, the Graduate Route can strongly propel the efforts further, bringing in more partnerships, and allowing the greater exchange of knowledge, best practices, students and faculty.

MORE INITIATIVES FOR INDIAN STUDENTS

Over the past two years, the UK has worked towards streamlining the path for international students, especially from India, as education, research and innovation are key pillars of the India-UK bilateral relationship.

In 2021, the two countries announced India-UK Roadmap 2030 to pave the way for deeper collaboration between India and the UK allowing for more exchange of knowledge and ideas between institutions and supporting the two-way mobility of students, teachers and researchers.

The UK is committed to supporting thousands of Indian students in their dreams to gain knowledge and achieve success in a globalised world.

A recent announcement of providing Priority and Super Priority visas for Indian students aiming to apply for the next academic session or the signing of the MoU on the mutual recognition of academic qualifications (MRQs) to recognise academic qualifications from undergraduate and post-graduate to doctorate degrees, is a testimony to India’s and UK’s efforts towards empowering students.

Article by Rittika Chanda Parruck, Director Education, British Council India

Source:  https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/study-abroad/story/uks-graduate-route-allows-indian-students-to-study-abroad-and-launch-a-global-career-2287215-2022-10-19