Lord Tariq Ahmad, Deputy Foreign Minister of the UK, assures that the new visa rules exclude undergraduate students. Moreover, the UK happily welcomes Indian students.
As the anxiety among international students grew relating to recent immigration-related announcements, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the UK, Lord Tariq Ahmad, made a relieving statement.
According to Lord Tariq Ahmad, the revisions made to the UK visa are not aimed at undergraduate Indian students. He acknowledged the fact that Indian students have been of great benefit to the country. Further, he mentioned that these restrictions apply to students coming to the UK for one-year research and doctoral programmes.
On Lord Tariq Ahmad’s four-day visit to India, he worked towards strengthening the collaboration on science and technology between the UK and India. In his interview with the media house, he clearly stated that students who wish to pursue “undergraduate studies and research will always be welcomed.”
He added that recent UK visa curbs are directed towards students who are visiting the country for one-year research and a doctorate degree; however, they fail to complete their research. According to him, the country is looking forward to welcoming more Indian students in the UK. Earlier this year, there were reports from leading UK university officials regarding the cutback in the post-study work visa. This report clearly highlights the intention of the officials to reduce the number of months students can stay back after their graduation. However, the news was true; the UK government rejected the proposal in no time.