UK visa review on May 14 to have a far reaching impact on international students from India

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ALSO READ: UK appoints its first woman high commissioner to India MAC stands for migration advisory committee that is tasked with the job of reviewing post study work visas. This visa, if axed, will deprive international students from India, and elsewhere, of continuing to stay in the UK after their studies have finished. So, this is likely to have a far-reaching impact.

The deadline for submitting the report is May 14. This is the rapid review commissioned by the Home Secretary James Cleverly on March 11 this year. In the letter written by Cleverly, he mentioned that in 2023 only 32 percent of international graduates switching into work routes earned a salary above the general threshold with just 16 percent earning over £30,000 – which means that the vast majority of those completing the Graduate route earn less than the median wage of graduates.

The visa introduced in July 2021 after a hiatus of around 10 years allows international students to work in any job — related to the studies carried out or not -- without having to require sponsorship or work permit from the employer. This means one can search and work in any job just like a citizen without any restrictions. The validity of this visa is two years.

In 2023, Indian students were issued 1.20 lakh student visas (out of 4.57 lakh total visas issued across all the countries). The number of visas issued in 2023 was 250 percent higher than 2019, i.e., before the PSW came into force. So, the spike in the number of students from India can be attributed to the introduction of PSW visa in 2021.