Counting up – The growing crowd of Indian students in the UK

When it comes to opting for institutions to study abroad, many Indian students opt for British colleges and universities. The trend of doing graduate and post-graduate studies in prestigious UK universities has been there for a long time. But lately, the trend is showing a hike unlike what's been seen in a decade!

In 2019, the number of enrolments in UK universities by Indian students saw a great increase! There was a 42% increase in enrolments as per data from the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The number of students that joined UK institutions jumped from 18,325 in 2014-15 to 26,685 in 2018-19.

The delightful trend for the UK is forecasted to continue, looking at the visa application numbers. These numbers are expected to be nothing like seen after 2011. The trend has made the UK consider introducing new attractive offers for students.

A post-study work facility for international graduates is one such offer. This will help the students to work in the UK once they are done with their degree courses. The scheme is going to be fully operational this year. It will create an added motivation for Indian students. They will love to choose the UK as their study destination.

A new two-year graduate visa route is in plans. More details of this route will be announced soon. This will be yet another scheme that if implemented, is going to increase the appeal of the UK’s education scene. Discussions are on with the UK government to roll it out as quickly and smoothly as possible.

The scenario is indeed very exciting! The reason is that a tense situation like Brexit has not dampened the flow of students into the country! Post-Brexit, the number of students from EU countries hiked by 2%. The enrolments from non-EU countries including India rose by 10%. This statistic prompted the UK universities minister to reach out for a new milestone. The new growth target for international students is pegged at 600,000 by 2030. Indian students will surely be a big chunk in this international student population.

The popularity of the UK’s educational institutions is due to its quality of academics and global opportunities. UK universities are open, global institutions. They thrive on their uncompromising class of study programs.

The new Graduate Visa route will be launched for the enrolments in 2020-21 to UK universities. This visa stream will give students the chance to switch to a skilled work visa after 2 years. This will be possible if they find a job that meets the skill requirements of the route.

The new visa stream is eagerly awaited by international students. There is a clearly encouraging scenario of overseas studies in the UK. This is only going to increase its stature as a favorite destination for studies. The UK will also be a destination for building careers. Surely, the new visa route will offer the chances to work or seek work after overseas students graduate.

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