'Indian students will get warm welcome in Britain'

Dismissing perceptions that Indian students are not welcome in the UK, a top official from the European nation on Friday said there is no restriction on the number of Indian students and they will get "a very very warm welcome". British secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, Sajid Javid said there is a perception issue, but the "perception is absolutely not the reality". "There is absolutely no limit on the number of foreign students including India. Indian students can apply and come to the UK and study ... "We hugely welcome the foreign students into the UK particularly from India because that goes back to the special relationship between the two countries. I can guarantee that any Indian students (who) comes to Britain will get a very very warm welcome," Javid said here at the India-UK Business Convention 2015 here. The UK is one of the most sought after foreign education destinations for Indian students. Number of students going to the country has come down because of stricter visa norms. "There is absolutely no cap at all, no restrictions on the number of Indians that can come and study in Britain ... we have clear rules that once you graduate from the UK, you can stay and work in the UK as long as their is a graduate level job and there is no cap, no restriction," he added. He said UK universities and colleges are in fact inviting Indian students and unless Britain provides a proper visa regime, it would not be possible to attract them. On the Vodafone tax controversy, Javid said "we are already working with the Indian government on this issue". The government and Vodafone are locked in a Rs 20,000- crore tax dispute and the two parties have decided to resolve the issue through arbitration. He said that international companies need clarity and less of the uncertainty and this helps them in investing in potential markets. "... I am absolutely sure that there is more capital sitting there offshore not just in Britain but around the world that would be happy to come to India," he said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Indian-students-will-get-warm-welcome-in-Britain/articleshow/48918194.cms