Protect post-study visa offer: Students to Rishi Sunak

London, May 21

Universities and student groups on Tuesday urgently lobbied British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to safeguard the country’s post-study visa offer, which has been dominated by Indians to gain work experience for around two years at the end of their university degree.

Amid reports that Sunak is considering either restricting or ending the Graduate Route to curtail soaring migration statistics ahead of a general election, a group of nearly 30 university vice-chancellors and the National Indian Students and Alumni Association (NISAU) UK have issued detailed letters of appeal to 10 Downing Street.

Their appeal comes a week after the influential Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advised the government to let the scheme continue as it found no abuse of this post-study work offer. It also confirmed that Indians topped its tally, accounting for 89,200 visas between 2021 and 2023, or 42 per cent of the overall grants, and were likely to be “most affected by any restriction on the Graduate Route”.