Chancellor George Osborne has indicated that foreign students could be excluded from official migration figures, in a move that would see the total number of declared migrants in the UK fall but could lead to claims that the Government is attempting to massage the statistics.
The Asian community has braced the news with immense hopes, to increase students coming from the subcontinent. Last year the number of Indian students in the UK was 19,750 which was a drop by 2,635 on the previous year, which was almost down by 50%.
This happened when Post Study Work visa was scrapped in 2012, that deprived the international students who were paying more than £20,000 as tuition fee alone, the right to work for subsequent two years.
The comments were also welcomed by business groups and are a major boost to Vice Chancellors, who have complained bitterly that Home Office policy was costing them hundreds of millions of pounds in fee income.
Attacking Theresa May’s policy brief, the Chancellor recently said that the public is concerned only about “permanent” migrants and suggested the methodology behind the statistics should be changed.
He also slapped down proposals said to have been prepared by Mrs May for tougher language tests and greater savings requirements for student visa applicants, saying they were not government policy and would not take place.
Mr Osborne is said to have the backing of Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, where as Mrs May is said to have been increasingly isolated over the issue.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Smt Madhu Sethi, First Secretary, Education, Indian High Commission said, post Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, the dialogue is on and they are hoping the opportunities for Indian students will improve.
The National Indian Students' Union has welcomed the idea with open arms, and are hopeful that the PSW visa will also be reinstated at some point.
