Indian Students UK Visas Drop By 20%, China Gains

Recently, we heard that UK had seen rise in Indian Students applying for student Visa. The sources revealed that compared to last year in 2012 there is 20 percent hike in students applying from India in 2013, which stands the third highest among all countries after Malaysia and Italy with a increased record of 25% and 22% respectively.

But, in turn when its time for students to receive their visas it turns quite sensitive, because the sources revealed that number of Indian students receiving visas have dropped by 20% in UK. Students seem to be bit confused now. All they can ask is "But Why?"

Based on the latest immigration data from the Government's office of National statistics (ONS), it is ensured that the number of Indians receiving visas to travel to the UK, either to work or study, fell by nearly 20% over a year. To recall, its just few days after Prime Minister David Cameron said that UK would welcome Indians coming to the UK with open arms.

According to the data, it is revealed that:

1. The number of visas issued to Indians dipped by 18365, where it has a fall of 19% between the time period of 2011-2012. These figures do not exclude visitors and transit visas.
2. Pakistanis were the worst hit, recording a whopping 48% fall in visas issued to visit the UK.
3. Asian Nationals accounted for 273,927 (54%) of the 507,701 visas issued in 2012 where as India and China each accounting for 15% of the total.
4. Between the year ending December 2011 and year ending December 2012, with nationalities with particularly large changes in visas issued were -

• Pakistanis (Down 25,841 or 48%),
• Indians (Down 18,365 or 19%, Shri Lankans (Down 4,202 0r 45%),
• Bangladesh (down 3,175 or 30%), and
• Chinese have gained number of visas issued rising by 7,050 or +10%.

According to ONS, "There was a significant decrease in the number of citizens from new Commonwealth countries like India immigrating to the UK from 168,000 the previous year to 117,000 in the year ending June 2012. This decrease is a result of fewer new Commonwealth citizens arriving to study in the UK."

Immigration to the UK fell from 589,000 to 515,000, its lowest since 2003.According to the ONS, net migration decreased in the year ending June 2012 to 163,000 from 247,000 in the year to June previously.

ONS said "The latest data on study visas issued in the UK, (excluding student visitors, but which can also include people intending to stay in the UK for less than a year) show that in the year to December 2012, there were 209,804 visas issued for the purpose of study, which was a fall of 20% compared with the previous 12 months. There was also a 22% fall for sponsored student visa applications to 210,111 in the year ending December 2012.

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