Can UK become a top destination for Indian students again?

The United Kingdom is likely to become one of the preferred destinations for Indian students opting to study abroad as it recently decided to permit overseas students work longer after completion of their studies, believe experts.

“Stringent visa norms limit a student’s options to generate a positive return on investment within a realistic time-frame. Companies avoid hiring overseas students given these norms. Very often, this makes students think twice before applying to top institutions in the UK,” said Vibha Kagzi, Founder, Reachivy.com, a study abroad and career advisor.

The UK recently announced that it will allow overseas masters and undergraduate students to work for six months after the completion of their degree, while doctoral students will get a year to work.

The country — which was once a sought after destination for the Indian students after the US — in 2012 scrapped the two year post work visa leading to students looking for options elsewhere.

According to experts, Australia, New Zealand and Canada gained from the move as they permit foreign students to work for two year after completing studies.

“The new announcement will give the students some time to look for a job in the country and will also provide students a hand on practical job opportunities in the UK,” said Rohit Sethi, Director, ESS Global, an overseas education consulting firm.

With this announcement, there is likely to be an increase of 10-20 per cent in the number of Indian students going to the UK, he added.