As part of Prime Minister Rishi Singh’s plan to control immigration numbers, the UK government on Thursday raised the minimum income required to sponsor a visa for a family member in the country as a ‘dependant’. Raised the limit.

The move, which follows recent changes to the UK’s work, study and graduate route (work after study) visas, has rekindled concerns among Indian nationals over tightening eligibility conditions and increased restrictions. Is. Indians form the largest group receiving study and work visas in the UK and those studying in the country say this will have a negative impact.

Sanam Arora, founder and chairperson of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, said, “Graduate visas are an essential requirement for Indian students, and an important offering of the UK’s international higher education system.”

On the social implications of dependents, Anahita Masters, alumna of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), said, “Restrictions on postgraduate research students bringing dependents are a burden for all these students. There is a huge blow to those who are dependent, especially women.”

The minimum income required to bring dependents on a work visa increased from £18,600 (about Rs. 19 lakh) a year to £29,000 (about Rs. 3 million, a 55 per cent increase), then to £38,700 ( 4 rupees). lakh) is planned for early next year. Additionally, social care workers are not allowed to bring any dependents, regardless of income level.

This is the latest addition to the many restrictive visa rules. From January this year, people coming on a student visa can no longer bring dependents to the UK. Additionally, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been tasked with reviewing the Graduate Route visa, which allows international students to stay in the UK for up to 2 years after graduating to seek employment without the need for sponsorship. can go. The MAC is tasked with determining whether the visa serves a significant purpose, recommending necessary changes, and possibly voting to close it.

Immigration statistics in 2023 reflect that more than 3 lakh Indians obtained work visas (skilled and experienced workers). This number is 61% higher than last year. Meanwhile, more than 1.2 million received student visas, making up 11.6% of all international students in the UK.

On the threat of the graduate route visa being stopped, Ms Arora said, “Without the graduate route, the finances of the university could collapse. It will not only be felt by international students but also by UK students, as domestic students And world-class research in the country’s universities is heavily subsidized by international students.”

Another aspect is the potential disadvantage faced by single earners and Indian women, especially mothers. Sharing her experience, Ms Masters said she could study at LSE because of the dependent clause.

“As a mature student and mother of a 3-year-old it would not have been possible for me to study at LSE if it were not for this dependent clause. The change to remove this clause for Master’s level students is a huge blow. “All dependent students, especially women, because young children cannot be expected to be separated from their mothers for a year or more,” she said.