India continues to be top nationality granted UK worker visas

New Delhi: The British High Commission to India on Friday said Indian nationals continued to be the top nationality to be granted ‘worker’ visas, accounting for 39 percent of the total.

“Indian nationals also continue to be the top nationality granted ‘Worker’ visas, accounting for 39 percent of the total with 56,042 visas issued. An increase of 26,490 (+90 percent) as compared to 2019 (29,552),” British High Commission said.

The Commission further said for student visas, there were 127,731 grants to main applicant Indian nationals in the year ending September 2022, an increase of 93,470 (+273 percent) compared to 2019 (34,261).

Earlier, in October, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said they were on track to get back to processing India-to-UK visa applications “within our standard of 15 days”.

“We are on track to get back to processing India to Great Britain #visa applications within our standard of 15 days,” tweeted Ellis.

India has now overtaken China as the largest nationality being issued sponsored study visas in the UK.

The latest UK Immigration Statistics, published on August 25, showed that nearly 118,000 Indian students received a student visa in the year ending June 2022 — an 89 per cent increase from the previous year. India has overtaken China as the largest nationality being issued sponsored study visas in the UK.

The UK continued to be a popular destination for Indian holidaymakers too, as India nationals accounted for the highest proportion (28per cent) of visitor visas granted. More than 258,000 Indian nationals received visit visas in the year ending June 2022 — a 630 per cent increase compared to the previous year (when travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic were still in place).

In the year ending June 2022, Indias also received nearly 103,000 work visas (which includes skilled and seasonal workers) — a 148 per cent increase over the previous year.

India nationals also continue to be the top nationality granted skilled worker visas, accounting for 46 per cent of all skilled work visas granted globally.