More Indians choosing UK to visit and study: British High Commission

The British High Commission in India on Friday said that there is an exponential growth in the number of Indians wanting to go to the United Kingdom to study and work.

According to a press release issued by the British diplomatic mission, a total of 550,925 Indians were granted UK visas in the year-ending June 2018, which is an upswing of 10 per cent than what was seen in the previous year.

The number of Tier-4 general visa that allows a student to study in the UK, if he or she is over 16 years of age, touched 15,390, an increase of 32 per cent on the previous 12 months.

"I'm particularly pleased to note that numbers of Indian students have increased by 32 per cent. I welcome this evidence that international students wish to study at our world-class institutions and are succeeding in securing places there," British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith said.

Besides, about 550,925 Indians were granted UK visas in the year ending June 2018, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year, the statement read. Moreover, over 6,500 Indians came to the UK for short-term study during the same period. This is also the third successive year that there has been a rise in student visa numbers. Over 60,000 work visas were also issued to Indians in 2017.

Not only in the education sector, but visit visas have also increased by 10 per cent to 454,658, a number that demonstrates that Indians prefer the UK as a top holiday destination.

"The latest figures reinforce a trend we have noticed for some time - that across the board more and more Indians are choosing the UK as a destination to visit, work in and study. This is fantastic," Sir Asquith signed off.