India, UK to work on recognition of professional degrees to ease movement

India and the UK have agreed to negotiate mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) after implementing the trade deal, as these pacts are important for facilitating the movement of professionals such as nurses, accountants and architects to Britain, an official said.

The India-UK trade agreement was signed on Thursday and it may take about a year for its implementation as it requires approval of the British parliament.

"It has been agreed that both countries will engage on mutual recognition of qualifications because in certain professional services, recognition of qualifications is an essential requirement like nurses, architects, accountants, and dentists. Within a period of 36 months, we will try to enter intoAs with the UK," a commerce ministry official said.

MRAs in professional services are voluntary pacts between competent authorities of respective nations. These confer recognition of certain licensing or qualification requirements obtained in the jurisdiction of other countries.

Such requirements include those regarding education, training, certification, accreditation and professional experience.

Under the trade pact, the UK has also provided an assured mobility regime for various categories of Indian professionals such as business visitors for all sectors (90 days in any 6 months period); intra-corporate transferees for all sectors including spouses and dependent (three years); investors (1 year); contractual service suppliers (12 months in any 24 months); and independent professionals (12 months in any 24 months).

In the IT sector, about 60,000 Indian intra-corporate transferees are working at present in the UK and "for that the UK has committed that they will provide a visa for three years not only for workers but also for their partners and dependents," the official said.

"Most important is that the UK has also agreed that no numerical restrictions will be imposed on the workers," the official added.

India has, in turn, given market access in some of the important services such as professional, financial (like insurance), environmental and other services.

"The UK has expertise in these services and it will lead to investments also in India," the official said.

India enjoys a trade surplus of around $6.6 billion with the UK. India's services exports stood at $19.8 billion, while imports were $13.2 billion.

"India has ensured that its policy space in sensitive sectors is preserved," the official said.