Finance
A total of 1,42,848 student visas were granted by the United Kingdom to Indian nationals in June 2023. It increased by 54% (49,883 more visas granted) compared to June 2022. Indian students accounted for one-third of all sponsored study funds awarded to major applicants, the greatest proportion among all countries.
“Grants to study for Indian nationals have risen markedly since the year ending June 2019 and are now around 7 times higher,” stated an official report released by the Home Office, Government of UK.
“For the year ending June 2023, there were 4,98,626 sponsored study visas that have been granted to main applicants, i.e., 23 per cent more than in the year ending June 2022 and double (+108 per cent) the year ending June 2019, prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic,” it added.
Chinese nationals were the second most popular nationality to be given a sponsored study visa, with 1,07,670 visas granted. Half of all sponsored study funds were awarded to Chinese and Indian students. Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Sponsored study visa holders are permitted to bring their partners and children to the UK as dependents. According to the data, dependants of students received 24% of all sponsored study-related visas (1,54,063 dependent visas were awarded).
Dependants of students from India and Nigeria received 72 percent of all dependant visas issued. Nigeria has the most dependents with 67,516 followed by India with 43,552. The rise in the number of dependents corresponds to the rise in the number of primary applications.
In June 2023, the number of sponsored study extension visas nearly doubled (98%) to 66,495. Chinese citizens accounted for two-fifths of sponsored study extensions, with India coming in second with 9,153 visas, accounting for over 14% of the total.
Source:IE
