Students who are starting their courses in the UK from January 2023, will have to keep in mind the new visa rules that will impact their plans to work, if any. They will not be able to take up any work in the UK or take their dependants to the UK unless the complete their graduation course or are undergoing a postgraduate course or a research programme. This rule will affect innumerable Indian students who pursue part-time jobs in the UK, to be able to afford their fees and accommodation.
That means, as per the new visa rules, international students pursuing graduation in UK colleges/universities, will not be allowed to take up jobs before completion of their studies.
It is pertinent to mention here that over 1.3 lakh students went from India to study in the UK last year.
Of course, those students who do not wish to work or take any of their dependants with them to the UK remain unaffected by this new rule. Students who will be applying in 2023 will not be affected by the rule, either.
Recently there was an increase in fees and health surcharge announced for those applying for visas. This was part of the country’s strategy to raise finance to grant wage hikes to employees in the public sector, especially those working in the National Health Service (NHS).
The fact that the visa fee was hiked by about five to seven per cent across categories, in addition to the far from affordable Immigration Health Surcharges (HIS) has been a deterrent for many people seeking to study or work in the UK.
