British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that visa rules for Indian citizens will not be relaxed for the time being. The UK is negotiating a trade agreement with India. However, according to the Prime Minister, there are no plans for now to relax visa rules for Indian citizens.
British state visit to India
Early October, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during a state visit to India. He was accompanied by a delegation of more than 120 senior executives, cultural leaders and university rectors. The two leaders discussed about the implementation of the trade agreement that both countries signed in July this year. Under this agreement, the United Kingdom will reduce import tariffs on Indian products such as clothing, jewellery and seafood. In return, the Indian authorities will reduce taxes on British products like whisky, cosmetics or medical products.
In addition to economic cooperation, the two leaders also discussed about geopolitical issues, such as the situation in Ukraine. Starmer was critical of India's importation of fossil fuels from Russia, as this is a way of financing Putin's war efforts. Visa regulations were also discussed. The Indian delegation hoped to agree on a relaxation of British visa rules for Indian citizens. India had apparently already insisted on this during the trade agreement negotiations last spring. However, for the time being, this does not seem likely to happen.
Visa applications for highly skilled workers
India is not alone in calling for measures to relax British visa rules for Indian citizens. The UK business and higher education sectors are also calling for the rules to be relaxed for students and highly skilled workers from India.
The US government has recently tightened the requirements for applying for an H-1B visa, a temporary work visa for the United States intended for professionals in specialised sectors, such as technology. Since the end of September, the cost of this US visa has risen to no less than US$100,000. India is the country most affected by this measure. In 2024, 71% of all H-1B visas were granted to Indian citizens.
Representatives from British businesses and universities see this as an opportunity to attract Indian entrepreneurs and specialists to the United Kingdom. According to them, the United Kingdom could benefit from the United States' strict visa rules. Prime Minister Starmer indicated that, while Britain wants to attract the best talent from around the world, the country is not prepared to introduce a new visa regime for Indians.
The ETA UK for short studies or business trips
Unlike Indians, most European travellers, such as Spaniards, can travel to the United Kingdom without a visa. Instead, they can apply for an ETA, a digital travel authorisation that can be easily applied for online. The ETA is usually granted within three days of application and is sent by email. The ETA is valid for two years and allows for an unlimited number of trips for a maximum of 6 months. The ETA UK can be used for holiday or business travel, or for short study programmes in the United Kingdom.