A programme that gives 3,000 visas for young professionals from India to work in the UK each year has received approval from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. According to 10 Downing Street, the programme will offer degree-educated Indian citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in a professional and cultural exchange. The opposite route will start operating in early 2023.
The UK Prime Minister’s Office released a statement highlighting the strength of the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership, which was established last year. India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme.
The announcement was made a few hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart from the UK had a quick meeting in Bali before the G20 summit. They had their first conversation since Sunak took over last month.
The first day of the @g20org Summit in Bali saw a conversation between Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @RishiSunak, according to a tweet from PM Modi’s office.
The Indo-Pacific region, according to Sunak, is becoming more and more important for both our security and our prosperity. The events that take place in this region will define the next ten years because it is teeming with vibrant economies that are expanding quickly.
I am personally aware of the immense value of our country’s close cultural and historical links to India. I’m happy that more of India’s most talented youth will now have the chance to experience everything that living in the UK has to offer – and vice versa – enriching our economies and cultures.
A significant portion of the UK’s immigrant population is made up of members of the Indian diaspora, and about one-fourth of all international students studying there are from India.
India and the UK are now negotiating a trade agreement; if it is approved, it will mark the first time India has done business with a European nation. The trade agreement will strengthen the £24 billion trading relationship between the UK and India and enable the UK to take advantage of the prospects afforded by India’s expanding economy.
