Indian High Commissioner and UK Home Secretary discuss agreement to boost work visas for Indian nationals

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON Feb 24: India and the UK had signed a ground-breaking partnership migration deal in May 2021, that will boost work visas for Indian nationals. The agreement will allow thousands of those aged between 18 and 30 years old in India and the UK to work and live in each other’s country for up to two years.

The new migration partnership will see both countries benefit from a new scheme for young Indian and British professionals to live and work in one another’s countries, thereby boosting work visas for Indian nationals and enhancing migration cooperation between the two nations.

Home Secretary Priti Patel Tweeted, “Great to catch up with my good friend the High Commissioner to India, Gaitri Issar Kumar, once again. Thank you for our discussions on the India-UK migration and mobility partnership, and the safety of both our citizens amid the situation in Ukraine.

🇬🇧🇮🇳 Great to catch up with my good friend the High Commissioner to India, Gaitri Issar Kumar, once again. Thank you for our discussions on the India-UK migration and mobility partnership, and the safety of both our citizens amid the situation in Ukraine.@HCI_London @UKinIndia pic.twitter.com/nZDo2NHh9y

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) February 23, 2022

In May 2021, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UK Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the ‘Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement‘ which is aimed at supporting people to live and work in both countries while addressing long-standing problems of illegal migration from India to the UK.

A fruitful meeting this morning with Home Secretary @pritipatel. Signed the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement that would facilitate legal travel and encourage talent flows. The living bridge between India and U.K. will get stronger as a result. pic.twitter.com/vs8gdZtRAe

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 4, 2021

In reply the Home Secretary Patel said, “This landmark agreement with our close partners in the Government of India will provide new opportunities to thousands of young people in the UK and India seeking to live, work and experience each other’s cultures. This agreement will also ensure that the British Government can remove those with no right to be in the UK more easily and crack down on those abusing our system.”

A pleasure to welcome @DrSJaishankar to the @UKHomeOffice today as we signed the landmark Migration & Mobility deal as part of our New Plan for Immigration, providing new opportunities for our young people to live and work here and in India as we recover from the pandemic.

🇬🇧🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/AWWorBRDze

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) May 4, 2021

As per the UK’s Home Office, the agreement delivers on the UK Government’s fair but firm New Plan for Immigration – attracting the best and brightest and supporting people coming to the UK through legal routes, while stopping the abuse of the system and speeding up the removal of those who have no right to be in the UK.

“This professional and cultural exchange programme will work similarly to current Youth Mobility Schemes, with India being the first visa national country to benefit from this,” the UK said.

The historic agreement will also enhance and accelerate the processes to return Indian nationals with no legal right to stay in the UK and vice versa, and ensure greater co-operation around organised immigration crime.