India has surpassed China as the country with the most sponsored study visas from the United Kingdom.
According to the British High Commission, the United Kingdom (UK) has given 1,17,965 sponsored study visas to Indian students in the one year to June 2022, a 215% increase over the previous year when just 37,396 sponsored study visas were issued.
In addition, India has surpassed China in terms of receiving the most sponsored student visas from the UK. Why are so many students applying for study visas in the UK now that COVID limits have been relaxed?
What is the success rate and time frame for obtaining a UK student visa?
In the United Kingdom, the success rate for student visas is about 100%. As a result, most students who apply for study visas to the UK virtually always obtain a positive response. As a result, the number of applications is close to the one-year total of 1.18 lakh student visas granted until June 2002.
According to Chitresh Dhawan, proprietor of Dhawan Educational Consultancy in Amritsar, the sponsored student visa arrives in about 3–4 weeks, which is a huge draw for students.
Why are so many students seeking a study visa to the United Kingdom?
Currently, the United Kingdom is the most popular destination for Indian students. In the first decade of this century, the majority of Indian students traveled to the United Kingdom, but by 2006-07, the trend had shifted to Australia, where lakhs of students from India went every year until 2011-12, the bulk of them from Punjab. After a few years, Canada entered the scene, and for the past decade, Canada has been the most popular destination for foreign students, including Indian students.
Even now, when a large number of students begin to go to the UK, the majority of them first try Canada.
Long lines for Canadian visas are raising concerns.
Long waits for Canadian visas are creating a lot of doubts and apprehension among students, and in such cases, they do not want to miss out on the UK opportunity, according to another consultant, who added that a large number of students from Punjab are either facing rejection from Canada or want to fly out early, explaining their preference for the UK.
He further stated that roughly 40% of the 1.18 lakh Indian visa holders are from Punjab.
“I applied to Canada last year for admission to the January intake, but my visa was denied for no apparent reason.” Now I’ve applied once again. “I’ll travel to the UK if it doesn’t go through,” claimed a student who has been waiting for his visa for three months.
According to a consultant, the cause of the rejections is the rapid increase in student visa applications to Canada. To avoid losing a year or six months, students are increasingly applying to the UK, where the visa procedure is quick and nearly certain, according to Dhawan.
“Visa processing in the United Kingdom is extremely clear.” Students must get an overall score of six bands in four modules—speaking, writing, listening, and reading—and some colleges even sponsor students depending on their performance in English topics and examinations administered by such universities, according to Dhawan.
Brexit has also played a role in the increase. According to a consultant, with individuals typically attempting to enter other European nations, student visas to the UK have surged.
Another reason for the UK’s is competition among numerous Western countries to grant more and more study visas since education is providing a significant boost to the economies of these countries where lakhs of students come to study each year.