Scotland Plans To Offer Post Study Work Visas For Students

08 Jun 2015

Scotland is working on plans to overrule the British Parliament, if need be, in order to introduce a special Visa that will allow the Indian Students to work for atleast two years after they finish their education.

The NSP is living up its election promise of re-introducing the Tier1 (post-study Work) visa which was abolished by the UK govt in April 2012. This had led to a 50% dip in Indian Students visiting the British Universities for higher education.

The Scotland needs immigration, It needs bright students from India to come and study in its 19 world class universities and then stay back and work to develop its economy, Scotland’s international development Humza Yousaf told TOI. Scotland’s population is rapidly ageing and hence leading to an acute shortage of skilled workers. We need bright immigrants from India to fill in. We require engineers, experts in the oil and gas industry and healthcare specialists like pediatricians.

The Glasgow pioneered the Fresh Talent working in Scotland Scheme visa in 2006, he said, which enabled the students from Scottish institutions to remain there for two years to work and gain further experience. The scheme ran from 2005 to 2008, when it was subsumed into the UK-wide Tier 1 (post-study Work) visa. It was later abolished by the David Cameron-led coalition govt that took over Westminster in 2010.

Corrective negotiations with UK govt would take place in the next month for re-introducing the post study work visa. It is major things in the Scottish parliament which all political parties in the Scottish Parliament have agreed upon. I will meet UK’s immigration minister James Brokenshire, I am confident that Westminster will understand Scotland’s needs, however if they refuse, we will need to look at re-introducing the fresh talent working in Scotland Scheme Visa, Yousuf said,

This Visa would be helfpful for Indian students to study in Scottish University after which, the students can work only in Scotland. 

For more updates follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Google+