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Entry Clearances: India

Question for Department for Business and Trade

UIN HL9854, tabled on 4 September 2023

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for making thousands of student visas available to Indian citizens to help secure a trade deal.

Answered on

26 September 2023

While I cannot comment on ongoing negotiations, student visas are not part of FTA negotiations. Only business mobility would be negotiated in an FTA and negotiations could only ever cover temporary business travel. Any FTA commitments are for limited, temporary, and specific purposes.

Any agreement would be consistent with the points-based immigration system.