Planning to study abroad? As visa rules get stricter in the US, UK and Canada, think before you spend money | Mint

Studying abroad to settle down is quite common indian studentThere are many such success stories that inspire many others. In recent times, many international students from India have managed to settle down in countries like the US. CanadaUK, Germany and even unknown places like Poland, Austria and Sweden.

However, much to the dismay of Indian students, visa regulations in some of these countries have changed radically, making it more difficult for Indian students to settle there and pursue a course of study, or at least making them reluctant to do so.

Here we are presenting details regarding the visa rules that have been implemented for these popular destinations in the recent times:

Visa regulations affecting international students coming from India:

I. Canada: This North American destination is the queen of all study abroad destinations, especially for Indian students. However, the number of visa approvals is likely to drop significantly.

Canada has announced Two-year limit on new international students Sharing the figures, Immigration Minister Mark Miller said that 364,000 new permits will be approved in 2024, which is 35 percent less than the 560,000 such documents issued last year.

Indian students protest against Canada anti-immigration policies, They felt this could lead to their deportation. International students from India camped in front of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Second. United Kingdom: According to the British Council ReportIndia is the largest source of Graduate Route participants among students worldwide and saw a 68 per cent increase in 2023.

In January 2023, the British The government phased out dependent visas For students, which now prevents international students from bringing their family members into the country. The only exception to this rule is students studying for a research program such as a PhD or post-doctoral studies.

In fact, in March 2023, migrant care workers were even barred from bringing their partners and children into the country.

New visa restrictions also prevent international students from leaving the student track and taking up a job before completing their studies.

Third. USA: Getting an H-1B visa in the US is no easy task. But as it is now being said, this is just the beginning. Getting a green card can be a nightmare. Social media is full of sad stories of Indian immigrants who are either struggling to get an H1B or facing difficulties. long wait For the green card.

Many people say that it is not wise to go to the US for studies, because getting an H1B visa can be your full-time job after completing your studies.

with Donald TrumpA Republican-led government is likely to return to the White House after the US presidential election. ElectionVisa criteria for prospective immigrants may be even more stringent.

However, the good news is that some other countries have made the visa process a bit easier. For example, Germany has reduced the processing time for work visas from nine months to two weeks. According to the German Economic Institute (IW), there are about 570,000 job vacancies in Germany in 2023.

In addition, in 2023, France announced Five-year post-study visa French President Emmanuel Macron, as the chief guest on Republic Day, also announced the target of welcoming 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030. Currently, the number is around 10,000.

“For many popular destinations, student visas have become difficult to obtain and, dare I say, expensive. But this should not deter students from getting the best foreign education possible. There are over 1.3 million Indian students studying abroad, and this number is set to grow. We just have to strategize and plan for it better,” says Rosie Afzal, co-founder and director of Invest4Edu.