UK: A London-based Indian professional gives a grim warning to international students who aspire to pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom (UK) warning them that majority of those who come back to India do so without jobs because job availability and immigration rules have been tough in the UK.
Janhavi Jain, a marketing professional who migrated to the UK for her postgraduate studies after obtaining her bachelors in India, said on a post share on X, that almost 90% of her batchmates were sent home without job since they could not find employment.
“There are no jobs” she wrote. “I receive tons of messaging from people texting me to apply to come to the UK for masters, I will tell you that you have better chances of winning the lottery and worse still you will come back because there are no jobs. 90% of my batch had to go back to their countries.” But if you have money to throw, do not consider it “unless you have money to throw”.
Although she successfully got herself a job, she termed her experience an exception and not the rule.
Commenting on remarks that the UK has always been more appealing for rich foreign students than for real professionals, she did not agree. “It was never this bad” – she said, explaining that previously, 60-70% of the international students used to find jobs after graduation.
Her post has brought to limelight the increasing problems faced by international students in the UK, with visa rules becoming tougher and companies reducing their commitments to sponsoring work permits.
A user said, “days of chasing masters in EU and establishing life there seems very different today “ Increased cost of living, low job opportunities and cut-throat competition pose more challenges than earlier. At one point, moving to the UK was as if one took a step into a better future. Several of my friends from the EU and the UK have tough situations and some have already gone back to India. Some are scraping by, happy to have the more stable support system than they would perhaps have in India. I see that many of my female friends are reluctant to get back, and it is coming perfectly well!
“Appreciate the honesty-sounds like it’s worth weighing the risks seriously before jumping in,” another user commented on X.
“100% my friend said the same most in her batch failed to secure a job and had to return back”, the third user wrote.
UK sets permanent residency rules even harder
Making the situation worse even further, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, unveils a strict new suite of policy measures; this coming Monday, including increasing the waiting period of asylum-seekers to obtain permanent status to 10 years (as opposed to the previous five).
Only those who entered the UK 10 years ago will be allowed to apply for permanent residency.
The change is likely to have a significant effect on Indians whose number constitutes the highest percentage of professionals and students coming to the UK annually.
Experienced workers, and the pressure for higher qualifications
The new rules also intend to fast-track skilled workers in the high-demand industries such as healthcare, engineering, and AI. Starmer pointed out that graduate-level jobs would only be accepted under the new laws when granting skilled worker visas, “For years, we have had a system that encourages businesses to bring in lower-paid workers, rather than invest in our young people”.
The government also intends to increase the education threshold for Skilled Worker Visas to make certain that the migrants posses adequate qualification in order to make a meaningful contribution to the UK’s economy.
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