UK assures India to allow post-study work permits to students

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Britain has assured India that it will continue to allow post-study work-experience permits to students, provided they get appropriate jobs commensurate with their qualifications or degrees, India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said.

After his meetings with Britain's Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable here, Sharma told media last evening that he had raised the issue of Post Study Work Permits to students.

He shared with them India's concern about its stoppage as large number of Indian students "come here, they study hard and they should have some practical exposure".

"The Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Dr Vince Cable have assured that UK will continue to allow. The issue is how they are looking at it," Sharma said.

"What they have shared with me is that they (students) should get appropriate jobs which are commensurate with their qualifications or degrees. Now that is something which could be discussed," he added.

The minister said that the very fact that there is this reassurance at the highest level from the British Government, this issue will be resolved.

"I shall follow up my talks today with a communication and I hope that given our relationship, even the fact that a very large number of Indian students from middle class families, ordinary families, students who have taken loans, come and study here and we also are keen to engage more in education and skills sectors where UK has the strength, this issue will get resolved in a correct manner.

That is what is communicated to me," Sharma said.

He added, "They say they have no intention to deny. It is only they are looking at certain specifics so that the domain knowledge is utilised in Post Study Work. Let us leave it at that," the visiting Indian minister said.