Why is UK not issuing more visas for highly skilled Indians despite FTA? PM Keir Starmer answers
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that his country will not increase visa access for Indian workers despite the Free Trade Agreement, emphasising that the focus is on business engagement rather than visa pathways.
The United Kingdom is not issuing more visas for high-skilled Indians despite the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) because it “isn’t part of the plans", according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is in Mumbai for a two-day visit to India.
Starmer stated that he will push back against business calls to increase the number of highly skilled Indian workers allowed into the UK under the new FTA with India. "The visa situation hasn’t changed with the Free Trade Agreement — we didn’t open up more visas. The issue is not about visas — it’s about business-to-business engagement and investment and jobs and prosperity coming into the United Kingdom," Bloomberg quoted Starmer as saying during an interaction with journalists on a flight to Mumbai.
As part of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, both nations agreed to maintain existing provisions that permit temporary business travel between them. While no additional visa pathways were introduced in the deal, Starmer noted that his government had managed to “un-block” the issue that had earlier stalled negotiations, which stemmed from India’s demand for increased visa access for its citizens seeking employment in the UK.
Starmer's administration faces mounting pressure to reduce immigration levels, as the anti-migrant Reform UK party gains traction in the polls, the report said. The prime minister has put forward proposals including extending the residency period required before an individual can apply for indefinite leave to remain, and tying that status to a person’s “contribution” to the UK.
Some are concerned that these policies could discourage skilled workers from coming to the UK, leading them to choose countries with clearer and simpler paths to settlement instead, according to the report. The Confederation of British Industry, represented by its chief executive Rain Newton-Smith, who was part of the Mumbai delegation, has emphasised that migration is essential to address certain labour shortages in the UK.
Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, who is also a member of the delegation, had previously cautioned that immigration restrictions could negatively affect the talent pool in London.
‘I want to have top talent in the United Kingdom’
Meanwhile, when asked if the UK would seek to attract highly skilled individuals who might be deterred from applying to work in the US due to President Donald Trump’s decision to increase visa fees, Starmer responded that “where there is very top talent across the globe, I want to have top talent in the United Kingdom, to help us grow our economy".
(With inputs from Bloomberg)