We were honoured to be part of the Achievers programme at the UK Parliament organised by NISAU (National Indian Students and Alumni Union). We had the privilege of meeting inspiring individuals such as Ms. Sanam Arora, Founder of NISAU, MP Virendra Sharma, Lord Karan Bilimoria, journalists, and representatives from UK institutions.
The Achievers programme celebrated the impactful academic collaboration between India and the UK, recognizing Indian students who've significantly contributed to their professions and society at large. We are proud to say that our CEO, Sadiq Basha, received the UK Achievers Honours Award from NISAU. Sadiq is an Indian British graduate, successful entrepreneur, and has contributed to UK Higher Education since 2006.
The program included discussions on the recent India-UK immigration guidelines, addressing concerns about international students no longer being able to bring dependents and the skilled work visa salary threshold raised to £38,000 per annum.
A particularly impactful moment was Lord Karan Bilimoria's speech, which passionately highlighted that international students are not immigrants in the conventional sense. They return to their home countries after the 2-year post-graduation work visa, and this distinction needs recognition. Lord Bilimoria underscored the need to remove international students from the immigrant figures, aligning with practices in other countries. Furthermore, he emphasised the substantial contributions of international students to the UK, bringing in £42 billion to the economy and addressing critical skill gaps.
The decision to stop dependents from accompanying students was discussed with concern for its potential impact on the UK economy. It's imperative for the government to reconsider these policies, and there was a collective call for UK institutions to actively and politically raise their concerns.
We look forward to continuing advocating for policies that foster international collaboration and support the invaluable contributions of international students!
