New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that there has been a significant fall in the number of students from India choosing to study in the UK.
According to the figures, student UK visa numbers hailing from India fell from 40,500 in 2010 to just 9,600 in 2016.
This is despite the fact that India remains the fourth largest contributor to the Capital’s student population, accounting for £130 million in the UK economy.
“It is vital that international students continue to feel welcome in our city and we look forward to helping more Indian students wanting to study in London,” said Andrew Cooke, CEO of London & Partners and Study London.
The ONS report also showed that most Indian students leave the UK soon after their graduation before their UK visa expires, with 7,469 leaving in 2016 before expiry while only 2,209 decided to stay on an request an extension.
This contrasts with students from Russia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, who were found by the ONS to be more likely to extend their leave to remain, while students from Thailand, China, and North America were more likely to leave ahead of their UK visa expiry.
Commenting on the findings, home secretary Amber Rudd said: “We understand how important students from around the world are to our higher education sector, which is a key export for our country, and that’s why we want to have a robust and independent evidence base of their value and the impact they have.”