The first quarter of 2018 saw another strong increase in the number of UK Tier 4 student visas issued to Indian students, representing an even faster rate of growth than the 24 per cent increase in visas issued in 2017. Although visas issued in the first quarter only account for a small fraction of the annual total, and the rate of growth in this quarter can be affected by shifts in application patterns throughout the year as well as overall market growth, this trend nevertheless indicates the continuing revival of the Indian market for Study UK.

The most recent figures issued by the Home Office show that, compared to the first quarter of 2017, the number of Tier 4 and equivalent visas issued to Indian students in Q1 2018 had increased by 68 per cent to 1,647 (excluding dependents and short-term study visas). This brings the number of visas issued in the previous 12 months to 14,439, an increase of more than 3,300 over the previous 12-month period – although this is still well below the market’s 2010 peak.

India's growth rate in the first quarter was again substantially faster than the global rate of increase, which was up 5.4 per cent over the same quarter the previous year. Globally visas issued in Q1 generally account for around five per cent of all visas issued throughout the year, but this can vary from country to country and from year to year.

British Council India has been working closely with UK Higher Education Institutions to raise visibility for Study UK. Scholarship schemes and research programmes such as  India 70th Anniversary Scholarships, GREAT Education Scholarships and Newton Bhabha Placement Programme have created opportunities for Indian students to experience student life and research in the UK.

We will continue to monitor the mobility figures for Indians to the UK and predict a healthy growth in student numbers this year. To know more about the Indian higher education market, upcoming events and our IES services, please get in touch with Sunit Koli 

These statistics have been published on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release