THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : For Indians opting to migrate as students, pursuing a PhD has become an attractive route, especially in countries with favourable visa policies. The United Kingdom has seen an influx of PhD students, drawn by the opportunity that allows their families to join them on dependent visa. The UK has stopped issuing dependent visas to students pursuing other courses and now only grants them to PhD scholars.
The UK permits PhD aspirants on a student visa to tag along their dependents, if their course lasts more than nine months. This clause holds a special attraction for Indian students.
A survey by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) found that Britain is a popular destination for Indian students due to its favourable visa policies for dependents.
Visa facilitation agencies in the state are trying to capitalise on this trend, with many marketing the UK’s dependent visa policy for PhD candidates. These agencies offer counselling and application assistance, while highlighting the advantages of moving along with dependants.
“We have seen an increase in enquiries and applications for PhD programmes in the UK. The dependent visa policy is a major attraction,” said Remya, a senior consultant with Edwise International, an overseas education consultancy. But, some say that the role of these agencies is limited, when it comes to PhD students. “PhD applicants often deal directly with universities. There isn’t much that agencies can do to add to this process,” Remya added.
According to UK Home Office data, there were 1,16,455 sponsored study visa grants made out to Indian applicants in the year ending March 2024, and this is estimated to increase over the next five years.
It mentioned that Indians are among the largest groups of international students in the country.
“As a guide, I do not encourage students to depend on consultancy agencies. One must pursue a PhD only after proper research of universities and teachers. There’s interest involved, and you cannot force it,” said Shuaib Mohamed Haneef, professor of the department of electronic media and mass communication, Pondicherry University.
“Moreover, the financial crunch faced by universities may be a reason for them to lure foreign students with dependent visas.
Students contribute to the economy. It’s not that there aren’t good universities, but numbers have mushroomed post the pandemic and there are a large number of students looking to migrate,” he noted.
Kerala trends
The most recent Kerala Migration Survey points to this shift in migration. According to the report, 11.3% of total migrants from Kerala are students. It mentioned the growing number of students choosing countries with favourable family visa policies.
According to the Redseer education report quoted by Higher Education Minister R Bindu in the assembly recently, Kerala accounts for 4% of the national student migration. “Around 35,000-40,000 students have migrated from the state,” the minister said. Bindu said that student migration from Kerala gained a fresh momentum after the Covid pandemic, a period that had marked a dip in the exodus of students.
“Getting a PhD is hard work. Many consultancies market PhDs by highlighting the spouse-visa benefit. Managing studies with jobs is not easy. It’s not impossible, though, but jobs unrelated to academia might not be very rewarding. Not everyone gets scholarships, and loans can become a burden, if needs aren’t met. The market is competitive, and unless one has enough resources to fall back on, it is difficult,” a PhD scholar in the UK said, on condition of anonymity