Daily Times

NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Theresa May offered India a possible improved visa deal on Monday.

The two countries have kicked off talks on boosting trading links ahead of Britain’s departure from the European Union. May – on her first bilateral trip outside Europe since the Brexit – described the potential trade with India as ‘limitless’.

May said her government will consider further improvements to its visa offer to India if the speed and volume of Indians’ returns ‘with no right to remain’ in UK is stepped up – to which the Indian side conveyed that it will follow international practice and a proper verification process.

May while announcing the UK offer of two new visa services to improve business travel for Indians to the UK said that under the Registered Traveller Scheme, business travellers will get expedited clearance at the UK border and that India will become the “first visa country” under the scheme.

Under the second programme, she said the Indian government will become the first government in the world to be invited to nominate business executives to the Great Club – a bespoke visa and immigration service.

During the talks with May, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged his country’s concerns over the stringent student visa norms which require students to return home after their courses end – something that led to a 50% fall in Indian students’ enrolment in British universities.

The number of study visas issued to Indian nationals fell from 68,238 in 2010 to 11,864 this year, official UK figures show.