Why Keir Starmer refused to offer more UK visas to Indians?

Mumbai: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made it clear that the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will not include any expansion of visa opportunities for Indian workers. He said the focus of the deal is on trade and investment, not on migration.

Starmer confirmed that his government had been unable to “unblock” the long-standing visa issue that had earlier slowed down negotiations between the two countries.

What did Keir Starmer say?

“The visa situation hasn’t changed with the free trade agreement. We didn’t open up more visas,” Starmer told Bloomberg, adding, “The issue is not about visas, it’s about business-to-business engagement, investment, and jobs and prosperity coming into the United Kingdom.”

He also stated that creating additional visa openings for Indian professionals “isn’t part of the plans” under the FTA signed in July 2025. Starmer stressed that the pact is designed to boost trade flows, attract foreign investment, and deepen economic cooperation, not to alter the UK’s immigration policy.

Starmer’s India visit

The British Prime Minister is currently in Mumbai on a two-day trade mission, his first official trip to India since taking office. He is leading a 125-member delegation comprising business leaders, entrepreneurs, cultural figures, and university heads from the United Kingdom.

During the visit, Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to deliver a joint keynote address at the Global Fintech Fest 2025, highlighting the growing economic ties between both nations.

Why is the UK not offering more visas?

Starmer’s Labour government is facing strong domestic pressure on immigration amid the rising popularity of the anti-immigrant Reform UK Party. In response, the Prime Minister has hinted at tougher immigration measures, including increasing the minimum time migrants must live in the UK before becoming eligible for citizenship and linking citizenship to a person’s “contribution” to British society and the economy.

Indians still top UK visa recipients

Despite the visa restrictions, official data shows that Indian nationals continue to receive the highest number of UK visas across most categories, including work, study, and visitor routes.

According to the UK government, in the year ending March 2024, more than 116,000 sponsored study visas were issued to Indian students, roughly a quarter of all student visas granted. In the same period, Indians also received around 549,000 visitor visas, representing nearly one in every four visas issued worldwide.