India and UK Launch Young Professionals Scheme

January 10, 2023

The governments of India and the UK marked Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9, 2023 by launching the Young Professionals Scheme, which allows up to 3,000 degree-holding citizens aged between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other’s countries for a period of two years. The scheme, which was announced in November at the G20 summit in Bali, is part of the India-UK Migration and Mobility Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2021.

Details of the Young Professionals Scheme

According to High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, the Young Professionals Scheme will hopefully be “up and running in March,” although he noted that there are still some processes that need to be completed before a March launch can be confirmed. Successful candidates will be able to search for job, educational, or cultural opportunities in their host country, or simply visit for the two-year period. The scheme allows for exchange visas for up to 3,000 individuals per year. It is not necessary for candidates to have a job lined up when they apply for the visa.

Benefits of the Young Professionals Scheme

The Young Professionals Scheme offers a unique opportunity for young Indians and Britons to gain international experience and expand their cultural horizons. It also has the potential to strengthen ties between the two countries by fostering cultural exchange and building networks of professionals.

Ongoing India-UK Trade Negotiations

The launch of the Young Professionals Scheme comes amidst ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries, which have been complicated by issues surrounding the movement of persons across borders. The UK has also been seeking greater ease in the movement of skilled professionals and students from India to the UK as part of the trade talks.

History of India-UK Migration and Mobility Agreement

The Migration and Mobility agreement between India and the UK was signed in May 2021 and seeks to address a number of issues related to the movement of persons between the two countries. One aspect of the agreement aims to facilitate the return of illegal migrants to their home countries.

However, the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries, which the governments had hoped to conclude before Deepavali last year, have been complicated by issues related to the movement of persons across borders. In particular, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has pointed out that Indians are the largest group of visa-overstayers in Britain and that the agreement with India has “not necessarily worked very well.”

In response, the High Commission of India in London has stated that it has acted on every case of visa overstaying referred to it by the UK authorities and that the government is awaiting “demonstrable progress” on some of the UK’s commitments under the agreement.

Progress of Trade Talks

The sixth round of India-UK trade negotiations took place in December in New Delhi, with a seventh round planned for sometime “within the next month,” according to the High Commissioner. While progress has been consistent, the High Commissioner declined to provide an update on the current sticking points, stating that “nothing is agreed till it’s all agreed.”

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