UK to Offer 1,800 Annual Visas for Indian Chefs, Musicians, Yoga Instructors
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The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK, signed on Thursday, July 25, will allow 1,800 work visas annually for Indian professionals, including yoga instructors, classical musicians, chefs, architects, and engineers.
The agreement aims to simplify the visa procedures and liberalise entry categories, making it easier for Indian talent to work in the UK.
The agreement also offers benefits:
- A huge market access in IT, finance, law, education, and digital trade.
- Organized entry routes for short-term contracts and intra-company transfers.
- Easier movement for contractual service providers, business visitors, and independent professionals.
The Minister of Industry and Supply of India, Piyush Goyal, approached the agreement as a catalyst for inclusive growth, benefiting farmers, artisans, MSMEs, startups, and innovators while focusing on that India must not lose its core values.
Also Read: UK Updates Work Visa Rules for Foreign Job Seekers
Recognition of UK Qualifications Along With Caution
While India has agreed to recognise UK qualifications in law and accounting, legal services remain restricted. Ajay Srivastava (GTRI) mentioned that:
“The agreement ensures no caps on the number of UK service providers and offers commercial presence rights (Mode 3) across multiple domains,” said Srivastava. “But India has retained key regulatory carve-outs, especially in legal services, taxation, and national security.”
Also Read: UK to Raise English Language Requirements for Permanent Residency Applicants
India’s Global Talent Power
Srikanth Iyengar, upGrad Enterprise, called the FTA a "landmark shift" in how Indian talent is being viewed globally, from back-office roles to frontline value creation. Although, he suggested that mobility alone isn’t enough:
“We must pair it with cultural fluency, compliance-ready skilling, and demand-aligned training. With the right interventions from industry and government, Indian professionals are ready to lead transformation across high-impact sectors. The world is more competitive than ever, and India’s moment is now.”
To summarise the entire crux of FTA, the agreement opens doors for Indian professionals but stops short of major UK immigration reforms. For now, Indian workers must still meet existing visa requirements on education, salary, and job offers.
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