London signals only minor visa concessions as India prioritizes finalizing long-awaited trade agreement
India has agreed to modest visa concessions from the United Kingdom as the two nations push to finalize a long-anticipated free trade agreement. A UK official confirmed that the new rules would translate to around 100 additional visas for Indian workers annually — far fewer than what New Delhi had initially sought in the early stages of negotiations, reported politico.eu.
New visa terms fall short of India’s expectations, but momentum builds toward sealing trade pact
India had originally pushed for broader access for professionals in high-demand sectors like IT and healthcare. However, political sensitivities around immigration — amplified by the presence of Nigel Farage’s Reform party in Labour-dominated regions — led the UK to hold firm on limiting migration figures.
Despite the limited gains on mobility, the finalized “mobility chapter” of the deal is expected to provide companies with more predictability and stability around the UK’s frequently revised visa policies. A source close to the negotiations said that quantifying the potential influx of Indian workers would be “political,” and emphasized the focus on business certainty instead.
Goyal’s London visit to press for more concessions amid concerns over tariffs, pensions.
India’s chief trade negotiator, Piyush Goyal, is set to travel to London this week to push the talks further. He is expected to advocate for exemptions to Britain’s proposed tax on high-emission imports and demand that Indian firms be allowed to reclaim payments made to the UK’s state pension system for employees on temporary assignments.
Interestingly, British officials appear more optimistic about closing the deal than their Indian counterparts — a reversal from earlier rounds of negotiation. “Previously the Indians were getting way ahead of themselves,” a source involved in the discussions remarked.
The Home Office remains cautious, concerned about visa reforms’ impact on net migration numbers. Nonetheless, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade reaffirmed its commitment to securing a mutually beneficial agreement. “This government is committed to doing the right deal with India which will improve access for UK businesses, cut tariffs, and make trade cheaper and easier,” a spokesperson said.
After UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds visited Goyal in Delhi earlier this year, British businesses were informed of a “step change” in India’s willingness to compromise — an urgency attributed to the global slowdown in trade following former US President Donald Trump’s economic policies.