British immigration minister encourages Pakistani students to choose UK for studies

The British minister for future borders and immigration on Thursday encouraged Pakistani students to choose the United Kingdom for higher education. 

According to the UK government's official website, minister Kevin Foster MP was speaking on the occasion of the International Students Day. In his message, he stated that the UK welcomes students from other countries and is ready to facilitate them with visa flexibility during the pandemic.

He also mentioned the new Student Route introduced by the UK government, aimed at streamlining benefits for Pakistani students, such as applying up to six months in advance, and additional opportunities to extend student visas from inside the UK.

"Pakistani students have always been a huge part of our community – and we look forward to welcoming more to our world-leading Universities. Put simply, we want the best and brightest to study in the UK, which is why we have made it easier to apply," the minister said.

He added that the UK will always value and welcome international students and whether now or in the future, the British government wants Pakistani students to choose the UK as the place to fulfil their potential.

Adding to the immigration minister's message, British Deputy High Commissioner Karachi Mike Nithavrianakis said that in 2019, more than 5,000 Pakistani students obtained a UK student visa, which shows a 20% increase in the issuance of visas as compared to previous years.

"Each successful visa means another student heading to the UK to build their career, expand their horizons, and find out more about all that the UK has to offer," he stated. "We hope that this continues and that many more students from Pakistan follow their compatriots on this journey."