UK PM Keir Starmer Resists Expanding Visa Access for Indian Workers Despite Business Pressure During Mumbai Visit

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has firmly stated he will resist business pressure to increase visa allocations for highly skilled Indian workers following the recent free trade agreement between Britain and India.

During his journey to Mumbai, where Starmer is promoting the trade deal finalized in July, he clarified to journalists that expanding visa opportunities for Indian workers "isn't part of the plans." The Prime Minister is accompanied by a delegation of 125 business and cultural leaders, some of whom have expressed concerns that the UK's restrictive immigration policies could lead to workforce shortages.

"The visa situation hasn't changed with the free trade agreement - we didn't open up more visas," Starmer emphasized. "The issue is not about visas - it's about business-to-business engagement and investment and jobs and prosperity coming into the United Kingdom."

Under the UK-India FTA, both nations agreed to maintain existing provisions for temporary business travel. Starmer confirmed that no new visa pathways were established in the agreement, noting that his government had successfully resolved previous obstacles in negotiations where India had sought greater visa allowances for its citizens wishing to work in the UK.

Starmer's administration faces mounting pressure to reduce immigration numbers as the anti-migrant Reform UK party gains popularity in polls. The Prime Minister has proposed extending the residency period required before individuals can apply for indefinite leave to remain, and making this status dependent on their "contribution" to British society.

Critics worry these measures could discourage skilled professionals from choosing the UK, instead opting for countries with more straightforward paths to permanent residency. The Confederation of British Industry, whose CEO Rain Newton-Smith joined the Mumbai delegation, maintains that immigration is necessary to address certain labor shortages in Britain.

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters, also part of the delegation, has previously cautioned that immigration restrictions could negatively impact London's financial sector talent pool.

When questioned about whether the UK would try to attract high-skilled workers potentially deterred by President Trump's visa fee increases in the US, Starmer responded: "Where there is very top talent across the globe, I want to have top talent in the United Kingdom, to help us grow our economy."

However, he declined to provide specific details on how Britain would attract such individuals. Bloomberg has reported that the government is developing plans for a specialized visa for foreign investors who commit substantial capital to the UK.

Various data sources indicate that ultra-wealthy individuals have been departing Britain following Labour's elimination of certain tax advantages for non-domiciled residents. When asked if this trend concerned him, Starmer replied "no."

"We keep a careful eye on the figures," he told reporters, adding that changes to non-dom tax status "are bringing a considerable amount of revenue into the government, which is being used to fix things" like the National Health Service.

Starmer's government also faces pressure regarding the repatriation of migrants who have committed crimes in the UK. Britain currently has formal return agreements with approximately 20 countries and is working to increase this number to alleviate pressure on its prison system.

"We are looking at whether there should be a link between visas and returns agreements," Starmer stated, though he clarified this was not an issue with India as the two countries already have an existing returns agreement in place.