Over the past few years, I have met many Indian students in the UK who are on post-study work visas. It is always nice to meet fellow Indians abroad, but these conversations often leave me with mixed feelings. Alongside the excitement and ambition that brought these students here, I also see anxiety about the future.
Of course, not every Indian student wants to settle abroad. But there is a significant number who desperately want to stay abroad. They’re afraid their dreams won’t materialise.
I have noticed that students from wealthier backgrounds are often less anxious about returning. A comfortable life awaits them in India: strong networks, family businesses, financial security, and attractive career opportunities. Going back does not feel like failure because they know they have options. Often, there are ways for them to return to the UK if they wish.
That’s not the situation for many middle-class students. For them, studying abroad is rarely just about getting a degree. It is often tied to the hope of building a different future, a key part of which is better career opportunities. Some of them spend a lifetime of family savings. Parents sell land, empty savings accounts, and take loans in the hope that their children will get the opportunities they never did. Sometimes, the journey to the UK is simply about having more independence and freedom over their choices.
In each case, students are chasing much more than a job or a visa.
What drives the fear
One woman told me that her biggest fear was not unemployment, but returning to a social environment she had outgrown. After experiencing the independence of living in the UK, she struggled to imagine fitting back into the expectations she had grown up with in her small town. Her parents were not asking her to return. In fact, they encouraged her to stay abroad and hoped that one day she might even help them move overseas. But now, she is anxious about her chances of finding a sponsored job in the current labour market.
Another woman decided to restart her academic journey by pursuing a PhD when her post-study work visa was coming to an end, so she could remain in the country with her husband a little longer.
The fear of returning to India is not always driven by economic concerns—it’s about returning to a version of life people no longer belong to.
I also remember one student telling me, jokingly, that she had started going on dates hoping she might eventually meet someone who has British citizenship or settled status. While it is unfair to reduce such a decision entirely to visa concerns—people do fall in love, build relationships, and create lives together—it would be equally unrealistic to pretend that immigration status plays no role.
I have even heard stories of people becoming so desperate that they pay Rs 10-20 lakh just for illegal visa sponsorships. Then they spend years doing whatever work they can find just to keep themselves afloat.
I have mixed feelings about these stories. On the one hand, I sympathise with the students. They’re not simply choosing between two countries. They are caught between two versions of themselves.
On the other hand, I wonder whether there is a growing gap between expectations and reality. Students arrive in the UK believing that studying abroad will naturally lead to permanent settlement, only to discover that the path is far more uncertain.
Many are simply not well-informed. The decision is made more out of desperation than careful planning.
A student visa allows you to learn, gain skills, and experience a different country. Yes, studying abroad can help you emigrate eventually, but that cannot be the only motivation for studying abroad. If emigration is the real goal, shouldn’t people plan for it from the very start?
Also read: Iran-US MoU is an opportunity for India. Or forget the $5-trillion economy
An exploitative industry
Some students have surprisingly little understanding of the labour market they are entering. Many seem to have been told by agents, relatives, or social media influencers that getting a degree abroad will naturally create opportunities. The formula is presented as simple: do a master’s degree, get a post-study work visa, find a job, and somehow everything else will work itself out.
But if settling abroad is the objective, students must ask harder questions before stepping onto a plane. Which industries sponsor visas? Which skills are in demand? Is your chosen degree aligned with those opportunities? How competitive are you compared to domestic graduates? What happens if sponsorship never materialises?
In most cases, students’ families have little experience with international education. And education agents are rewarded for enrolling more students rather than helping them think about long-term career prospects. Universities, too, are much better at marketing opportunities than explaining risk. And there is always that one success story everyone knows: the student whose life changed completely after studying abroad.
This is not an argument against Indians studying in the UK. Nor is it a plea for everyone to return home. I simply argue that students should arrive with the awareness of what they are signing up for. If emigration is their goal, then there should be a plan built around it, rather than hoping things will somehow work out on their own.
India needs a more honest conversation around studying abroad. One that discusses not only the opportunities, but also the risks, costs, and realities students will face in foreign lands.
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist, writer, and TV news panellist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)