UK Planning Cheaper, Easier Visas For Trade Deal With India: Report
NDTV
UK's International Trade Secretary is likely to travel to India this month, when formal negotiations on a proposed India-UK free trade agreement are expected to begin.
The UK is planning to relax immigration rules by offering cheaper and easier visas for Indian tourists, students and professionals, in an attempt to clinch a trade deal with India, a media report said on Saturday.
UK International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is expected to travel to New Delhi this month, when formal negotiations on a proposed India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) are expected to begin.
Trevelyan is expected to use this visit to open the prospect of relaxing immigration rules for Indian citizens, a key demand from New Delhi, The Times newspaper reported.
While she has the backing of Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, who has put securing closer ties with India on top of the government's agenda to counter the growing influence of China, Home Secretary Priti Patel is opposed to this move, the report said.