India accepts limited UK visa concessions to push trade deal: Report

INDIA has agreed to limited changes to the UK’s visa regime as negotiations for a free trade agreement move into the final stages.

A UK official said the new rules would allow around 100 additional visas for Indian workers each year, POLITICO reported.

The UK’s visa offer falls short of India’s initial request for larger quotas, particularly in IT and healthcare sectors.

A person close to the negotiations told POLITICO the mobility chapter of the deal had been finalised, though it was “not possible to put a number on” how many workers would come. They added it would offer firms more certainty on visa rules.

India’s chief trade negotiator Piyush Goyal will visit London this week to push for further concessions, including on the UK’s proposed carbon tax and pension clawback for Indian workers on short-stay visas.

India’s high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said India is seeking an arrangement to exempt Indian workers from contributing to Britain’s pension pot if they are already paying at home.

Shashi Tharoor, chair of India’s parliamentary committee on external affairs, told POLITICO that India has raised concerns about the impact of the UK’s proposed carbon border tax on its exports.

Goyal has also criticised the measure, warning it could hurt manufacturing.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Department for Business and Trade said talks have been ongoing since February and that the government is committed to a deal that benefits British businesses and consumers.

Progress is expected at a UK-EU summit on May 19 regarding the alignment of carbon tax measures.