Indian students pursuing their Master’s studies in France will now be granted a five-year post-study visa, permitting them to remain for a longer period in the country.
The news of the decision was shared by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, last week during an address to the Indian Community in Paris.
Prime Minister Modi said that during his last visit to France, it was decided that students from India would be granted a two-year post-study work visa.
However, after some consideration, he said that the authorities have now decided to permit those who complete their Master’s studies to stay for up to five years in the country, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying in France would be given a two-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing Master’s in France will be given long-term post-study visas of five years,” the statement of Prime Minister Modi reads.
As Financial Express explains, not long after Prime Minister Mondi shared the news, several experts applauded the move.
Commenting on the five-year post-study visa for Indian students pursuing their Master’s studies in France, the co-founder of UniAco, Sayantan Biswas, said that the move has broadened the options for Indians planning to study abroad.
Biswas further said that by taking such a decision, France is acknowledging the outstanding youth of India and is building cross-cultural collaboration.
“With this forward-thinking initiative, India is ready to see an inflow of students seeking to pursue higher education overseas, paving the way for a better and more globally linked future,” Biswas added.
Akshay Chaturvedi, who is the founder and CEO of LeverageEdu & Fly, also welcomed the move. Chaturvedi said that this decision could be a game changer for France and, at the same time, stressed that an increased number of Indian students are expected to choose France as their study destination in the next academic years.
France’s post-study visa for nationals of other countries who complete Master’s studies is a type of visa that permits all of its holders to continue residing and working in the country.
When on this type of visa, Indian students who have completed their Master’s studies in France will be able to find a job. However, once the permitted period is over, everyone is required to leave France if they are unable to find a job and if their visa does not get extended.
Data show that in 2019, around 10,000 students from India chose France as their study destination. In the next two years, the interest was also high but not as before due to the Coronavirus restrictions.
