High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram K Doraiswami and Matthew Rycroft, the permanent secretary at the Home Office of the UK, signed and exchanged letters for formalising the Young Professional Scheme at an event in London. The event took place at the High Commission of India in London.
The Young Professional Scheme will permit up to 3,000 degree-holding citizens between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other's countries for two years.
Indian PM Narendra Modi and the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the launch of the young professional scheme at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November last year, where both the leaders met each other for the first time.
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After the ceremony, where letters were signed and exchanged between the two countries, High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said, the scheme will run for three years initially, possibly starting from March 2023.
Under this scheme, young Indians and Britons could travel to each other's countries and either work, study, or visit for two years. The scheme allows for exchange visas for up to 3,000 individuals per year.
"It isn't even necessary for you to have a job in hand when you apply for the visa," Mr Doraiswami said. Successful candidates could look for a job, educational or cultural opportunity once they arrived in their host country. Or they could just visit.
Permanent Under Secretary at the UK Home Office Matthew Rycroft represented the UK at the signing ceremony.
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Incidentally, the event marked the 2nd day of the three-day-long Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention 2023 being held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
The UK-India Young Professional Scheme forms a key part of the delivery of the 2030 roadmap signed by UK PM Rishi Sunak and Indian PM Narendra Modi.
*(with inputs from ANI)