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Published on: July 2025

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the United Kingdom and India, officially released via the UK government portal in July 2025, marks a new era in UK–India relations. This agreement strengthens trade ties while securing business mobility, service access, and visa assurances for Indian nationals visiting or working in the UK.

In this blog, we explore the official documents from GOV.UK and break down how this affects students, skilled workers, dependants, companies, and independent professionals.

Official Documents Included in the CETA Collection

The UK Government has published:

• Summary Explainers (e.g. Business Mobility Explainer PDF)
• Trade Agreement Annexes
• Schedules on Tariffs, Rules of Origin, Investment & Mobility
• Specific focus on Temporary Entry for Business Persons

We’ve referred to these documents to summarize factual visa implications in plain terms.

Key Areas of Agreement That Affect Indian Citizens

Business Mobility Provisions

The agreement secures visa access across six key categories of business movement:

a) Business Visitors for Establishment Purposes

Indian nationals may enter the UK for up to 90 days (in any 6-month period) to:

• Establish a business presence
• Explore investment opportunities
• Conduct market research

Important: They cannot receive remuneration from a UK source.

b) Intra-Corporate Transferees (ICTs)

Employees of Indian companies can be transferred to their UK branches under the following types:

• Senior Personnel: Up to 3 years
• Graduate Trainees: Up to 12 months

This aligns with the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility (GBM) ICT route in the UK.

c) Investors

The agreement guarantees that investors from India can enter to set up commercial operations in the UK, provided they:

• Are senior employees
• Are establishing a branch/subsidiary

This supports the Expansion Worker route, currently active in UK immigration law.

d) Independent Professionals & Contractual Service Suppliers

India has secured 1,800 quotas per year for professionals such as:

• IT consultants
• Chefs
• Yoga instructors
• Traditional artists
• Engineers
• Architects

Eligibility:

• Must hold a university degree or equivalent
• Must have 6 years of experience in the service area
• Duration: Up to 12 months

e) Short-Term Business Visitors

Permitted Activities:

• Attending meetings or seminars
• Participating in training
• Selling after-sale service

Duration: 6 months max, no remuneration from a UK source.

What This Means for Visa Categories

No New Visa Routes Created

This agreement does not create new visa types. However, it locks in and secures access under existing UK visa categories—preventing sudden restrictions or removals.

For instance:

• Skilled Worker visa, Graduate Trainee, Expansion Worker, and Service Supplier routes will now have guaranteed access for eligible Indian nationals under the treaty terms.

Dependant Visas Remain Intact

The agreement affirms that dependants (spouse, partner, children) of the primary visa holder can accompany or join later, based on the same rules currently under UKVI.

Student & Graduate Route Impacts

Though the agreement does not directly alter student visa conditions, it enhances the post-study environment:

• Mutual recognition of qualifications will ease job transitions.
• Students who join UK firms may now be eligible for Intra-Corporate Transfer or Service Supplier routes under more predictable conditions.
• No limit placed on Indian student numbers, and nothing in the agreement restricts international graduates from transitioning to work routes.

Skilled Worker & Work Visa Routes Clarified

The Skilled Worker route is not capped by the agreement but reinforced with:

• Assurance that UK cannot restrict entry for covered occupations
• India can contest future restrictive UK policies via formal mechanisms under the treaty

This adds legal protection for high-demand sectors like:

• IT & software
• Engineering
• Healthcare
• Hospitality & culinary arts
• Teaching & academic services

Social Security Coordination

Indian professionals seconded to the UK for short-term roles (less than 2 years) will not be forced to pay UK National Insurance, provided they remain under Indian social schemes.

This benefits:

• Indian IT companies
• Multinational firms
• Short-term project managers

Digital & Cultural Services

The agreement contains provisions to:

• Facilitate digital trade & cross-border services
• Support cultural exchanges (yoga, classical music, Ayurveda practitioners)
• Encourage independent Indian artists and entrepreneurs to enter the UK under contractual work arrangements

Strategic Takeaways

How Velynt Global Can Help

We support:

• Skilled Worker & ICT Visa Filings
• Business Visa Assistance (Investors, Expansion Workers)
• Service Supplier Applications & Qualification Mapping
• Student Visa + Post-Study Work Transition
• Dependant Visa & Documentation

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: +91 90748 07602 | +91 89215 75628
🌐 www.velyntglobal.com

The UK–India CETA 2025 is a long-awaited leap in global mobility, unlocking structured, secure, and predictable pathways for Indian citizens to study, work, and do business in the UK. While no new visa types are created, the stability it brings to visa categories and the special yearly quotas for Indian professionals set a powerful precedent.

Whether you’re a student, a businessperson, or a skilled worker—this is your moment to explore global opportunities under treaty-backed security.