# UK visa updates for Indian applicants Every rule change with the date it takes effect. Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/updates · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST. ## Posts - 2026-10-08 [UK visa fees from 8 April 2026, every route in rupees](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/uk-visa-fees-april-2026-in-rupees.md): The Home Office fee table effective 8 April 2026 sets the charge for every route Indian applicants use; the table under this post converts each one to rupees at a dated rate. The health surcharge is unchanged and remains the larger cost on study and family routes. - 2026-10-08 [Student visa maintenance funds rise on 30 November 2026](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/student-maintenance-funds-rise-30-november-2026.md): From 30 November 2026 the monthly maintenance a Student visa applicant must show rises for both London and outside-London courses; applications made before that date use the current figures. The 28-day holding rule and the 31-day statement age are unchanged. - 2026-10-08 [BRP cards end on 9 December 2026: your eVisa is the only proof of status](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/biometric-residence-permits-withdrawn-9-december-2026.md): From 9 December 2026 the biometric residence permit is withdrawn and UK immigration status is held and proved only through the eVisa and its share code. Indian visa holders who have not created a UKVI account should do so before travelling. - 2026-10-08 [Graduate route becomes 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/graduate-route-18-months-from-1-january-2027.md): Graduate route permission granted on applications made from 1 January 2027 lasts 18 months instead of 24; applications submitted before that date keep two years. Indian students finishing in late 2026 should apply as soon as the university reports the award. - 2026-10-08 [India Young Professionals Scheme: 2026 ballots recap and what to watch for 2027](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/india-young-professionals-ballot-2026-recap-2027-watch.md): The 2026 ballots for the India Young Professionals Scheme ran in February and July with 3,000 places in all; selected applicants had 90 days to apply with the savings figure and a degree. The 2027 windows are not yet announced; the ballot checker and the WhatsApp alert cover the dates when they are. - 2026-10-08 [Indian student visa refusals reached 9.1 percent in April to June 2026](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/indian-student-visa-refusals-9-1-percent.md): Home Office figures show 9.1 percent of Student visa applications from Indian nationals refused in April to June 2026, against 4.2 percent for the year to June 2026. The refusals cluster on maintenance evidence and the credibility interview, both fixable before filing. - 2026-10-08 [Basic Compliance Assessment: the refusal threshold for sponsors tightens to 5 percent](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/basic-compliance-assessment-5-percent-threshold.md): UK universities keep their student-sponsor licence only if fewer than 5 percent of the students they sponsor are refused a visa, down from 10 percent, with enrolment and completion thresholds raised too. The practical effect for Indian applicants is a tougher pre-CAS screening by the university itself. - 2026-10-08 [Settlement will need English at B2 from March 2027](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/settlement-english-b2-from-march-2027.md): Indefinite leave to remain applications from March 2027 require English at CEFR B2 instead of B1, tested at a SELT centre or evidenced by a degree taught in English. Indian families on the partner and work-free routes who plan to settle in 2027 should sit the test at B2 now. - 2026-10-08 [eVisa: how Indian visa holders prove status with a share code](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/evisa-share-code-for-indian-visa-holders.md): A UK visa granted to an Indian applicant is digital: status lives in a UKVI account and is proved with a share code that lasts 90 days. The account must hold the current passport, or a border check fails. - 2026-10-08 [Priority service for visitor visas reduced at Indian centres](https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/visitor-visa-priority-service-reduced-in-india.md): UKVI has cut the number of priority and super priority slots for Standard Visitor applications at VFS centres in India, so the five-working-day service is no longer available on every date. Applicants from Punjab should file at least six weeks before travel and treat priority as a bonus, not a plan. ## Calendar - 2026-06-01: Basic Compliance Assessment: sponsor refusal-rate threshold cut from 10 percent to 5 percent (visa refusals), enrolment 95 percent, completion 90 percent - 2026-10-08: HC 584 changes in force: visitor permitted activities (Erasmus+, training, entertainment definitions), Child Student Erasmus+ changes - 2026-11-26: Home Office immigration statistics, year ending September 2026 (expected release) - 2026-11-30: Student maintenance uplift: London £1,570 and outside London £1,203 per month (secondary figures) for applications made on or after this date - 2026-12-09: Biometric residence permits withdrawn as evidence of status; eVisa only (EUSS BRP changes in HC 584) - 2027-01-01: Home Office quarterly exchange rate reset (fees charged in rupees change) - 2027-01-01: Graduate visa cut from 24 to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027 (HC 1333) - 2027-02-15: India Young Professionals Scheme: first 2027 ballot expected (February window, dates not yet published) - 2027-02-25: Home Office immigration statistics, year ending December 2026 (expected release) - 2027-03-01: English level for settlement and citizenship rises from B1 to B2 (expected from March 2027) - 2027-04-01: Basic Compliance Assessment annual cycle: sponsors assessed on the 12 months to 31 March; CAS issuance tightens from February as universities protect their refusal rate - 2027-04-06: Annual Home Office fee changes expected (new fee table usually takes effect in early April) - 2027-07-20: India Young Professionals Scheme: second 2027 ballot expected (July window, dates not yet published) --- UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed. We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.