As per the revised rules, which will come into effect from October 4, Indian travelers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days.

Questioned about the concerns in India over the new rules, a British High Commission spokesperson said the UK is committed to opening up international travel again “as soon as is practicable”.

“The UK is committed to opening up international travel again as soon as is practicable and this announcement is a further step to enable people to travel more freely again, in a safe and sustainable way, while protecting public health,” the spokesperson said.

“We are engaging with the Government of India to explore how we could expand the UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.” the spokesperson added.

The Graduate route visa, announced last year by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, is now open for applications from this week and is expected to particularly benefit Indian students, who are known to choose their degree courses based on the prospect of work experience.

The Graduate route is designed for international graduates who have been awarded their degree from a recognized UK university to stay on and look for work for at least two years.

“To put it into some context, last year more than 56,000 Indian nationals were granted a student visa, that’s a 13 per cent increase on the previous year, and that is almost now a quarter of all student visas issued by the UK,” Patel told PTI.

“When you think about those numbers, think about the totality in terms of how this route will benefit India, it’s a very big move. And, we still continue to work with the various academic institutions on making this route viable,” she said.

For the new route, international graduates must have completed an eligible course at a UK higher education provider with a track record of compliance with the government’s immigration requirements.

It is unsponsored, meaning applicants do not need a job offer to apply and crucially they can use a two year period to stay on and look for a job.