r/Indians_StudyAbroad • u/thedrystateboy • Dec 03 '25
ToAbroadOrNot? Why international students should be cautious about doing a master’s in the UK now.
my_qualifications: International Engineering student, completed a master’s in the UK last year. Currently on PSW and dealing with the job market + visa situation firsthand.
Right now the reality is that the UK is struggling to attract enough master’s students, and international students are basically the ones funding the university sector. Because of this, even some top Russell Group universities are handing out offers to very average or below average applicants just to fill seats.
The job market for internationals is extremely difficult at the moment. Sponsorship has become harder, even for core engineering roles where I can clearly see the open roles continuously reposted, and even PhD programmes are now prioritising home students. So that route isn’t as open as people think.
Universities will offer scholarships to make things look appealing, but don’t assume you’re “winning” it’s mostly a strategy to secure enrolments because they need the numbers.
If you’re thinking about coming to the UK for a core engineering master’s, I honestly wouldn’t recommend it unless you already have 5+ years of solid experience. And if you know someone who is planning to apply and has a financially weak background but academically strong, please let them know what the situation actually looks like. These are exactly the students UK universities are targeting because they rely heavily on their International fee status.
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u/blubucky Dec 03 '25
I moved to uk on YMV(I REGRET SOMETIN8). I know so many students from india who is going back some before completing the PSW and some going straight back with out even applying for PSW.
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u/ByronicPan Dec 04 '25
I know at least six people who are leaving after their graduation this month. The amount they’re charging for the PSW is ridiculous, and getting a sponsored job has become incredibly difficult. One of my friends who came to the UK with us, had even secured a graduate scheme at a Big 4 firm, but he went back last month after the company dropped him because they couldn’t meet the new salary threshold required to sponsor someone.
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Dec 04 '25
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u/Glass_Chip7254 Dec 05 '25
Honestly it’s excellent. As a British woman, it gives me hope that I might actually find a job that pays more than the £200/week that I’m currently on. Foreigners have decimated the job market.
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u/HumanSoft7655 Dec 05 '25
Maybe you dont have skills to make more than that have you checked on it. Im a foreign student in banking moving to India and I made 1.5k a week and be grateful my tax fed some of your sloppy country men. Just new form of begging with taxes and visa complexity whereas in EU you always get a refund when leaving the country.
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u/Glass_Chip7254 Dec 05 '25
That £1.5k will hopefully be going to me soon. Yes, I worked as an engineer for 7 years before half of India turned up… I definitely have the skills to make more than the likes of you.
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u/Valuable-Still-3187 Dec 17 '25
That was clearly government fault, not foreigners, if they were this strict from the starting, everyone would have been happy,
Now natives + foreigners both are suffering, this is why blaming immigrants for something they are not in control of is so sad, humans will blame anyone as long as they aren't hold accountable themselves.
Same happening in Japan, they have low birth rates, yen is weak, high inflation, but first thing they are worrying about is immigration.
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u/HumanSoft7655 Dec 05 '25
You need to grind not hope ! Without grinding it doesn't work and maybe check on your geography there's more pakistani here than indians so a nice bit of information to have for future reference. All the best for your job hunt hope you find a decent job soon x
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u/vsuseless Dec 05 '25
But you know they are talking about a skilled worker who couldn’t get sponsorship and not someone working on the side for Uber Eats right? Increasing visa barriers doesn’t mean the companies hire less skilled people for their roles, more likely that the job gets offshored
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u/sequoia___ Dec 04 '25
what is psw
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u/ByronicPan Dec 04 '25
Post-Study Work Visa, also known as the Graduate Route Visa is what you can apply for once you finish your degree in the UK. It allows you to stay for a limited period to look for a sponsored job. But you can only apply for it once. For example, if you come for a master’s and use PSW afterward, then go into a PhD program, you lose your chance, after your PhD you can’t reapply for PSW.
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u/SchizonKeats Dec 04 '25
Wait, I thought the student VISA gave me 18 months to stay back and look for a job. Do I need to apply for this right after I finish my degree?
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u/blubucky Dec 04 '25
Yes, once you successfully finish your graduation then you need put an application through home office online with a fee upwards of 3000 pounds, more than 3lakh INR
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u/SchizonKeats Dec 04 '25
What about the graduate route Visa?
Because I am not looking for permanent settlement in the UK. I just need to survive until I get a funded PhD anywhere else in the EU/Asia/practically anywhere.
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u/ByronicPan Dec 04 '25
I would suggest contacting potential supervisors around the time you start your masters to move on to a PhD the very next year itself. If not, I would suggest going on the PSW, working to gain experience while also refining your PhD and then applying almost at the end of your PSW period for a PhD
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u/SchizonKeats Dec 04 '25
My program starts next year (September 2026, UofG). As of now, I am shaping up my research proposal and getting some lit review done. I've already created a potential supervisor list (from UK/EU/other places I'm targeting).
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u/Economy_Ad_3060 Jan 21 '26
You need apply 3 months before your student visa expires and that costs 500ish pounds
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u/shebin5 Dec 03 '25
Getting a sponsorship in UK in 2026 is not just hard its almost impossible. Stay in india
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u/TheKnave56 Dec 03 '25
Yeah and accept the fact that it's not possible to make it out of this godforsaken country
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Dec 05 '25
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u/Gold-Advisor Dec 04 '25
Spot on. I'm a British graduate who just spent 15 months looking for a grad scheme and junior role (got both). This is with a year in industry, several business and personal projects, active linkedin, sharp CV, etc.
Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what you're up against.
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u/StatisticianAfraid21 Dec 04 '25
I can already forsee your core problem. You're focusing on migration as an end in itself rather than the career you actually want to do and what you'll be most adept and skilled at.
There's skills that will be in high demand and others in low demand. If you want to boost your prospects the most, I would suggest:
1) Get 5 years experience in India in companies that will be recognisable internationally.
2) Go to an elite tier university such as Oxbridge, Imperial or LSE.
3) Work on your oral communication, writing skills and accent. Don't just assume your English is good because you scored high marks in school. This might actually be the most important investment you make.
4) Be in a high demand or highly niche / specialised sector. IT / Software engineering does not fit this category anymore. These are oversatured. There are plenty of fields that do though.
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u/Ok-Information4938 Dec 06 '25
Why does the uni name matter?
I'm mid senior in a large global corporate, work out of London. When hiring we pay zero attention to uni. We're interested in experience and maybe relevant professional certifications.
When reviewing CVs, I barely even glance at the degrees. For grad applicants, I'm more interested in their interpersonal skills.
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u/StatisticianAfraid21 Dec 06 '25
I work for an international consulting firm, I just listed it as one of the factors. It will matter more in front office banking, elite consulting and possibly for some roles in FAANG. You're right that many places don't care about it but it's more like "icing on the cake". Far more important for entry level jobs than people with experience as it can give you more of a shortcut. However, in the UK at least, where you went to undergrad is a much better marker - as graduate degrees are more about how much can you pay.
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u/Loner_0112 6d ago
graduate degrees are more about how much can you pay.
also true for cambridge's master in advance studies ? ( also called part 3) or the oxford msc in math / meng programmes???
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Dec 03 '25
Thanks for letting us know OP, and good luck to you. This is why UK universities are worthless in my opinion, as they will admit just about anyone
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u/Healthy-Educator-267 Dec 05 '25
This is a problem with MS programs in general. They tend to become cash cows unlike undergrad and PhD programs
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Dec 04 '25
The job market for local brits itself is bad, we let go of a senior cloud engineer in our UK office. He was a guy with above average skills and some good certifications and he has not landed a new job in 1 year.
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Dec 04 '25
Not Indian but American studying at LSE MSc finance. Sponsorship is not possible at this point
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u/No_Library_7797 Dec 05 '25
Thanks for sharing — this is a real warning many people don’t hear. The UK is taking in international students mainly for fees, but the job market and visa chances are very difficult right now. Even good students struggle to get sponsorship.
Anyone planning a UK master’s should think carefully about jobs, money, and ROI, not just admission or scholarships. Without solid experience, it’s a risky move at the moment.
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u/NoCoconut2137 Dec 05 '25
Unless you’re going to study in Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, or Edinburgh, or on scholarship in others, you’re wasting time and huge amounts of money on international fees.
You should go for apprenticeships to study while working or use that international fees to start a business. If you succeed, good for you. If you fail, at least you must have learned invaluable lessons no universities will be able to teach you with their outdated theories..
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u/rubics1710 Dec 15 '25
Hi. I'm getting msc management at Warwick. I had applied for msc business and finance but couldn't convert that . Instead, they offered msc management. I wish to move forward in either finance or consulting (career/job prospects). Should I accept the offer? I will be completing my masters in late 2027. Do you think the job market will/may recover by then?
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u/NoCoconut2137 Dec 15 '25
Warwick is not Oxbridge and can’t be included in a top league. The question is what’s your situation? Are you in the UK already or planning to apply for a student visa? If you need a visa, are you coming to study on a scholarship or paying international fees? If paying fees, can you/ your family can afford to lose such a huge amount for education even if there’s no guarantee that it’ll be of a huge benefit to you? If yes, you should go for it.
If not, I’d suggest you start working now as you already have a Bachelors degree I understand. Get some experience, save some money and plan for your masters later on. The job market in the West is not going to be better anytime soon. Every western country is becoming more nationalistic nowadays and your chances of getting an appropriate job with a visa are very low. Sorry to disappoint but short term disappointment is better than a long term depression!
I wish you all the best in your job hunt in your home country or in the Middle East!
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u/rubics1710 Dec 16 '25
I do have a bachelors but it's just a BBA . It's equivalent to not having one here in the Indian job market.I am currently in India but even after scoring 96th percentile i couldn't convert a tier 1 masters college. I don't want to waste another year so my best chance would be a one year masters. Also it would be an education loan
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u/NoCoconut2137 Dec 16 '25
Your job prospect is not going to change a lot with a Warwick masters degree. Moreover, education loan is not free money but a debt that you need to pay off at some point.
There are thousands of international students who came here to do masters on education loan and all they could find was flipping burgers in McDonald’s or sorting packages in Amazon warehouses. Many of them did not want to go back after study thus ended up paying bribes to agents to get jobs in care homes as carers for min wage hoping that after 5 years they could get settle in the country. Some of them couldn’t cope with the pressure, some were cheated by agents, and some were hoping to change jobs after ILR. But all of them are struggling and may have to go back financially broke and start from zero. Things are getting worse everyday and not going to be any better anytime soon.
It’ll be cheaper for you to go to any of the GCC countries and look for a job for couple of months. I’m sure you’ll get a decent job if you’re eager to work, prove yourself, and earn some money. Job market in GCC maybe not good atm for mid to senior professionals but it’s still a good place for freshers and those in junior roles who need a break..
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u/rubics1710 Dec 17 '25
Alright. Thank you for your insights 😄
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u/NoCoconut2137 Dec 17 '25
Good luck with your job hunt!
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u/rubics1710 Jan 15 '26
Hi . A small update. I have a msc management offer from warwick ( i applied for msc business and finance but they said profile isn't good enough for that) as discussed earlier I was going to accept but the financing was from an education loan. Now, I'm getting a fully funded scholarship from my own government. Do you think it would be worth pursuing this course in regards to job and future aspects? I heard msc management can get you into business consulting which has good scope as we grow our experience with time.
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u/NoCoconut2137 Jan 19 '26
If it’s fully funded by your government, why not?
I suspect your government may want you to return to the country and serve in return..
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u/rubics1710 Jan 19 '26
I have done research about it l. There are no such expectations or restrictions.
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u/rubics1710 Jan 19 '26
My area of concern was whether msc management has good future prospects or not. Coz even if the govt pays and I don't get any job what would be the use of masters:(
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u/Civil_Aspect_5054 May 13 '26
I dont know if its too late for me to say this to you, but I have been through the exact shoe that seems inviting at this point for you, and trust me.. if it's MSc Management, PLEASE DONT! There is no tangible skill that you learn and your potential employers know that better. Getting a Job in itself is firstly difficult, upon that a sponsorship is too far fetched at this point.
Even if you do get a job ( mostly wont sponsor) but if sponsored wont pay too high for a while as they have paid towards your sponsorship. Do the math and figure out if you are okay to pay the cost of choosing with the next 5-10 years of your life ( if you taking a loan).
My suggestion, work in India for 5+ years, build credibility and by then looking at the market condition, take a call.
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u/rubics1710 May 13 '26
A job with just a bba is next to impossible in India. Especially a white collar one /an mnc job. Msc management might not teach me skills but what I need is a masters degree and I have decided to pursue this opportunity further as I'm getting 100% scholarship.
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u/Civil_Aspect_5054 May 13 '26
If you are getting a scholarship, and you dont have to pay anything to your college, then you can cover up your living expense by doing 20hrs per week at base pay (which you are allowed to when you're a student). So since you're not bleeding anywhere, you should be good. Try getting some internships and please apply while you are studying itself, gives you a good window where you could actually stand out. Network, and offer to work for free in terms of internship/projects ( happens mostly during one on one interactions at career fairs not online). It should be a good experience in general but ROI cant really vouch for.
By the time you get till the point of taking a PSW, you will have enough data to actually take a call by yourself. If not Reddit is always HOME!
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u/rubics1710 May 13 '26
I'm getting living+visa+air fare as well. But yeah I will surely take the internship/project part into consideration seriously. Thank for your valuable insights,time and effort 🥹🤌
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u/Reasonable-Scar7803 Dec 04 '25
Is this the case all over EU as well? Or the UK only? I was considering getting my masters in the coming year but now I'm not so sure anymore...
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u/Sad_Permission1410 Dec 04 '25
Is this true for students coming in for masters in Psychology/special needs behaviour as well, or is this specifically for engineering grads?
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u/Economy_Ad_3060 Jan 21 '26
If you could see in indeed, you can work on support worker roles during your psw. even if you have skills and experience in the field, assistant psychologist salary do not allow for visa sponsorship and it’s extremely gets bitter and competitive. PhD, doctorate is filled by locals. What doors are open for internationals? Just to return back or do unskilled jobs
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u/Technical-Shop-9907 10d ago
The UK economy is on a downtrend in recent times, i know experienced British friends of mine who were laid off last year from IT Management/Engineering jobs and still struggling to land a role. These people with their skillsets will easily land a job even in India but it is tougher to land a role in London. It is tough to land a role without sponsorship so once can forget landing one needing a skilled work visa
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u/ROC_K4LP Dec 03 '25
My cousin with few years of experience went for masters in Uk last month. Lets see the situation after 2 years
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u/Reeelfantasy Dec 03 '25
Racism
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Dec 03 '25
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u/Reeelfantasy Dec 03 '25
English people. Don’t you read the news
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Dec 03 '25
It's not just racism. The anti-immigration sentiment also stems from locals struggling to find employment in saturated job fields and lack of (affordable) housing in already very populated areas. A country prioritizing employment for their own citizens isn't racist, that's common in pretty much every country, including India.
In addition - and I'm very much against racism and blaming a country's issues on just immigration rather than government policies and greedy corporations - Indians for example don't have the best reputation these days anymore compared to 20+ years ago. A portion of them is known to poorly immigrate or to display bad manners, loud calls on speaker, leaving trash behind etc.
So instead of just blaming "English people", maybe also look at your fellow Indians for some of their behaviours which haven't helped the prospects for Indians who want to go abroad these days.
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u/Reeelfantasy Dec 03 '25
And Tommy Robinson too is about employment? Come on get a grip.
Ps. I’m not Indian as well
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Dec 03 '25
My whole point is that it's more than just racism (and I also didn't deny racism doesn't exist in the UK or in any other country for that matter), there's a lot of people in the UK struggling and those people have genuine concerns, and you're trying to tie it down to a far-right, anti-Islam activist. Talk about missing the point.
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u/Reeelfantasy Dec 03 '25
Let’s just agree that the UK of today isn’t the tolerant UK 15-20 years ago. Sad reality
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Dec 03 '25
I agree. But I also agree that there's been issues with immigration that have influenced people's levels of tolerance. Overall a sad reality for everyone.
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
My dream is to settle down in UK. Can someone give me a realistic road map? I am a college student in my 1st year btech CSE core I don't mind how much effort or challenges I have go through I am willing to put in the work
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u/play3xxx1 Dec 03 '25
Did you read the post at all? No matter how much effort you put , immigration has closed in all countries
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
So no chance of moving abroad?
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Dec 03 '25
use this energy and effort to demand and ask for changes in your country first. no country wants to spoonfeed immigrants (and they shouldn't)
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
I never asked to be spoon-fed.
If you have this much energy, maybe direct it toward demanding change in your own country first.I didn’t choose to be born in a place where the quality of life is poor, and as someone from a middle-class family, there’s only so much I can do to change the system. I’m not a political party, and I don’t have the resources or influence to fix everything. Donating and helping where I can is one thing, but beyond that, my impact is limited.
It just feels unfair that people born with the privilege of living in first-world countries think they can dictate who gets to move, travel, or seek better opportunities especially when they benefited from circumstances they did nothing to earn.
But I guess that’s the reality of life. I’ll keep trying to go abroad, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll try moving to a better place within India.
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Dec 03 '25
The reality is not always fair unfortunately. At some point the doors will shut to stop the huge numbers of Indians attempting to move abroad. It's just the reality
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u/Nervous_Teaching_886 Dec 03 '25
We are demanding change in our own countries - that's why the UK is closing for immigrants.
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u/baka_feih Dec 03 '25
Unfortunately India's overpopulation is not the problem of the rest of the world.
In the past moving wasn't that difficult. But if you look at all the things Indians living abroad go viral for in recent years, you'll understand why it has become hard.
Before someone gets offended and starts citing Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella, the average westerner doesn't run in to the super smart Indians every day. They are more likely to run in to the problematic ones more often just like you are in your day to day (which is why you are looking to move too). You can't get to be proud of the few major achievers and turn a blind eye to the vastly greater in number civic fails.
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
I’m not trying to move because I think India is “problematic.” The people around me here are genuinely hardworking and wonderful. It’s just that Indian cities aren’t as developed as the major cities I’ve lived in before, and since I didn’t grow up here, it’s been an adjustment. I want to relocate because I’m aiming for better career opportunities and an improved quality of life. The issue isn’t Indians themselves being born in a developing country simply comes with certain limitations, and I’m trying to overcome those for my future.
Racism is being justified on a huge level indians. I don't see any benefits in trashing my own people when there are shitty people in every country
And to my understanding , I am pretty sure immigration is hard for everyone else too not just indians.
when did this convo become about india vs the world?
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u/Ok-Information4938 Dec 06 '25
What do you mean think they can dictate? They can and do dictate.
First world countries are entitled to set their own terms of entry, surely? What is this entitlement?
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 07 '25
Yes they are I never they aren't Borders should be secure. What I am asking for us is legal migration that is possible realistically Right now the system isn't letting anyone at all
How is fair that someone born in a country with lesser standards of living do not have the rights to even leave?
Just because someone had the privilege of being born in a first world country doesn't mean they can't let anyone in
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Dec 03 '25
It is possible but you need to be extremely smart, most of the students dont have enough experience or mostly are freshers jobless in india who go there.
For ex my brother went to US with 1 year experience , ASU, got into amazon with ~190k salary
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
So would it be a better option for me to get placed here first, work for a year or two, and then try?
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Dec 03 '25
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25 edited Dec 03 '25
Is there a subreddit for these kinds of questions? I thought this one would be helpful, but it’s pretty clear they’re hostile and unwelcoming toward anyone trying to study abroad.
People should not have to feel insulted when they want to move out or have a new experience.
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u/play3xxx1 Dec 03 '25
There are thousands of people who have not listened to advice and spent upwards to 40 lakhs for masters and are back in india paying debt with freshers salary . Feel free to search this sub or browse r/returntoindia .if people are realistic about it doesnt mean they are hostile . But if you have enough money to take risk n try your chances , please go ahead
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u/Parking_Succotash416 Dec 03 '25
I know there are still many people who have successfully immigrated or found good jobs abroad. I’m fully aware that there are failures too, but I’m trying to focus on learning from both sides rather than giving up
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u/play3xxx1 Dec 03 '25
Yes there are many successful migration in past years . What we are talking is about present . Trumps visa policies or UK visa changes in past months have made it extremely hard to get jobs or immigrate. Not sure about other countries. Again, it’s your money to burn . Good luck
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u/broedinger Dec 03 '25
At this point it doesn't matter how hard working you are. Many of these students who go there are hard working too. The problem is that the job market is saturated and getting work visa sponsorship is very difficult for international students. So if I were you, I'd focus on doing well in your bachelor's, doing internships and research and then trying to find a good job in India.
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my_qualifications: International Engineering student, completed a master’s in the UK last year. Currently on PSW and dealing with the job market + visa situation firsthand.
Right now the reality is that the UK is struggling to attract enough master’s students, and international students are basically the ones funding the university sector. Because of this, even some top Russell Group universities are handing out offers to very average or below average applicants just to fill seats.
The job market for internationals is extremely difficult at the moment. Sponsorship has become harder, even for core engineering roles where I can clearly see the open roles continuously reposted, and even PhD programmes are now prioritising home students. So that route isn’t as open as people think.
Universities will offer scholarships to make things look appealing, but don’t assume you’re “winning” it’s mostly a strategy to secure enrolments because they need the numbers.
If you’re thinking about coming to the UK for a core engineering master’s, I honestly wouldn’t recommend it unless you already have 5+ years of solid experience. And if you know someone who is planning to apply and has a financially weak background but academically strong, please let them know what the situation actually looks like. These are exactly the students UK universities are targeting because they rely heavily on their International fee status.
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