E-Paper
Number of Indian citizens entering UK workforce rises by 71%
Officials said a “noticeable increase” in registrations of Indian and other non-EU nationals after September 2018 is mostly due to registration for adult dependants as part of certain visa approvals.
There has been a 71% rise in the number of Indian citizens allotted a mandatory number needed to take up employment or engage in self-employment in the year ending December 2019, reflecting growing demand for Indian professionals in the United Kingdom.
The National Insurance Number is required to work or claim financial benefits and tax credits in the UK. A percentage of the employee’s income is compulsorily deducted and paid towards national insurance, besides income tax. The amount is used to pay state pension and other allowances.
The figures released on Friday show the largest new registration for the number was from nationals from India (78,000), followed by nationals from Pakistan (20,000) and from China (14,000). In the year ending December 2018, the figure for Indians was 46,000.
Officials said a “noticeable increase” in registrations of Indian and other non-EU nationals after September 2018 is mostly due to registration for adult dependants as part of certain visa approvals. Indians continue to be granted more than half of all work-related UK visas.
There are ongoing discussions between India and the UK to exempt Indian companies posting employees to their UK offices on Intra-Company Transfer visa for short term, who are also required to pay the national insurance contribution but do not eventually benefit from it.
Non-EU registrations for the number increased by 95,000 in the year to December 2019: a 45% increase on the previous year; this was mostly the result of the increase of registrations by nationals from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, and the United States, officials added.
