Indian students pursuing a Master's degree in France will now be given a five-year long-term post-study visa, prime minister Narendra Modi announced.

PM Modi, who is on an official visit to France at the invitation of French president Emmanuel Macron, made the announcement during his address to the Indian community at LA Seine Musicale in Paris on July 13.

"The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying in France would be given a two-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing Masters in France will be given a long-term post-study visa of five years," he said.

Indians in France

During his address, the prime minister also highlighted the contribution of the Indian community in France, who form a strong foundation of the India-France partnership.

Approximately 65,000 immigrants from India currently reside in France.

Around 2.7 million students enrol for French higher education, 14% of whom are foreign students, according to a French embassy data.

France is especially popular for its management programmes with over 70 per cent of Indian students enrolled in them.

According to the latest official data collected post-COVID-19, there were around 6,000 Indian students in France in the 2021-22 academic year.

France wants to invite 20,000 Indian students in France by 2025

France plans to invite 20,000 Indian students in the country by the year 2025, foreign minister Catherine Colonna said last year.

While calling the plan “very ambitious", Colonna said: “We want 20,000 Indian students in France by 2025. We're starting from something close to 5,000. It is very ambitious but, between India and France, the sky's the limit."

(Source: IANS)

-Edited for style

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