London: Indians formed the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in the UK last year, according to figures released.
 
The UK’s Office of National Statistics said in its quarterly migration report that Indians bagged the majority of the 92,062 visas issued to skilled migrants in 2015.
 
"Indian nationals accounted for 57 per cent of total skilled work visas granted (52,360 of 92,062), with USA nationals the next largest nationality group (10,130 or 11 per cent)," the report said.
 
Indians also made the maximum tax contributions among immigrants it seems as they formed that largest group of immigrants outside the European Union (EU) to register for the UK’s National Insurance Number (NINo) or a form of tax paid for government benefits such as pension.
 
There were 35,000 new Indian NINo registrations in January-December 2015, followed by 14,000 Australian, 13,000 Chinese, 13,000 Pakistani and 11,000 Nigerian – completing the top five employed groups among new immigrants in the UK.  

Overall, the ONS ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly Report’ said that annual net migration to Britain dipped to 323,000 in September 2015 – 13,000 lower than the record level of 336,000 recorded last June.
 
However, UK Home Secretary Theresa May said the new set of figures "remains too high".
 
"Immigration at this level puts pressure on public services, on housing, on infrastructure… it can hold down wages and push British workers out of jobs," she said.  

The government's squeeze on overseas students has led to numbers falling – down from 190,000 to 174,000 over the previous year â€“ and Indians are the third largest group of overseas students granted visas to study in the UK, after Chinese and Americans.
 
The net migration figure of 323,000 to the UK is split between a 172,000 net increase in migrants from within Europe and 191,000 from outside Europe.
 
The detailed figures show that 165,000 EU nationals came to Britain to work in the 12 months to September – a fall of 15,000 from the 180,000 estimated in the year to June 2015.
 
This comes as a relief to the campaign for the UK to remain within the EU in the June 23 referendum as a constant increase of EU migrants coming into the UK is one of the most emotive issues used by the "Leave" camp.