(SCOTLAND) — Scottish Higher Education Minister Ben Macpherson told Indian students “We want more of you here. Scotland values your contribution and wants to see more Indian students choosing Scottish universities.” as INSA UK launched its 10th anniversary celebrations at a summit in Scotland on January 22, 2026.

Macpherson delivered the message during the INSA India-Scotland Student Leadership Summit 2026, an event marking a milestone for the Indian National Students Association (INSA UK), founded in 2016 at the High Commission of India in London.

The minister also used the appearance to set Scotland apart from policy debates elsewhere in the UK, saying Scotland does not support a proposed international student levy being debated at the UK-wide level.

Context: U.S. policy and enforcement changes

Macpherson’s outreach comes as Indian students face a tougher compliance climate in the United States, where federal agencies have issued new warnings and rolled out fee and screening changes that can touch students and new graduates moving from study into work authorization.

On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in India issued a warning that linked everyday conduct directly to visa outcomes.

“Breaking US laws can have serious consequences for your student visa. If you are arrested or violate any laws, your visa may be revoked, you may be deported, and you could be ineligible for future US visas. Follow the rules and don’t jeopardize your travel. A US visa is a privilege, not a right.”

Two days later, USCIS announced a final rule to increase premium processing fees to reflect inflation from June 2023 through June 2025, affecting students applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H-1B work authorizations.

The widening gap in tone and policy formed the backdrop for INSA’s anniversary launch in Scotland, which presented itself as a platform for student leadership and institutional links between India and Scotland.

INSA UK and the summit

INSA UK said it now represents over 100,000 students across 50+ universities. It said its “INSA@10” celebrations will run throughout 2026.

The anniversary framing places student mobility alongside politics that increasingly define where students choose to study, and what risks they face after arrival, especially once they start working or applying for post-study status.

Macpherson’s appearance at the INSA India-Scotland Student Leadership Summit 2026 added a political signal to an anniversary calendar intended to run all year.

Policy details affecting students

U.S. fee changes tied to legislation signed on July 4, 2025 include a $250 Visa Integrity Fee and a $24 Form I-94 charge, measures described as stemming from the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

For students, such costs can sit alongside tuition, housing, and proof-of-funds requirements, and can also intersect with later applications tied to work, including OPT and the H-1B visa route.

Beyond fees, U.S. screening has also tightened for some categories connected to international students’ longer-term plans. As of January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State implemented expanded screening for H-1B and H-4 applicants.

India is not on a visa “pause” list that includes 70+ other nations, but Indian nationals face stricter background check requirements under new DHS initiatives like Operation PARRIS.

Those changes matter to students because H-1B and H-4 often come into play after graduation, either for the graduate’s own employment-based status or for family members tied to an H-1B principal applicant.

A sharper U.S. enforcement posture emphasizes “visa integrity” and “financial self-sufficiency” under the current administration, with a shift toward strict compliance expectations for those already inside the country.

Scotland’s recruitment message

At the Scotland summit, Macpherson’s message focused on welcome and recruitment. His quote, delivered as a direct appeal, positioned Scotland as seeking more Indian students at a time when international education destinations compete not only on university rankings but also on perceived stability of immigration rules.

Scotland’s approach was cast as an active effort by the Scottish Government to position itself as a more welcoming alternative to the broader UK and U.S. markets by rejecting student levies and emphasizing cultural inclusivity.

An example of that campus climate came from the University of Glasgow, where Professor Moyra Boland praised the visible representation of Indian culture on campus.

Political support formed part of the message to students as well. The summit linked Scotland’s education pitch to the idea of “inclusive pathways” into the local economy for students who want to build careers after their studies.

Practical implications for students

The contrast with the United States was presented as both rhetorical and practical, with the U.S. Embassy’s language warning that an arrest or legal violation can trigger revocation, deportation, and future ineligibility.

It also described heightened legal stakes for students in the U.S., including the risk that minor infractions or academic “dropouts” without notice can now lead to immediate visa revocation and permanent bars on future entry.

Such warnings frequently intersect with travel decisions, because students often leave and re-enter during holidays, internships, conferences, or emergencies. The embassy’s message explicitly tied conduct to travel: “Follow the rules and don’t jeopardize your travel.”

For many students, the choice between destinations can hinge on more than admissions letters, with visa rules, screening, and the cost of compliance shaping decisions about where to study and whether it feels safe to travel.

The U.S. policy moves described combine new charges tied to travel documentation, rising optional processing costs for certain applications, and tougher screening for work and dependent categories that can sit at the end of a student’s pathway.

Scotland’s message at the summit leaned in the opposite direction, with Macpherson positioning the country as seeking to attract more Indian students and explicitly distancing Scotland from a proposed international student levy debated at the UK-wide level.

As governments balance domestic politics with university recruitment, the lived reality for students can turn on the narrowest details: a fee line item, a screening requirement, a compliance warning, or a shifting standard applied at a border interview.

The U.S. Embassy in India’s January 7 warning captured that risk in blunt terms: “Breaking US laws can have serious consequences for your student visa. If you are arrested or violate any laws, your visa may be revoked, you may be deported, and you could be ineligible for future US visas. Follow the rules and don’t jeopardize your travel. A US visa is a privilege, not a right.”