The news comes after the recently elected UK Labour government previously refused to agree on a youth mobility initiative that would provide young people from EU member states with the right to work in the UK.
Yet, government sources told The Times newspaper that this stance is being reconsidered by ministers in a bid to strengthen relational ties with the EU.
The new visa policy would follow a similar deal that the UK holds with countries such as Canada and Australia.
The government source added: “If we are serious about resetting relations with the EU then we need to be prepared to give them some of the things that they want”.
However, another source insisted that this visa policy would not result in a return to free movement of people, calling this area a “red line”.
Read more: UK Spouse Visa Restrictions For International Students To Remain Under Labour
Further negotiation on the mobility policy is unlikely to happen until late autumn.
EU sources noted that such talks may involve the Erasmus scheme, which previously allowed students to participate in exchange programs with universities in the EU. The Erasmus scheme ended after the Brexit deal was signed in January 2020.
The proposed reciprocal agreement between the EU and the UK comes amid a sharp decline in international enrollment to UK higher education institutions, including business schools.
In July the Labour government announced intentions to keep the UK Graduate Route visa—a two-year visa allowing international students to live and work in the UK after their studies. The government did, however, stop short of removing the spouse visa restrictions prohibiting international students from bringing their dependents to the country, imposed by the previous Conservative government.
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