The UK Government on Monday announced a relaxation of recruitment criteria to allow Commonwealth nationals to apply for jobs in its armed forces to meet a shortage in its ranks, a move that could also benefit Indians.
The decision announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) means that people from Commonwealth countries — including India, Australia, Kenya, Fiji and Sri Lanka — will be considered for roles, even if they have never lived in Britain. The Commonwealth is an association of 53 independent states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The MoD laid out the proposals in a written ministerial statement before Parliament, which involves a waiver of the current requirement of a minimum of five-year residency in the UK for applying to join the Army.