Indian woman pressured to end Scotland Parliament bid over student visa status
A visa row has erupted within the Scottish Green Party after Malayali woman Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan alleged she was asked to withdraw from the election race because of her immigration status. The controversy escalated after another student visa holder from the same party was allowed to contest and went on to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament.
An Indian woman who was running to get elected to Scotland's Parliament has been asked by her Scottish Green Party to quit the race. Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan says she was asked to withdraw her candidacy because of her student visa status, despite another candidate with similar visa status being allowed to contest the election.
Viswanathan, currently serving as the president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said she felt "let down" by the party after being allegedly advised to step down from contesting the Holyrood elections, according to a report by BBC Scotland News.
The revelation came to light after Viswanathan's recent interview. The election was conducted on May 7.
Viswanathan had applied to contest from the North East of Scotland region and had secured the third position on the party's internal list during candidate selections last year. However, she claimed that during a phone call with a party official in July 2025, she was advised to withdraw after concerns were raised over whether she could legally remain in Scotland for the full duration of an MSP term due to her visa status.
Viswanathan told the BBC that she was "thrilled" that so many fellow Greens had been elected, but that having to withdraw had taken "a significant toll on her health and well-being."
The issue raised by Vishwanathan gained attention after another Indian-origin candidate, Q Manivannan, who was also in the United Kingdom on a student visa, was allowed to contest the election and was subsequently elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) representing the Edinburgh and Lothians East region.
Changes in Scottish law introduced in 2024 allowed individuals without permanent residency rights in the UK to contest Scottish Parliament elections. However, elected representatives can be disqualified if they later lose the legal right to remain in the country.
"Immigration is a sensitive subject for many migrants like myself who should be allowed to take part in the election process, as the latest election results have shown us," Vishwananthan said.
The Scottish Green Party denied the allegations of blocking any candidate because of visa issues. In a statement to the BBC, a party spokesperson said candidates were responsible for ensuring they met all legal and eligibility requirements, including matters related to visa status.
"Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet all legal and eligibility requirements before standing for election, including any matters relating to their own visa status. We cannot comment on individual candidates or internal selection processes, but we can confirm that nobody has been blocked from standing for the Scottish Greens because of their visa status."
The party spokesperson added that the party was "satisfied that it has acted appropriately and provided relevant guidance to all candidates, where required."
The Scottish Greens secured 15 MSP seats overall in the Holyrood elections, marking the party's biggest-ever representation in the Scottish Parliament.
Vishwanathan was the first international student to be elected as the President of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland. She took office in July 2024 for a two-year term.
Vishwanathan had won the election based on her manifesto that laid down guidelines for her term.
An Indian woman who was running to get elected to Scotland's Parliament has been asked by her Scottish Green Party to quit the race. Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan says she was asked to withdraw her candidacy because of her student visa status, despite another candidate with similar visa status being allowed to contest the election.
Viswanathan, currently serving as the president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said she felt "let down" by the party after being allegedly advised to step down from contesting the Holyrood elections, according to a report by BBC Scotland News.
The revelation came to light after Viswanathan's recent interview. The election was conducted on May 7.
Viswanathan had applied to contest from the North East of Scotland region and had secured the third position on the party's internal list during candidate selections last year. However, she claimed that during a phone call with a party official in July 2025, she was advised to withdraw after concerns were raised over whether she could legally remain in Scotland for the full duration of an MSP term due to her visa status.
Viswanathan told the BBC that she was "thrilled" that so many fellow Greens had been elected, but that having to withdraw had taken "a significant toll on her health and well-being."
The issue raised by Vishwanathan gained attention after another Indian-origin candidate, Q Manivannan, who was also in the United Kingdom on a student visa, was allowed to contest the election and was subsequently elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) representing the Edinburgh and Lothians East region.
Changes in Scottish law introduced in 2024 allowed individuals without permanent residency rights in the UK to contest Scottish Parliament elections. However, elected representatives can be disqualified if they later lose the legal right to remain in the country.
"Immigration is a sensitive subject for many migrants like myself who should be allowed to take part in the election process, as the latest election results have shown us," Vishwananthan said.
The Scottish Green Party denied the allegations of blocking any candidate because of visa issues. In a statement to the BBC, a party spokesperson said candidates were responsible for ensuring they met all legal and eligibility requirements, including matters related to visa status.
"Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet all legal and eligibility requirements before standing for election, including any matters relating to their own visa status. We cannot comment on individual candidates or internal selection processes, but we can confirm that nobody has been blocked from standing for the Scottish Greens because of their visa status."
The party spokesperson added that the party was "satisfied that it has acted appropriately and provided relevant guidance to all candidates, where required."
The Scottish Greens secured 15 MSP seats overall in the Holyrood elections, marking the party's biggest-ever representation in the Scottish Parliament.
Vishwanathan was the first international student to be elected as the President of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland. She took office in July 2024 for a two-year term.
Vishwanathan had won the election based on her manifesto that laid down guidelines for her term.
