In an unprecedented move, the UK is getting ready to implement changes to immigration laws that will prevent many international students, including a sizable contingent from India, from traveling with their families while they are studying.
This measure is seen as the government’s response to the increasing number of migrants entering the UK. This figure has reached an all-time high despite assurances from the Conservative government to manage and control the influx. The Office for National Statistics reported that net migration totaled a startling 504,000 between June 2021 and June 2022, with estimates for the following year’s numbers to rise to one million. The authorities have attributed a part of this increase to foreign students and their dependents.
Post-Covid data indicates a notable spike in student migration, which has increased by 81 percent since 2019. A growing trend amongst students, particularly from Nigeria and India, is to bring along their families during their time of study. The Financial Times reported a significant leap in visas granted to dependents in 2022, totaling 135,788, a stark rise from 16,047 in 2019.
The new limits largely target the dependents of international master’s students, who could bring their partners and children to the UK under old graduate visa rules for up to 24 months after their courses ended. Government officials argue that these courses, which generally span nine months, are unlikely to have a significant impact on the UK’s worldwide talent pool.
The proposed rules, however, will not apply to foreign Ph.D. students, whose studies typically last three to five years.
Responding to these changes, Sanjay Laul, founder and advisor of education management company M Square Media (MSM), expressed his concerns. “The decision to restrict family travel for master’s students poses a challenge not just for the students but also for the universities that depend on international talent,” said Laul.
He also mentioned the ramifications for student enrollment. “Students make decisions based on a variety of factors, including the possibility of being accompanied by their families. By limiting this, the UK risks undermining the attraction of its higher education sector,” Laul stressed.
Laul also commented on the potential ramifications for Indian students, saying, “India sends a large number of students to the UK. These changes may encourage these students to reevaluate their study location, resulting in a drop in enrollment.”
In addition to the family travel ban, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which provides counsel to ministers on migration affairs, is contemplating reducing the length of stay for overseas students post-studies. MAC chairman Professor Brian Bell expressed his doubts about the necessity for foreign students to work in the UK for two years after completing their master’s degrees.
The UK also intends to implement a new immigration policy that will only allow foreign workers expected to earn a minimum of £26,000 to immigrate to the UK.
While these changes may fulfill the government’s immigration control objectives, they could significantly reshape the landscape of international education in the UK.
(Source: M Square Media)
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