United Kingdom: Student Visa Rules to be Restricted

Key proposals include:

• limiting the ability of international students to sponsor family members under all immigration routes, except post-graduate research routes;
• limiting the ability of overseas students to switch from the student visa route to work routes until they complete their studies;
• amending the available funds students must prove to qualify for a student visa; and
• restricting international student agents who may be supporting applications illegally.  

• Purpose of restrictions. The restrictions to student visa routes are intended to cut net migration while protecting the economic benefits foreign students bring to the United Kingdom.
• Reasons for cutting migration. In 2019, the Conservative party made a pledge during their campaign to reduce overall migrant numbers in the United Kingdom. From June 2021 to June 2022, net migration was a record 504,000, mostly comprising migrants from Afghanistan, Hong Kong SAR and Ukraine; and the numbers of international student visas granted (mainly to students from Mainland China, India and Nigeria) increased by 81% from 2019 to 2022. The newest statistics are expected to show that for the whole of 2022, net migration was even higher at around 700,000.  Recently, the UK Home Secretary reiterated the importance of meeting the 2019 pledge in a speech given mid-May.   

The Home Secretary had been pushing to cut the current right of foreign students to stay for two years after they graduate, but this was rejected by the Prime Minister and others in government.  

The Prime Minister has refused to set out any timetable for reducing net migration and has also refused to identify a number for legal migration that would be acceptable. When attending the G7 summit in Japan, he made clear that the figure depended on the interests of economic growth and filling gaps in the labour market. The Prime Minister’s focus has instead been on addressing illegal migration. 

There may be other immigration policy initiatives to address these concerns about net migration. We are monitoring government action and announcements.