The UK government has been considering putting various restrictions on international students. Among these is a proposal to prevent some international students, those considered to be doing “low value” degrees, from getting dependent visas for their spouses and children. This proposition has been criticized both within and outside the government for being vague, discriminatory and counterintuitive for the economy.
Sunak and Braverman want to add restrictions for international students
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, have been trying to introduce some immigration reforms concerning international students since at least August 2022. The reason why these reforms haven't passed yet is because they have been met with opposition from within their own party – notably from the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, and from the Chancellor of Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, who acts as the government's chief financial minister.
What reforms do they want to make? Firstly, Braverman intends to reduce the Graduate Visa from 2 years to 6 months. This means that international graduates of UK universities will only have 6 months instead of 2 years to look for a job. Under the current Graduate Visa, they can also be self-employed and start a business – it is unclear how this will be feasible if that visa lasts only half a year. Secondly, Sunak hinted at going as far as capping the number of student visas issued every year, especially for what he considers “low quality” degrees at less prestigious universities. He has been criticized for not specifying what “low quality” means, but it's likely to be degrees outside of STEM and finance that lead to jobs with lower starting salaries.
Thirdly, Braverman wants to limit dependent visas only to international students doing “high-quality” degrees. Like Sunak, she hasn't clarified what is “high quality,” but it's likely to be science, technology and finance degrees from top universities (like the Russell Group of public research universities). These universities tend to charge higher fees, so many international students from less wealthy backgrounds cannot afford them unless they are on a scholarship. Braverman wants to reduce overall immigration numbers, and she believes that targeting dependent visas helps that goal.
Graduate students from Nigeria and India have driven up the number of dependent visas granted
The number of dependent visas granted to family members has spiked after the pandemic-induced slowdown of 2020-2021. The PIE News reports that this was largely driven by an influx of older postgraduate students from countries like Nigeria and India. Interest in studying in the UK had increased since the Graduate Visa came into effect in mid-2021. According to data from the Home Office, in 2019, only 6% (∼16,000) of study-related visas were dependent visas. But in 2022%, it jumped to a stunning 22% (∼136,000) of visas in this category.
The Home Office says that this likely represents “a change in the composition of students” who choose the UK. Studying in the UK is very expensive – it can cost between £15,000 and £30,000 per year for international students. Older students are more likely to have these savings. They are also more likely to have solid work experience back home, which can allow them to land a well-paying job in the UK using the Graduate Visa after they finish their postgraduate degree.
But older students are also often already married and have kids. Some bring their families for purely practical reasons (e.g., they need to share child-rearing responsibilities), while others do so with a more specific intention of making their family immigrate. With her reform proposals, Braverman is targeting the second category, which she thinks is contributing to making immigration rates to the UK too high.
Braverman has been met with criticism from other members of the ruling Conservative Party as well as from higher education bodies. They say that if she manages to pass her proposed reforms, the UK's international reputation as a higher education hub will be tarnished, and this sector will fall behind competitors like Australia and Canada. These countries, like most others, definitely allow international students to bring their immediate family as dependents. Critics are also worried that smaller universities will lose precious funding from international student fees if they are deterred from coming to the UK. As Braverman locks horns with other members of her own party, it remains to be seen whether her reforms will pass.
