The policy change is designed to curb migration and applies to the majority of international students, except those pursuing postgraduate research courses or courses supported by government-funded scholarships.
The policy change is designed to curb migration and applies to the majority of international students, except those pursuing postgraduate research courses or courses supported by government-funded scholarships.
The UK government has decided to prohibit international students from bringing their family members to the country since Jan. 1.
The policy change is purportedly designed to curb migration and prevent the exploitation of the immigration system. It applies to the majority of international students, except those pursuing postgraduate research courses or courses supported by government-funded scholarships.
The proposal was introduced in May 2023 and is aligned with the government’s strategy to decrease migration to the UK, with about 140,000 fewer individuals allowed entry into the UK because of these alterations.
The Office for National Statistics reported that there was a net migration of 672,000 from June 2022 to June 2023.
Notably, until September 2023, there was a substantial increase in visas issued to students’ dependents, surging by over 930 percent compared to the preceding year. This issued visas reached 152,980 in total.
A decisive cut in migration
The government anticipates a significant decrease in migration by tens of thousands, aligning with the overarching strategy to restrict approximately 300,000 people from entering the UK.
“We are completely committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration,” said Tom Pursglove MP, minister for legal migration and the border. He stressed substantial reductions in migration and addressed the increase in the number of dependents accompanying students.
The government’s initiatives go beyond student visas as they aim to reduce legal migration to sustainable levels. Measures include addressing the abuse of health and care visas, raising salary thresholds for skilled workers, and implementing regulations for care firms sponsoring visas.
Increased salary thresholds
The government plans to increase salary thresholds for the skilled worker route by almost 50% to €44,816 (approx. US$50,000). Additionally, the 20% salary discount for occupations with a talent shortage will be eliminated.
Furthermore, the minimum income requirement for British or settled individuals sponsoring family members will rise to €44,816 (approx. $50,000) by spring 2025.
Additionally, the Migration Advisory Committee will review the graduate route to ensure its integrity and uphold the quality of the UK’s higher education system.
International students withdrawing from the UK
International students have increasingly been withdrawing from UK universities due to what is perceived as an “unfavorable atmosphere” created by the government’s immigration policies. This trend is highlighted by the experience of the University of Birkbeck, where a noticeable 10 percent drop in international student enrollment was reported for the academic year starting in October.
The decline in international student numbers at Birkbeck and other UK universities follows a series of policy announcements by the UK government, specifically by Rishi Sunak, who in May announced a crackdown on overseas students bringing family members to the UK. This move was part of a broader strategy to reduce legal migration. Sunak pointed to the significant increase in dependents of foreign students entering the UK, which rose from 16,000 to 135,788 since 2019, a fact he described as “staggering.”
This policy change seems to have had an immediate impact. Students who had applied to Birkbeck in January, accepted their places by May and June, but eventually did not enroll, with many not even applying for a visa. David Latchman, vice-chancellor of Birkbeck, attributes this to the negative atmosphere surrounding international students due to these policy announcements.
“I think there’s a total failure to understand that you can’t have a business in inverted commas where you say your business has two products – over here, you can’t charge more than this, however much the costs increase (for domestic students). And over here, I’m going to do our best to discourage people from taking up your business where you can charge more (for international students),” Latchman said.
