The initiative is part of a five-point strategy aimed at reducing net migration by 300,000 individuals.
The initiative is part of a five-point strategy aimed at reducing net migration by 300,000 individuals.
The United Kingdom is reportedly contemplating the deportation of international students who fail to achieve high grades while on two-year graduate visas.
The UK Migration Advisory Committee has been entrusted with the task of reassessing the graduate visa program by UK Home Secretary James Cleverly.
The initiative is part of a five-point strategy aimed at reducing net migration by 300,000 individuals, as revealed by The Telegraph’s investigative report via Erudera.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics indicated a record-breaking net migration of 745,000 in 2022, an increase from 184,000 in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the most recent ONS figures revealed a 10 percent decrease, with net migration contributing 672,000 individuals to the UK population in the year ending June 2023. This comes as a contrast to the peak of 745,000 recorded the previous year.
The report also showed a surge in the number of two-year visas granted to students staying in the UK after completing their studies in June 2023. The figure rose by 74 percent, amounting to 98,000 students, compared to the preceding year.
Brian Bell, the chairman of MAC, expressed concerns about the absence of specific grade requirements for university students.
The committee aims to address this issue in the review of the graduate route, contemplating whether a mandatory grade or achievement level should be established.
“That’s the question we want to review in the graduate route to think about whether that’s sensible or whether you should have a rule that says you have to achieve a certain grade or a certain kind of achievement in your course,” he told the Telegraph.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman had previously proposed reforms to the Graduate Visa route as part of broader immigration reduction efforts.
Her proposals included restrictions on international students bringing their families to the UK, unless enrolled in postgraduate research courses.
The UK government earlier declared that international students below the PhD level will no longer be permitted to bring their family members to the country, starting January next year.
The measure is part of the government’s strategy to reduce net migration. However, the ban does not extend to PhD students or those in research-led master courses, who can still bring their dependents.
In addition to this, new rules will prevent international students from switching from the student route to the work route before completing their courses.
The government states that these restrictions aim to significantly cut net migration by limiting family entry and preventing the use of student visas as a pathway to work in the UK.
Braverman, acknowledging an “unexpected rise” in the number of family members accompanying students, affirmed the government’s commitment to lowering net migration.
Official statistics indicated an increase in the issuance of visas to international students, reaching nearly 500,000 in the past year, a 23 percent rise from the previous year. Over 135,000 dependents were also granted visas during this period.
Notably, Indians accounted for nearly one-third of all sponsored visas issued in the UK in 2022, marking the highest number among all nationalities.
The UK hosts a total of 679,970 international students. Among them, 86,430 are EU students enrolled at the undergraduate level, and 33,715 are pursuing postgraduate studies.
Additionally, the UK has 221,040 undergraduate students from non-EU countries and 338,790 non-EU students enrolled in postgraduate programs.
