The UK government has recently announced a new immigration crackdown aimed at overseas students, including those from India, and their ability to bring dependant family members to the country while studying at British institutions. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, stated that only international students on postgraduate research programs would be allowed to bring their family members, such as children and elderly parents, as dependants.
The decision to implement these measures came after it was revealed that the number of visas granted to dependants of sponsored students had increased significantly, from 16,000 in 2019 to around 136,000 in the year ending December 2022. As part of the new package of measures, international students will no longer have the right to bring dependants unless they are enrolled in specific postgraduate research programs. Additional measures include reviewing maintenance requirements for students and dependants and clamping down on unscrupulous education agents.
The UK government emphasized that the changes would not affect the terms of the graduate route visa, which allows students to stay in the country and seek work experience for up to three years after completing their degrees. The government aims to work with universities to develop an alternative approach that balances attracting the brightest students while reducing net migration.
The announcement of these stricter regulations has raised concerns among the educational sector. Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of Universities UK International, stated that further information is needed to assess the impact of the new policies on specific programs. He also pointed out that the changes may disproportionately affect women and students from certain countries. Arrowsmith urged the government to collaborate with the sector to monitor the impact on these groups and on universities already facing financial pressures.
Despite the concerns raised, the UK government reaffirmed its commitment to welcoming the brightest students to its world-leading universities. The new measures are expected to be implemented as soon as possible after consultations with the educational sector and key stakeholders.
The latest net migration figures, to be released later this week, are anticipated to show a significant rise from 504,000 between June 2021 and 2022. This increase comes despite the government’s pledge to reduce immigration following Brexit.
India, surpassing China, has become the leading nationality granted study visas in the UK. In the 2020-21 academic year, there were 87,045 first-year Indian enrolments, placing India behind China but ahead of Nigeria. Nigerians have the highest number of dependants accompanying students, followed by Indians.
The implementation of this immigration crackdown on overseas students, including Indians, and their dependants reflects the UK government’s efforts to manage immigration numbers and address concerns regarding dependant visa applications. However, it has also raised concerns within the educational sector, particularly regarding its potential impact on certain groups of students and universities already facing financial challenges.
