In an effort to tackle net migration, the Rishi Sunak government in the United Kingdom has implemented stricter visa rules. Home Secretary Suella Braverman recently announced policy changes that will have an impact on international students. These changes include a ban on dependents accompanying overseas students and the removal of the option for international students to switch to work visas before completing their courses.
However, Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK's Deputy Foreign Minister, clarified that the new immigration policy adjustments do not target undergraduate students from India. Lord Ahmad emphasized the valuable contributions made by Indian students and explained that the visa restrictions primarily apply to those pursuing one-year research and doctoral studies. During a recent interview with NDTV, he stated, "We have tweaked visa rules for research and PhD students who come only for one year and sometimes don't complete their research."
Lord Ahmad emphasized that Britain values legal immigration and is primarily focused on curbing illegal immigration. He acknowledged the importance of Indian students to the UK and expressed a desire to attract more students from India. "Most students are from India. We want more students," he added.
Braverman also pledged to take action against unscrupulous education agents who facilitate inappropriate applications for immigration purposes rather than genuine educational pursuits.
The implementation of these measures is a response to recent figures that revealed a record level of net migration in the UK, reaching 606,000 in the year leading up to December 2022.
Furthermore, data compiled by the UK Home Office and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlights the significant contribution of Indian nationals to cross-sector skilled work visas. Indians were the leading nationality in various categories, including the 'Worker' category, where they accounted for one-third (33%) of grants. Indian nationals were also the largest group to receive leave to remain on the Graduate route, representing 41% of grants.
With these adjustments to the immigration policy, the UK aims to strike a balance between addressing immigration concerns and maintaining its reputation as a desirable destination for international students.
