The UK government prohibit international students from bringing dependents with them beginning January 2024 – unless students are in postgraduate programmers with a research focus. The move is intended to help curb net migration.
The Graduate Route will not be affected in new immigration restrictions – eligible students will still be allowed 2-3 years to remain in the UK under this route, Students will not be permitted to switch to the Skilled Worker Route until they complete their program.
The government says it remains committed to the UK’s International Education Strategy and that the target of attracting 600,000 international students has been met for two years running Immigration is at an all-time high in the UK, and the government wants to tighten up the profile of migrants who come to the country and bring down the net migration total. In the period June 2021–June 2022, net migration exceeded 500,000, more than double the number in 2019, and new data to be released this week is expected to show that the 2022 total has risen by at least 200,000.
In 2022, says the Home Office, “almost half a million student visas were issued while the number of dependents of overseas students has increased by 750% since 2019, to 136,000 people.” Dependents include children under the age of 18, spouses or civil partners, and elderly parents who need long-term care.
International students will no longer be able to obtain a Skilled Worker Visa before their studies have been completed. The rule is intended to discourage international students from choosing the UK predominantly because they want to work there, rather than study. As India’s Economic Times reported last year, “More and more international students have been opting for [the Skilled Worker route] since it offers a cheaper and faster pathway to full-time employment in the UK.
The Graduate Route, on the other hand, requires students to pay expensive course fees and maintenance for the duration of their course, before entering the jobs market.” The government is shutting down the potential of the Skilled Worker Route being used as a backdoor for non-genuine students determined to find work in the UK.
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