The UK government has announced that international students will no longer be able to bring dependents to the country, starting on January 2024, as the country is dealing with a record-breaking number of immigrants.
According to authorities, postgraduate students enrolled in research-focused programs are exempted from this measure, meaning that UK Dependable Visas won’t be permitted for this category. Presently, immigration numbers in the country have exceeded 500,000 between 2021 and 2022 – more than double 2019 levels, VisaGuide.World reports.
While international students in postgraduate research courses, such as research-based PhDs and master’s programs, will remain able to bring their dependants, UK Student Visa holders enrolled in other courses will not be permitted to bring their dependants, regardless if they are children under 18, family members, spouses, civil partners or elderly parents.
Data from the Home Office reveal that almost a million student visas were granted in 2022, while the number of dependants of international students was up by 750 per cent since 2019, accounting for 136,000 more people.
Among other measures, international students will also be required to complete their studies before being eligible to apply for the Skilled Worker Route. This restriction might discourage students from picking the UK as a destination for work purposes, while the government intends to reduce the risk of non-genuine students from seeking employment in the country to misuse the Skilled Worker Route.
The decision to prohibit students from bringing their dependents to the UK is expected to impact all students but those from specific countries particularly.
“Evidence shows this decision will also disproportionately affect students from countries such as India and Nigeria, both priority countries in the International Education Strategy, as well as female students, who are more likely to bring dependants with them. For many universities in London, this will mean a significant reduction in annual intake,” Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher, the voice of universities, told University World News.
Non-EU students represent 59 per cent of the total full-time postgraduate students across the UK universities, while they represent only 12 per cent of the full-time undergraduate population.
Last year there were concerns that Home Office would reduce the time international students were allowed to say in the EU through the Graduate Route. This time was expected to be reduced from two years to six months. However, these measures haven’t been implemented, and they are permitted to remain in the UK for two years through the Graduate Route, while those in doctoral and PhD studies will be able to continue their stay for three years.
The restrictive measures follow concerns that a record pace of migration is putting at risk jobs, housing and the fabric of British society. A previous study has shown that 21 percent of Brits would like to see fewer international students in the country, but 42 per cent of respondents from another study revealed they would want immigration rates to drop.
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