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The current 2-year post-study work visa term will be shortened to 18 months, limiting the time for job hunting or transitioning to other visa routes.
As per the proposed changed, visa applicants and adult dependents will need to meet higher English proficiency standards. (File Photo)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had released a white paper titled ‘Restoring Control Over the Immigration System’ in May which proposed significant changes to the UK’s immigration process. The rules will likely affect international students, researchers, as well as the institutions. Through the proposed changes, institutions in UK will likely face more stringent compliance requirements.
The rules state a higher pass threshold on the Basic Compliance Assessment, mandatory participation in the Agent Quality Framework, and new public ratings using a red/amber/green system to monitor sponsor performance, reported Indian Express. “We will increase compliance expectations for sponsors to ensure that we are only admitting students to the UK who are studying at reputable institutions and whose primary purpose is to study,” the document reads.
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As per data, there has been a notable increase in student visa numbers for lower-ranked institutions. From 2021 to 2023, student visas for universities ranked 601–1200 globally surged by 49%, whereas visas for top 100 institutions declined by 7%.
The report also highlights that dependent visa numbers surged from 16,000 in 2019 to an astonishing 143,000 in 2023, before early 2024 policy changes began to reverse this trend. While only 5% of study visas issued from 2017–2019 were for dependents, this proportion rose to 20% from 2021–2023.
According to the proposed changes, visa applicants and their adult dependents will need to meet higher standards of English proficiency. At present, B1-level English is adequate for most work and study routes. The white paper suggests raising this to B2, especially for those on work visas.
Furthermore, the current 2-year post-study work visa term will be shortened to 18 months, limiting the time for job hunting or transitioning to other visa routes.
The government is also advising institutions against using fees from international students to fill financial shortfalls without guaranteeing quality or positive outcomes. There is a strong emphasis on responsible recruitment and reducing reliance on foreign tuition revenue. The new levy and stricter compliance checks are intended to guide universities towards more sustainable models.
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